After you've read Part I: From Eden to Cajamarca, identify one point or issue with which you agree, disagree, or about which you would like to learn more. Use the SVHS databases or the Internet to find out more.
Your comment to this post should include the author, title, source, link or database title, and a summary of the source. In your summary, please explain why you choice this particular topic for further exploration.
Author(s): Ben Finney, Thor Heyerdahl, Geoffrey Irwin, Herb Kawainui Kane, Will Kyselka, Pi'ikea Miller, Anne Salmond, Nainoa Thompson
ReplyDeleteTitle: Polynesian History and Origin
Source: Wayfinders
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/polynesian.html
Summary:
The Polynesian Islands are unique because they were officially established by non-famous cartographers/geographers. When the discoverers arrived, they saw that the islands were occupied with hunter-gatherer communities. It confuses scientists that the original Polynesian settlers were able to go such a great distance to get to the islands, but it is also know that they come from a long line of seafarers.
I found it to be quite interesting that the settlement of the Polynesian Islands consisted of only people of the same culture, language, technology, and set of domesticated plants and animals. I then decided to look more into this natural experiment to see what exactly the founding population of the Polynesian Islands were like.
Excellent! We'll actually be using this source when we get to our unit on Southeast Asia & Oceania.
DeleteAuthor: Cody Carlson
ReplyDeleteTitle: This week in history: Pizarro defeats the Inca at Cajamarca
Source: Deseret News
Link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865590520/This-week-in-history-Pizarro-defeats-the-Inca-at-Cajamarca.html?pg=all
Summary: The subjugation of the Incan empire can be perceived as an 'interesting' experiment. Here, all tells of European power and progress can be found contributing to the defeat of the Incas. I found the variables leading up the capture of Atahualpa intriguing, in that only a few hundred Spanish conquistadors were victorious over a numerically superior native force. Take, for instance, the influx of Spanish small pox from Panama wiping out the notable leaders of the Incas; resulting in unrest and civil war, preceding the battle at Cajamarca. Or the even the social and political organizations of the opposing factions. The Holy Roman Empire versus a relatively religiously isolated native species. An Incan system that allowed little flexibility in it's hierarchy. As well as resource and technologically affluent Europeans on horseback with guns and steel armor, battling mere stone spears and leather shields. Of course, the knowledge of; and from, writing, overseas navigation, and incorruptible greed. All of these factors flowed into a convenient basin of which the Spanish conquistadors happily drew from in their conquest, and eventual, vanquishment of the Incas. I wanted to further explore these heavily unbalanced scales not only as a reminder, but as a teacher of history, and its weigh on technological progress and human nature.
Author: Christopher Minster
ReplyDeleteTitle: The Ransom of Atahualpa
Source: About
Link: http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/theconquestofperu/p/The-Ransom-Of-Atahualpa.htm
Summary:
In chapter three, Diamond discusses the collision at Cajamarca. I found several aspects of this battle interesting, but the part that I was fascinated by the most and wanted to conduct further research on was the capture of Atahualpa and his ransom. During this battle, thousands of Atahualpa's men, including civilians, soldiers, and members of the Inca aristocracy, were being murdered. On the other hand, their enemy, the Spanish, did not experience a single casualty due to their heavy steel armor. Atahualpa was captured and was placed under close watch in the Temple of the Sun. Atahualpa realized that the Spanish were only there for the gold and silver and that he would be released if he paid enough. He offered to fill a large room with gold and silver for his release. The Spanish were shocked and hastily accepted his offer. Atahualpa then instructed his men to bring gold and silver to Cajamarca. The treasure brought there included priceless works of art made from gold and silver as well as jewelry and temple decorations. This ransom added up to over 13,000 pounds of gold and twice that amount of silver. The Spaniards soon heard rumors of Atahualpa's men coming to attack. Frightened, the Spanish tried Atahualpa for treason and found him guilty. In the end, the exorbitant ransom was pointless because Atahualpa was executed on July 26, 1533.
Authors: Ben Finney, Thor Heyerdahl, Geoffrey Irwin, Herb Kawainui Kane,Will Kyselka,Pi'ikea Miller, Anne Salmond, Nainoa Thompson
ReplyDeleteTitle: Polynesian History and Origin
Source: Wayfinders
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/polynesian6.html
Summary:
On the Polynesian islands, different artifacts were found including decorated pottery, and fragmented canoes. These discoveries also showed that the islands were centralized on the western ends of the islands and they gradually spreads throughout the entirety of the islands. The pottery also showed that the Polynesians migrated to New Guinea.There were also bones of dogs, pigs, and chickens.
