Maya Blue Distinctive Color Used by Maya Artists

Maya Blue is the name of a hybrid organic and inorganic pigment, used by the Maya civilization to decorate pots, sculptures, codices, and panels. While its date of invention is somewhat controversial, the pigment was predominantly used within the Classic period beginning about AD 500. The distinctive blue color, as seen in the murals at Bonampak in the photo, was created using a combination of materials, including indigo and palygorskite (called sak luum or white earth in the Yucatec Maya language). Maya blue was used primarily in ritual contexts, pottery, offerings, copal incense balls, and murals. By itself, palygorskite was used for medicinal properties and as an additive for ceramic tempers, in addition to its use in the creation of Maya blue. Making Maya Blue The striking turquoise color of Maya Blue is quite tenacious as such things go, with visible colors left on stone stele after hundreds of years in the subtropical climate at sites such as Chichà ©n Itzà ¡ and Cacaxtla. Mines for the palygorskite component of Maya Blue are known at Ticul, YoSah Bab, Sacalum, and Chapab, all in the Yucatà ¡n peninsula of Mexico. Maya Blue requires the combination of ingredients (the indigo plant and palygorskite ore) at temperatures between 150 C and 200 C. Such heat is necessary to get molecules of indigo incorporated into the white palygorskite clay. The process of embedding (intercalating) indigo into the clay makes the color stable, even under exposure to harsh climate, alkali, nitric acid and organic solvents. The application of heat to the mixture may have been completed in a kiln built for that purpose--kilns are mentioned in early Spanish chronicles of the Maya. Arnold et al. (in Antiquity below) suggest that Maya Blue may also have been made as a by-product of burning copal incense at ritual ceremonies. Dating Maya Blue Using a series of analytical techniques, scholars have identified the content of various Maya samples. Maya Blue is generally believed to have been used first during the Classic period. Recent research at Calakmul supports suggestions that Maya Blue began to be used when the Maya began painting internal murals on temples during the late pre-classic period, ~300 BC-AD 300. Murals at Acanceh, Tikal, Uaxactun, Nakbe, Calakmul and other pre-classic sites dont seem to have included Maya Blue in their palettes. A recent study of the interior polychrome murals at Calakmul (Và ¡zquez de à gredos Pascual 2011) conclusively identified a blue painted and modeled substructure dated to ~150 AD; this is the earliest example of Maya Blue to date. Scholarly Studies of Maya Blue Maya blue was first identified by Harvard archaeologist R. E. Merwin at Chichà ©n Itzà ¡ in the 1930s. Much work on Maya Blue has been completed by Dean Arnold, who over his 40 year investigation has combined ethnography, archaeology, and materials science in his studies. A number of non-archaeological material studies of the mixture and chemical makeup of Maya blue have been published over the past decade. A preliminary study on sourcing palygorskite using trace element analysis has been undertaken. A few mines have been identified in the Yucatà ¡n and elsewhere, and tiny samples have been taken from the mines as well as paint samples from ceramics and murals of known provenience. Neutron activation analysis (INAA) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) have both been used in an attempt to identify the trace minerals within the samples, reported in a 2007 article in Latin American Antiquity listed below. Although there were some problems with correlating the two methodologies, the pilot study identified trace amounts of rubidium, manganese, and nickel in the various sources which may prove useful in identifying the sources of the pigment. Additional research by the team reported in 2012 (Arnold et al. 2012) hinged on the presence of palygorskite, and that mineral was identified in several ancient samples as having the same chemical make up modern mines at Sacalum and possibly Yo Sak Kab. Chromatographic analysis of the indigo dye was securely identified within a Maya blue mixture from a pottery censer excavated from Tlatelolco in Mexico and reported in 2012. Sanz and colleagues found that blue coloration used on a 16th-century codex attributed to Bernardino Sahagà ºn was also identified as following a classic Maya recipe. Recent investigations have also centered on the composition of Maya Blue, indicating that perhaps making Maya Blue was a ritual part of sacrifice at  Chichà ©n Itzà ¡. Sources Anonymous. 1998.  Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology at Ticul, Yucatà ¡n, Mexico.  Society for Archaeological Sciences Bulletin  21(12).Arnold DE. 2005. Maya blue and palygorskite: A second possible pre-Columbian source.  Ancient Mesoamerica  16(1):51-62.Arnold DE, Bohor BF, Neff H, Feinman GM, Williams PR, Dussubieux L, and Bishop R. 2012.  The first direct evidence of pre-columbian sources of palygorskite for Maya Blue.  Journal of Archaeological Science  39(7):2252-2260.Arnold DE, Branden JR, Williams PR, Feinman G, and Brown JP. 2008.  The first direct evidence for the production of Maya Blue: rediscovery of a technology.  Antiquity  82(315):151-164.Arnold DE, Neff H, Glascock MD, and Speakman RJ. 2007. Sourcing the Palygorskite Used in Maya Blue: A Pilot Study Comparing the Results of INAA and LA-ICP-MS.  Latin American Antiquity  18(1):44–58.Berke H. 2007.  The invention of blue and purple pigments in ancient times.  Chemical Society Reviews  36:15 –30.Chiari G, Giustetto R, Druzik J, Doehne E, and Ricchiardi G. 2008.  Pre-columbian nanotechnology: reconciling the mysteries of the maya blue pigment.  Applied Physics A  90(1):3-7.Sanz E, Arteaga A, Garcà ­a MA, Cà ¡mara C, and Dietz C. 2012.  Chromatographic analysis of indigo from Maya Blue by LC–DAD–QTOF.  Journal of Archaeological Science  39(12):3516-3523.Và ¡zquez de à gredos Pascual, Domà ©nech Carbà ³ MT, and Domà ©nech Carbà ³ A. 2011.  Characterization of Maya Blue pigment in pre-classic and classic monumental architecture of the ancient pre-Columbian city of Calakmul (Campeche, Mexico).  Journal of Cultural Heritage  12(2):140-148.

