Academic literature on the topic 'Cactus Hill'

The comments of Stanford and Bradley (above) do not address our criticisms and obfuscate the topic at hand with irrelevant data (e.g. the south-to-north movement of fluted points through the Ice Free Corridor), nonexistent data (e.g. ‘under the water’ or ‘destroyed sites’), and questionable data (e.g. Meadowcroft and Cactus Hill are by no means widely accepted, nor are Stanford and Bradley's ‘eight LGM sites’ in the mid-Atlantic region). Before touching on some of these points, we direct the reader to several recent articles (e.g. Morrow 2014; Raff & Bolnick 2014) that provide new evidence or arguments inconsistent with a trans-Atlantic migration, including the fact that DNA from the Clovis Anzick child (Montana) shows no European ancestry (Rasmussenet al. 2014). Although Stanford and Bradley describe their Solutrean ‘solution’ (Stanford & Bradley 1999) to the Pleistocene colonisation of North America as ‘testable’, their position is that the idea is correct until falsified. They propose that their colleagues have yet to provide sufficient ‘critiques’ or ‘challenges’ to discount it (see also Collins 2012; Collinset al. 2013). Yet they are the ones proposing a hypothesis inconsistent with overwhelming multidisciplinary evidence, and they ignore results of tests that do not support their claims.

The night pushes the sun down to the desert floor setting the horizon ablaze with washes or yellow, red, and orange. The smoke from our campfire stings our eyes while the flames make grotesque shadows of the cactus that circle our camp. Fifteen miles to the south we just barely make out the lights of the only tavern in the small town of Punkin Center in the Tonto National Forest, in central Arizona. Lee, a Navajo archaeologist and friend, passes me a bottle of Mad Dog in exchange for a cheap cigar left over from a friend's recent celebration of paternity. We sit in silence for several minutes before I finally ask Lee what he thought of a site we had "discovered" earlier in the day during a random transect of one of the United States Geographical Survey (USGS) sections of the Tonto National Forest quadrangle. The site, christened "Cerebral Pueblo" by one of the other archaeologists on our team who felt that the vein-like undulations of the vascular basalt used to construct the walls reminded him of the appearance of a human brain, was a small, fifty to seventy room community set atop a small hill, well away from nearby roads.

AbstractExcavations at the site of Cerro Portezuelo, located on the lower slopes of a hill in Chimalhuacan, State of México, were begun by George Brainerd in 1954 and continued in 1955, but he died suddenly, before a projected third season could take place. With the exception of a few small structures higher on the hill, no signs of significant structures were visible on the surface. Architectural features revealed through excavation, however, included a platform with associated caches of the Middle Classic period, a platform and a burial area of the Epiclassic period, and a residential complex that appears to have spanned the Early and Late Postclassic periods. This complex included a sunken patio, a freestanding shrine, habitational rooms, and other features. Construction materials included stone, adobe brick, and tepetate.

