Vol. 200, No. 4
NGM.COM
April 2013
National Geographic The Long Lost
Discovered, by Grace Chung, 6C
Aztecs — Pg. 4~ New Civilization — Pg. 7~
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Feel the chill. Drink the classic. Taste the fun.
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Table of Contents Aztecs
4~
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Undiscovered Civilization
7~ 2
WOW! Look at that!
Orange Juice! You know what they say! Found at your nearest supermarket!
A glass of orange juice a day, keeps the doctor away!
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Oreos!
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Visit
Want a OREO? Go get one!
Oreo.com
now! http://bit.ly/WWjW91
Aztecs
A civilization that died out in the mid-1500, will their s e c r e t s ever be revealed?
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Who were the they? http://bit.ly/13ESA8O
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The Aztecs were high-tech civilization that controlled in Mesoamerica, which is now call Mexico. The Aztec empire lasted nearly 100 years, from 1428 to 1521 and spoke a language called Nahuatl, which is still used in some part of Mexico today. They adopted a writing system that had been used centuries ago and shared by many nations. They loved art, especially poetry and song. ! The Aztecs conquered many tribes, but the tribes weren’t wiped out! In fact, they were still allowed to rule themselves and follow their own customs on one condition. The conquered tribes had to pay regular tributes to the central ruler. ! They played a game call tlachtli, which they invented themselves. The game’s rules were never exact, but scientists believe the game was played by using arms or hips to knock a heavy rubber ball across a stone court. The losers often wound up dead.
A tlachtli stone court. Heavy rubber balls were knocked though the stone hoops.
Origin
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The wandering tribe settled in the swampy shore of Lake Texcoco. 5
! The Aztecs were a wandering Indian tribe that settled into the Valley of Mexico around 1300 C.E. As there were already many other tribes living in the Valley of Mexico, the Aztecs had no choice but settle on the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco. However, the Aztecs were not discouraged, as they believed their main god had sent them to the shores of Lake Texcoco. ! They quickly adapted to their environment, building canoes to fish and hunt birds, building floating gardens to grow food and filling in marshes so they could have more land. ! Eventually, the Aztecs formed their main city, Tenochtitlan. Soon, they started conquering the neighboring tribes.
Sacrificing Hearts
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In the early 19th century they were credited with 40,000 deaths annually, stretching back as far as anyone cared to count. Some estimates put the overall death toll as high as 2,000,000, but with the cult potentially operating for more than 500 years before formal records were kept, the true number is impossible to determine. ~http://www.damninteresting.com
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The remains of a sacrificed human. Objects of sacrifice were found in both the mouth and the nose.
The Bane of Their Existence ! In 1519, a Spanish voyage led by Hernán Cortés arrived in the Aztecs’ land. The current leader, Moctezuma II, welcomed him, believing he was a god in disguise. ! However, the Aztecs quickly realized the Spanish had one goal. Conquest. Several local tribes sided with Cortés, as they were enemies of the Aztecs. ! At first, the Aztecs were able to kick the Spanish from their beloved city, Tenochtitlan. But soon, there was a huge breakout of smallpox, which took out half the city’s population. ! In 1521, Cortés and his alliances were able to destroy Tenochtitlan easily. That was the end of the Aztecs.
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! The Aztecs were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many different gods. According to the Aztecs legend, the gods sacrificed themselves to create the universe. To repay the gods, they had to sacrifice human lives! The victims were placed on a slab, where their hearts would be ripped out and held towards to sky. ! The sacrifices were held 18 times a year, as the Aztecs had 18 months in one cycle, and most of the sacrificed people were prisoners that were captured during the Aztecs’ many wars. The body of victim was either disposed by feeding it to animals, or having their heads were put on display. The Aztecs soon became wellknown for practicing human sacrifice.
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This image was created by Aztec scribes and shows people suffering from smallpox.
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An Ancient 700
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Civilization. years
ago.