I found interest in the artifacts that these people left behind considering they were relatively advanced in farming and that was shown in the animal bones. This also drove in the point that they were interested in their surroundings with the discovery of canoes and pottery on other islands.
Author: N/A
ReplyDeleteTitle: Secrets of Easter Island
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/civilization/giants.html
Summary: Easter Island was one of the many Polynesian Islands. Easter Island is highly known for the on average 15 ton stone structures created by the islanders. The structures were created to resemble the spirits of passed chiefs and important ancestors. What is even more incredible was that the structures were not carved at the place of where they stand, but instead at an off-site quarry. This infers that the creators also had to somehow transport the immense structures. In total there were almost nine hundred statutes on the island.
This interested me because these structures were made by hand. There was no electric tools to facilitate the process and instead they were created using hand-made hammers and other assorted rock tools.
Author: Jennifer Kahn
ReplyDeleteTitle: Settlement of Eastern Polynesia
Source: ABC-CLIO
Link: http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1948502?terms=settlement+of+eastern+polynesia
Summary: In chapter two, Diamond discussed the evolution and agriculture in the Polynesian Islands. This caught my interest because it discussed how ancient societies lived and interpreted their own cultures, and I contemplated how the residents may have ended up on the islands at all. In this article, the writer described how humans settled western Polynesia first, since it involved a simpler means of transportation, and the gradual migration and extension into the eastern islands. It also illustrated the approximate time frame that each island was settled. For example, the article stated that the Hawaiian archipelago was settled around 800 CE and that New Zealand was settled in 1200 CE, becoming the last eastern island to get inhabited by humans. It was interesting to read how the settlers needed to develop exceptional navigational skills to successfully sail east on their double-hulled canoes.
My source is Ebsco: Student Research Center, and here I found a newspaper article titled: "People ended mega beasts" by Brian Williams. In this newspaper excerpt it describes that humans were actually responsible for the extinction of megafauna. In the book “Guns, Germs, and Steel” Diamond writes that it is not confirmed; however it is oddly peculiar that at the time of the human’s arrival in North America and Australia, the megafauna soon disappeared. I enjoy learning about former creatures that no longer prowl the earth. It is extremely interesting to learn about things that once lived, but now will never be seen in action. This is what pushed me to pursue the extinction of the megafauna, and this is why I chose this as my topic. I agree with Diamond that humans were definitely responsible for the extinction of the large creatures, it is too much of a coincidence, and there are now remains found with hunting marks in them. So the answer remains, the humans hunted the megafauna to extinction.
ReplyDeleteAuthor: N/A
ReplyDeleteTitle:Origins of Humankind
Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/humans/humankind/index.html
Summary:
This is essentially a somewhat interactive article that uses images to show the reader the evolution of humans. It gives facts about humans and apes shared ancestors and presents images of fossils to prove or display these relations. It relates to Guns Germs and Steel because in part one Diamond states that 7 million years ago humans split with other animals and evolved separately, this article says that it was between 5-8 million years ago. I enjoy learning about how we are what we are today, and that is why I chose this as my topic.
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ReplyDeleteAuthor: N/A
ReplyDeleteTitle: Turkey Looks For Energy In An Abundant Resource: Pistachio Shells
Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/11/20/365315940/turkey-looks-for-energy-in-an-abundant-resource-pistachio-shells
Summary: I found this article very interesting as it involved a new way of thinking outside the box, a way in which a country could utilize what was essentially waste and turn it into biogas, to fuel their vehicles. Turkey has plans to build an "eco-city" in Gaziantep Province, a province that is conveniently located in an area where over 50% of the country's pistachios are grown. By using pistachio shells and sending them through digestors, we are able to create methane gas, and heat to power future cities. Scientists conclude that nuts are a very efficient source of alternate energy that could fuel up to 60% of the city's energy needs. Although this is still only a hypothetical solution, it can be very beneficial to the people of Turkey, as well as help humans develop new methods of sustainable energy.
Explanation of article:
Although this article is by no means directly related to the issues addressed by Diamond in "From Eden to Cajamarca" I believe that it has some interesting relations to it because this may be a step towards new inventions through better utilization of present resources. Diamond states that humans and different cultures developed how they did because of latitude rather than race, meaning that people from different corners of the globe are different because of the resources they had available and their general geography. Now in present times, Turkey is making a move by producing bio-gas from pistachio shells, making use of their resources in a clever manner to provide a more efficient city.