Movie Review The Intouchables - 1122 Words

The movie film, â€Å"The Intouchables† follows the friendship of a wealthy upper class quadriplegic Phillipe, and a wise talking man Driss, from the slums of Paris. Recently released from jail, Driss finds himself without a job and a place to stay. After interviewing for a position as Phillipe’s caregiver, Driss is given the opportunity to make a difference in Phillipe’s life. Phillipe is bound to a wheelchair after a paragliding accident destroyed his third and fourth vertebrae. His wealth gives him the opportunity to get the best medications, therapists, and accommodations money can buy, but he has yet to find a caregiver who is willing to stick around. Taking a chance on Driss, leads Phillipe to become more outgoing and take risks he would usually not take. Smoking marijuana, speeding down the freeway, and taking a chance on love are only a few situations Phillipe finds himself in while in the care of Driss. The two develop a lifelong friendship, through laug hter and humor. Phillipe vaguely speaks about his accident that caused him to become a quadriplegic. During a paragliding accident Phillipe, fell out of the sky and suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury to his third and fourth vertebrae. According to Phillipe’s character, â€Å"he is unable to feel anything from the neck down†. Throughout the movie Phillipe suffers from phantom pains that make him feel as if he is on fire. He counts on those around him to help him with all his daily living skills including showering,Show MoreRelatedThe Intouchables878 Words   |  4 PagesThe Intouchables The movie â€Å"The Intouchables† (first released on November 2, 2011 in Belgium and directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano) is the factual story of an unconventional relationship between a millionaire quadriplegic from the ritziest neighborhood in Paris and his Senegalese caregiver from the ghetto—a bond that begins as a working one but builds, through trust and care and shared experiences, into a lasting friendship that changes two unhappy lives forever. In Paris, the upper-classRead MoreFilm Review Of The Intouchables Directed By Oliver Nakache And Eric Toledano1206 Words   |  5 PagesFilm Review- Statement of intention: My intention for this film review is to convince the reader to watch the film â€Å"The Intouchables†. As I believe this film is well worth watching as it portrays very good themes and has important life lessons incorporated throughout the movie. The Intouchables Are Really An Untouchable Pair The Intouchables Directed and written by: Oliver Nakache and Eric Toledano Rating: R (for language and some drug use) Genre: drama, art house, international, comedy