What secrets do they hold? 8
The Dianotu
By Grace Chung, 6C
Their Surroundings ! Daintree is a 135 million year old tropical rainforest that covers up 20% of Australia’s land, which is around 1200 square kilometers. The temperature in the rainforest is above 30 degrees, even with rainfall, which is common all year round. ! This rainforest is a home for many endangered plants and animals, some so rare they cannot be found anywhere else. The forest not only holds some of the Australia’s most exotic creatures and plants, but the world’s as well.
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! The Daintree rainforest holds around 3000 different species of plants, a third of Australia’s freshwater fish, half of Australia’s birds, and more. Some of the forest’s rarest animals includes the melomy, tree kangaroo, rat kangaroo, and the endangered Cassowary. ! Daintree rainforest’s most successful trees range from 50 to 60 meters high, blocking the sun, so where the canopy is very thick, forest floor is often clear of smaller plants. ! The Daintree rainforest is filled with small ponds and streams, where many different animals come to get water. The average rainfall of 2000 mm every year is the cause of the thriving of the forest’s plants.
Who were they? Trade, Economy, Agriculture, Arts
Deep into the Daintree rainforest,
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the Dianotus seemed to been in one of the most remote part of the rainforest. Believed to be a small tribe settling into one of the deepest part of the rainforest in the 1300s, the Dianotus seems to have died out in the 1400s. ! It appears that Dianotus were very independent, so they did not socialize with other civilizations that may have been near them. As far is archaeologists know, they traded between their own people, with fruits, vegetables, pottery, and perhaps more. They did not appear to have a their own currency. ! One of the tribes of the Dianotus was the ‘Dei’. They appeared to have been the greatest farmers of their people, with many
farming fields covering the tribe’s land. Many ditches connecting to some nearby rivers were found, suggesting the way the Dei tribe brought water to their crops. ! Another tribe was the ‘Guwa’. The Guwa appeared to have been very devoted to creating great works of pottery. Looking closer, it is clear this Dianotu tribe was one of the best pottery creators in history. Various designs of carefully made clay pots, jugs, bowls, and even cups were found in many different huts. ! Overall, it appears the Dianotus loved pottery, with archeologists and scientists believed was made from clay, which was found by nearby ponds, dug up. It appeared they also loved music, produced from wooden and clay reeds.
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Latitude south 16º Longitude east 145º
! Northeast of Australia, north of Queensland, is the Daintree rainforest. It’s a tropical rainforest, with rain common all year round. Often the temperature is above 30 degrees. 10
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! Deep into the Daintree rainforest, many little streams and rivers can be found, where the Dianotus may have gotten their water, and hunted animals. Many medical herbs can also be found around the streams, where scientists and archaeologists believe is where Dianotu healers may have gotten most of their herbs.
Beliefs ! Stretching for miles, the Dianotus covered quite a lot of land. The Dianotus were separated into three main tribes, each with their own piece of land. The three main tribes seemed to have been very similar, yet with some small differences. ! The largest and main tribe of all three was the ‘Piluk’. The main tribe had two main temples. One was for their leader, and the other was dedicated to their most worshipped god, Hitupolis. The Dianotus were polytheistic, but they focused mostly on Hitupolis. According to the Dianotus, Hitupolis was the god of all living 11
! things, life, and creation in general. They believed Hitupolis was the one that put them in the forest, where they had all they needed. ! To thank Hitupolis, they gave monthly tributes to him in the Keuis, a temple dedicated to him. That was their religious center. ! They believed their purpose in life was to just be who you were and not ask for anything more than you already had. ! The Dianotus didn’t believe in afterlife, but they did believe in spirits, such as ghosts, so they always provided a proper ceremony for those that had passed on. They believed people could linger among the living, but otherwise, they believed those who had passed on just ceased to exist.
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! The old tablet is one of the only well preserved clay tablets found. Most of the alphabet of Tiheli has been decoded, but many of Tiheli’s other symbols and characters is still unknown to men. Bits and pieces of the Tiheli has been decoded, but there is even more waiting to be uncovered.
Lang%age ! Inscribed onto a tablet in one of the temple, evidence shows the Dianotus spoke a language called, Tiheli, which they wrote as Ешрудш. ! After much studying of the old tablets found, it appeared Tiheli was closely related to the language of Kazakhstan, Kazakh. ! Looking even closer, archaeologists discovered Tiheli did not use some of the letters of the alphabet. Letters such as C, F, J, and Y were not used.