RESUMEN. Nuevas observaciones sobre la vegetación del Sur del Perú. Del Desierto Pacífico al Altiplano. En este trabajo, aportamos novedades sobre la vegetación del S del Perú desde el Desierto Pacífico a las cumbres del Altiplano. Como resultado se describen 19 asociaciones distribuidas entre diferentes formaciones vegetales: arbustedas y bosques climácicos de la costa [Echinopsio chalaensis-Randietum armatae (arbustedas espinosas termotropicales semiáridas), Caesalpinio spinosae-Myrcianthetum ferreyrae (bosques termotropicales secos)], vegetación herbácea de las lomas costaneras [Nolano spathulatae-Palauetum dissectae (herbazales de suelos arenosos poco estabilizados), Hoffmannseggio mirandae-Palauetum weberbaueri (herbazales de suelos arenosos estabilizados)], vegetación de los saladares de la costa [Cresso truxillensis-Distichlietum spicatae (comunidad de suelos arenosos y salinos), Cypero laevigati-Distichlietum spicatae (vegetación de suelos húmedos salinos), Lippio nodiflorae-Paspaletum vaginati (pastizales de las costa pacífica inundados por aguas salobres), Schoenoplectetum olneyi-americani (juncales de la costa pacífica), Sporobolo virginici- Distichlietum spicatae (pastizales de la costa)], monte ribereño de la costa [Plucheetum absinthioidis (arbustedas halófilas)], comunidades de freatófitos de las quebradas [Acacio macracanthae-Tecometum guarumis (asociación termo-mesotropical de freatófitos del departamento de Ica), Schino mollis-Tecometum arequipensis (asociación termo-mesotropical de freatófitos del SE del departamento de Arequipa y NO del de Moquegua), Schino mollis-Tecometum tanaeciiflorae (asociación termo-mesotropical de freatófitos de las quebradas del río Colca)], comunidades de cactáceas columnares [Armatocereo riomajensis-Euphorbietum apurimacensis (vegetación de cactus y arbustos de Euphorbia, mesotropical semiárida del cañón del Colca en Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Browningietum candelaris (vegetación de cactus, termotropical árida de los valles del Cotahuasi, Colca y Siguas en Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Corryocactetum brevistyli (vegetación de cactus, mesotropical árida-semiárida de los cañones del Cotahuasi y Colca) y Weberbauerocereo torataensis-Corryocactetum brevistyli (vegetación de cactus, mesotropical árida del valle de Torata en Moquegua)], vegetación rupícola [Polyachyro sphaerocephali-Puyetum densiflorae (comunidades rupícolas supratropicales del cañón del Colca en Arequipa)], y pajonal-tolares y puyales [Baccharido tricuneatae-Puyetum raimondii (comunidades con Puya raimondii orotropicales subhúmedas), Diplostephio108A. Galán de Mera et al.tovari-Festucetum orthophyllae (pajonal-tolares orotropicales seco-subhúmedos de valles interandinos)]. Además se describen 4 alianzas y 3 órdenes [Grindelion glutinosae y Citharexylo flexuosi-Crotonetalia alnifolii (arbustedas y bosques de las lomas del S del Perú), Ludwigio octovalvis-Paspalion vaginati y Schoenoplectetalia olneyi-americani (pastizales y juncales del Desierto Pacífico), Plucheion absinthioidis (arbustedas costeras del sector Arequipeño), y Sarcocornio neei-Distichlion spicatae y Sarcocornietalia neei (vegetación de los saladares de la costa pacífica peruana y chilena)], y 1 clase fitosociológica [Carico candicantis- Caesalpinietea spinosae (bosques y arbustedas termo-mesotropicales seco-semiáridos andinas occidentales]. También se presenta un esquema sintaxonómico comentado con todas las unidades fitosociológicas reconocidas hasta el momento en el S del Perú.Palabras clave. Vegetación, sintaxonomía, sur del Perú.ABSTRACT. New observations about the vegetation of Southern Peru. From the Pacific Desert to the high Andean plateau. In this work, we present new reports about the vegetation of southern Peru, from the Pacific Desert to the highland of the Altiplano: As result, 19 new associations distributed in different plant formations are described: coastal shrublands and climax forests [Echinopsio chalaensis-Randietum armatae (semiarid thermotropical spiny schrubs), Caesalpinio spinosae-Myrcianthetum ferreyrae (dry thermotropical forests)], herb communities of the coastal hills [Nolano spathulatae-Palauetum dissectae (herbs on low stabilized sandy soils), Hoffmannseggio mirandae-Palauetum weberbaueri (herbs on stabilized sandy soils)], coastal vegetation on salt soils [Cresso truxillensis-Distichlietum spicatae (plant community on salt and sandy soils), Cypero laevigati-Distichlietum spicatae (vegetation on humid salt soils), Lippio nodiflorae- Paspaletum vaginati (grasslands of the Pacific Coast flooded by salt waters), Schoenoplectetum olneyi- americani (Rushes of the Pacific Coast), Sporobolo virginici-Distichlietum spicatae (coastal grasslands)], coastal riverside shrublands [Plucheetum absinthioidis (halophilous shrub communities)], freatic plant communities of the ravines [Acacio macracanthae-Tecometum guarumis (freatic thermo-mesotropical association of Ica department), Schino mollis-Tecometum arequipensis (freatic thermo-mesotropical association of SE Arequipa and NW Moquegua departments), Schino mollis-Tecometum tanaeciiflorae (freatic thermo-mesotropical association of the affluents of the Colca river in Arequipa)], columnar cactus plant communities [Armatocereo riomajensis-Euphorbietum apurimacensis (semiarid mesotropical cactus and Euphorbia-shrubs vegetation of the Colca canyon in Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Browningietum candelaris (arid thermotropical cactus vegetation of the Cotahuasi, Colca and Siguas valleys in Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Corryocactetum brevistyli (arid-semiarid mesotropical cactus vegetation of the Cotahuasi and Colca canyons in Arequipa) and Weberbauerocereo torataensis-Corryocactetum brevistyli (arid mesotropical cactus vegetation of the Torata valley in Moquegua), rock plant vegetation [Polyachyro sphaerocephali-Puyetum densiflorae (supratropical rock plant communities of the Colca canyon in Arequipa)], and grass-shrublands and Puya plant communities [Baccharido tricuneatae-Puyetum raimondii (subhumid orotropical plant communities with Puya raimondii), Diplostephio tovari-Festucetum orthophyllae (dry- subhumid orotropical grass-shrublands of the interandean valleys). Moreover, 4 alliances and three orders are described [Grindelion glutinosae and Citharexylo flexuosi-Crotonetalia alnifolii (shrublands and forests of the coastal hills of Southern Perú), Ludwigio octovalvis-Paspalion vaginati and Schoenoplectetalia olneyi- americani (grasslands and rushes of the Pacific Desert), Plucheion absinthioidis (coastal shrublands of the Arequipeño sector), and Sarcocornio neei-Distichlion spicatae and Sarcocornietalia neei (salt vegetation of the Peruvian and Chilean pacific coast)], and 1 phytosociological class [Carico candicantis-Caesalpinietea spinosae (dry-semiarid thermo-mesotropical shrublands and forests of the neotropical Pacific Desert and occidental Andean slops].Also, a commented syntaxonomical scheme with the phytosociological units for the Southern Peru vegetation is presented.Key words. Vegetation, syntaxonomy, Southern Peru.