3 Reasons Why I Think I Will Be a Successful Leader free essay sample

Three reasons why I think that I will be a successful leader are that I have: motivation, time management skills, and people skills. The first reason, motivation, is one of the best traits that you could have. Motivation is used when your employees or workers aren’t having a good day or are down in the dumps. You use motivation to brighten up their days, whether it’s something that you would say to them or if it’s something you give them to build their confidence and will to work on what they are working on. The second trait and arguably the most important trait are time management skills. You have to schedule whatever you need to schedule in order for everything to get done. You could also schedule events or meetings with enough time to take a 30 minute break or schedule time for them to reflect on themselves. That’s not a necessity to have, but sometimes that will invoke motivation into a person and get them on the right track. We will write a custom essay sample on 3 Reasons Why I Think I Will Be a Successful Leader or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Usually, if we are done with everything on Thursday, we would have a civilian clothes day on Friday, in the military. My third and final trait is people skills. That is also a really good trait to have. When I walk down the street, I would say â€Å"Hi† to them and maybe even start talking to them. Who knows, maybe that would be something that the person needed to have a better day. Just a little â€Å"Hi† could be the thing that people would use to stop them from committing suicide. Also, if you start talking to someone and you get into a real deep discussion, they might tell you something that you didn’t know or something that really helps you out.

Tim Burton Style Analysis Essay Example

Tim Burton Style Analysis Essay Tim Burton Style Analysis Tim Burton has achieved much fame for his imaginative movies and his quirky remakes of old classics such as Alice, Batman, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is in Edward Scissorhands though, a heartfelt story about an outsider looking in, that Burton shows off his true skills as a director. Using point of view, setting, and motifs his film becomes not just a good movie, but an amazing classic. Burton uses point of view to show the characters perspective and to fill in the missing gaps in the characters history in the form of flashbacks. For example, one of the beginning scenes in the movie show that the devout woman looks out the window and sees the other woman of the neighborhood flocking together, yet not inviting her to join them. It shows that the woman is an outcast, and is not included in things. Another scene shows Edward’s dejected face and then flashes over to a scene of Kim goofing off with her boyfriend. It lets the viewer understand that Edward is interested romantically in Kim, and thus upset that she is involved with someone else. This is a more subtle technique, and makes the scene more memorable to the viewer because they didn’t come right out and say it. We will write a custom essay sample on Tim Burton Style Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tim Burton Style Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tim Burton Style Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As opposed to telling the audience about something, Burton prefers to let them see for themselves. To show Edwards origins, Burton has Edward looking out the window and has a flashback about how he was created. Burton also uses setting to a magical extent. Burton is an admirer of over-exaggeration, and this is evident in his distinction of the neighborhood and Edwards’s castle. Whereas the community is bright a cheery, with houses of alternating color and rather small proportions, the castle is dark and opposing. All the houses in the community don’t have more than four feet between them, and even the backyards are visible from the street. Burton also exaggerates the looming castle’s isolation by putting it on a mountain. Burton purposefully designs the community to be the homey, picturesque American dream while Edward’s castle is the definition of gloom and doom. Yet when Peg first comes to the entrance of the castle, she encounters an amazing garden, much more beautiful than anything thing the people in the community could make, showing us that our perceptions aren’t always right. Burton often uses motifs in his movies and Edward Scissorhands is no different. Among many, one of the motifs Burton uses is conformity vs. ndividuality. Burton’s movies all carry common threads, and like all of Burton’s previous main characters, Edward is an outcast. He is a spark of creativity in an otherwise dull society. The citizens of the community choose to conform and the all have flat personalities. One is either a maneater or a motherly type or some other cliche, and that part seems to encompass the rest of their personality. While Edward, who is so different from the way he looks to the way he acts, seems to be the only human character. His personality possesses many layers. The citizens also dress bright and cheery is a retro-style, while Edward with his uncontrollable hair and pale skin looks like a gritty Goth. In conclusion, Burton’s skill shines throughout the entire movie. Using point of view, setting, motifs, and other style techniques, Burton makes Edward Scissorhands a true hit. Tim Burton’s unorthodox style gives new standards to the movie business, and delivers heartwarming stories about misconceptions and finding yourself. With Tim Burton’s masterful skill and playful humor, it becomes obvious why Edward Scissorhands is such a hit. Gigi Orphali 12-8-11 p. 5-6