Translation Key
A ф B и D в E у G п H р I ш K л L д M ь
N т O щ R к S ы T е U г V м W ц X ч Z я 12
Government & Laws ! The Dianotu did have a government, which consisted of the Hapu Dia, the leader, the chief hunter, and many of the priests. The Hapu Dia often made all the laws. ! On a wall inside one of the main temple, a drawing was carved into the stone, showing a circle of people. The one at the center was the Hapu Dia, surrounded by numerous amount of people. One held a bow
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Wo l f M a s k
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and arrow, and wore a wolf mask, the symbols of a hunter. The rest each held a religious object, showing they were priests. ! The government had many tasks. The tasks included making sure those who had passed on received a proper ceremony, deciding the fate of a prisoner or one that had committed a crime, providing children with education, and keeping track of their resources. ! If anyone committed a crime, they would immediately come before the Hapu Dia, and he would decide what your punishment would be. That was one of the main laws the Dianotus had.
Artifacts ! Many pieces of pottery were found in huts, small temples and schools. Many were in the dark and moss began to cover them. ! It was clear the Dianotus loved pottery, and showed it in every way possible. They made pots, jugs, bowls, and cups with designs no archaeologists had ever seen before. All the pottery were made of clay, which the Dianotus seemed to have dug up from nearby ponds and streams.
! The pottery found looked ordinary, but looking closer, it was clear the Dianotus had the strangest designs on their pottery. http://bit.ly/148fYfw
Clay Bowl
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Social Structure & Jobs Hapu Dia ! The leader of the Dianotus was called the Hapu Dia. The leader lived in the temple Rai, where his name would be forever carved into stone for generations of people to see. Archaeologists believe the Hapu Dia wore an ancient feathered crown, which was found in the Rai, to symbolize the power he had over his people.
Hunters, ! The hunters of the Dianotus were all male, and were believed to have used bows, arrows, and spears to catch their p r e y. A r o u n d t h e tribes, many heads of swamp wallabies were found.
Farmers, ! Farming was a common job for commoners, as much food was needed and tending to plants and herbs only needed squares of arable land. The job was often for males.
Priests, ! The priests of the Dianotus were children’s teachers in theology. It appeared the priests used old tablets, that had small drawings carved into them. They also seemed to perform rituals for the dead.
Pottery Makers, ! Pottery was a loved tradition for the Dianotus, so it was common for both male and female to create jugs, bowls, and vases. Many huts of the Dianotus were filled with pottery.
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! The Hapu Dia, with his feathered crown, is carved onto the temple Rai.
Guards, ! The guards in the main tribe protected the Hapu Dia, and kept prisoners in the other tribes. On the temple Rai, many carved drawings showed the Hapu Dia had many guards.
Teachers, ! As far as archaeologists know, the teachers of the Dianotus taught children medicine, survival, history, law and language. Large buildings with small stumps as chairs appeared as schools.
Healers ! The healers of the Dianotus used herbs to heal wounds, especially ones of hunters and guards. Many small huts were found filled with old medical equipment, such as bowls to store medicine.
Builders ! Mostly men, with a occasional woman, the builders built small huts, schools, and sometimes even a temple or two. Around the tribe, tools for construction were found.
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! A s w a m p w a l l a b y ’s head was sacrificed, and set upon rocks.
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Architecture ! On the largest tribe Piguk’s land, many small temples were found scattered across the land, each dedicated to a different god. Among all the temple found, Archaeologist found two main temples. ! One of the main temples appeared to have been named, ‘The Rai’, which seemed to be temple for Hapu Dia, the leader of the Dianotus. ! The other, was the Keuis, which was a temple for their main god, Hitupolis. The temple appeared to have been entirely made of stone.
! The temple Rai is covered with drawings, explaining the Dianotus’ way of life.
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A small temple in the woods.
! The huts of wood were carefully constructed, so no rain could seem through. 16
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