Author: N/A
ReplyDeleteTitle: Pork Production Phases
Link: http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/porkphases.html
Summary: Every sow is examined to be sure they are suitable for production before they are sent off to be bred. Pig production begins when the sow breeding. The sow will be bred every 21 days if it is not properly bred the first time. During these twenty one days, the pig is “unproductive” and will be tried again to be bred. If the breeding is successful, then the sow carries the “litter” in her womb for approximately four months before they are ready to be born. The sows give birth the the piglets and from there, the piglets are kept in a controlled-temperature room where they are fed for two to three months. After the pigs are nursed into proper health they are sent to be grown-finished. In this stage, the pigs are fed as much food as possible in order to be within a decent weight of 250-275 pounds. Some of the sows from the grown-finishing stage are selected to be bred in which the process begins again.
I chose this topic to research further because I was fascinated by how the Polynesians brought pigs to the Hawaiian Islands where the bred the pigs and used them as resources. I was very interested in the pig production that followed the irrigation of crops which, according to Diamond, was helpful to the production of pigs.
Author: History.com Staff
ReplyDeleteTitle: Pizarro traps Incan emperor Atahualpa
Source: History.com
Link: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pizarro-traps-incan-emperor-atahualpa
Summary:
The collision at Cajamarca brought my attention due to the fact that Pizarro lead a small group of only 168 Spanish soldiers while Atahualpa with a huge advantage acquired more than 70,000 soldiers. However, Pizarro and his soldiers were able to overcome and defeat the majority of Atahualpa’s soldiers. It all began on November 16, 1532, Pizarro had invited Atahualpa to celebrate Atahualpa’s throne. Vicente de Valverde was with Pizarro when he proposed to Atahualpa to admit Charles V as sovereign. After Atahualpa’s refusal, Valverde signal Pizarro’s soldiers to open fire. About 5,000 unarmed Inca soldiers were killed in one hour. Pizarro kept Atahualpa alive and kept in captivity while he took over the empire. Atahualpa’s offer of a room filled with gold and silver was accepted by Pizarro in exchange for his freedom. However, to heat things up Pizarro put charges on Atahualpa and then claimed for execution. I found this topic very interesting, therefore, I conducted further research to gain a better understanding of this victory at Cajamarca.
Author: Jennie Cohen
ReplyDeleteTitle: Horse Domestication Happened Across Eurasia, Study Shows
Source: History.com
Link: http://www.history.com/news/horse-domestication-happened-across-eurasia-study-shows
Summary: Horses have shaped human history in man way including warfare. Once humans discovered how to use horses in warfare it was a big game changer. Riders that were mounted on their horses could cover greater distances and were able to create new war tactics with their new companions. Riders were able to use their hands more freely when mounted. For example they were able to use spears, firearms, and bows and arrows. I chose to look into this topic because Diamond mentioned the topic in chapter three. It seemed interesting and i wanted to discover more information on how horses were used for warfare and how they were able to advance war tactics.
Author: Charles C. Mann
ReplyDeleteTitle: The Clovis Point and the Discovery of America’s First Culture
Source: Smithsonian.com
Link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-clovis-point-and-the-discovery-of-americas-first-culture-3825828/?no-ist
Summary: Edgar B. Howard uncovered bones in Clovis, New Mexico. There he uncovered spear points, or now known as Clovis points. There are specific material these points are made out of, and have distinctive properties to how they are made. Around 10,000 Clovis points have been found spread about in North America, and spread into the top of South America.
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ReplyDeleteAuthor: N/A
ReplyDeleteTitle: Neanderthal & Cro-Magnon
Source: Real History
Link: http://realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/cro_magnon_Homo_sapien.htm
Summary:
In chapter 1 of Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond talks about the ancient humans and their civilizations, which led me to an article on Real History about ancient humans. The article details the lives and appearances of ancient humans. It goes in depth on the neanderthals, and Cro-Magnons, talking about their hunting techniques, appearances, and where and when they lived. Later in the article, the author shows the reader the migratory patterns of the ancient humanoids. I chose this article because I am very interested in the ancient humans, and how they were able to become what we are today.
:Authors: Sin, Sei-Ching Joanna
ReplyDeleteTitle: Ecological Modelling of Individual and Contextual Influences: A Person-in-Environment Framework for Hypothetico-Deductive Information Behaviour Research
Source: Information Research: An International Electronic Journal,
Link: http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1060496
Summary:
Diamond suggested that human civilizations develop differently depending on their surrounding environmental factors. He uses the clash between the Maori and Moriori people to explain this; people who have different resources at their disposal and face different environmental factors will develop different standards, morals, lifestyles, and governments. The article that I chose represented a study that supports Diamond's theory. Basically, the experiment took a modern and more personal look at this theory. It tested the grades of high school students, and compared them to that student's usage of helpful materials. The study showed that students who utilized their libraries and had access to home computers were more academically successful. This can be applied to Diamond's theory in that the more resources a person has, the more successful they will be. Similarly, the more resources that a civilization has, the more powerful they will be.