SummaryBetween October 1991 and February 1992 field surveys on the status of parrots in the North Moluccas were conducted on Obi, Bacan and Halmahera, with principal focus on three significantly traded species, White Cockatoo Cacatua alba, Chattering Lory Lorius garrulus and Violet-necked Lory Eos squamata. Variable circular plots and variable-distance line transects were used to estimate minimum and maximum population densities at each of 18 sites. C. alba and L. garrulus preferred forest, the former largely confined to lowlands to 600 m, the latter occurring more in hilly areas to at least 1,300 m. E. squamata frequented all habitat types, being commoner in disturbed habitats though rarer at higher altitudes. Minimum populations (the first two being global) were 50,000, 46,000 and 66,000 respectively, and minimum estimated captures in 1991 5,120, 9,600 and 2,850, indicating overexploitation of the first two species. To ensure sustainability, total annual catch quotas should be reduced to 1,710, 810 and 1,590 respectively and allow for fair division between islands. Training, enforcement, monitoring, research and habitat conservation are all needed.

With the development of infrastructures in Rwanda, the roads construction has been one of busiest area, and as the country counts thousands hills the design and construction of drainage systems required a great attention. Most of road drainage channels are covered with concrete plates that are reinforced with ordinary steel bars, while others are not covered due to the high cost of reinforced concrete plates. As the majority of these plates are only subjected to light pedestrian loads, they should be reinforced accordingly. This study was intended to check the potentials of sisal fibres from Agave Sisalana’ cactus plant which has shown good results in flexural members, as plates reinforcements. At first the quality of ordinary concrete components was checked. Then some of sisal fibres were prepared, manufactured into ropes of 10 mm diameter and then used as replacements of main steel bars in concrete plates before their tensile capacity was checked. Other pieces of sisal fibres of 5 cm length were mixed in concrete mass with different percentages of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of concrete volume. Test results showed that the compressive, tensile and flexural strengths for concrete with 1% of sisal fibres were more adequate for M30 concrete and therefore able of sustaining the real loads applied to the drainage concrete cover plates. As the performance of natural sisal fibres depends on fibres treatment methods, length, and type of required concrete, further studies on the use of sisal fibres should consider those factors. Keywords: Agave sisalana, drainage channel, Reinforced Concrete, Sisal Fibres, Sisal ropes.

This thesis covers more than thirty years of the author's research into the Paleoamerican period of the Middle Atlantic Region of North America, including the last 19+ years of focused work on the Cactus Hill site (44SX202) and replication of the Paleoamerican occupation discovered there. Using a landform and geology based predictive model derived from the Paleoamerican occupation at Cactus Hill, the author directed preliminary archaeological testing in three other areas of the same Nottoway River Valley, where Cactus Hill is located. These areas were the Barr site, located 11 miles (18 km.) downriver from Cactus Hill; the Chub Sandhill Natural Resource Conservation Area, located 19 miles (30 km.) downriver from Cactus Hill; and the Blueberry Hill site (44SX327), located approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) east of Cactus Hill. The latter two produced OSL dated, pre-Younger-Dryas landforms, as predicted. The Rubis-Pearsall site (44SX360), located in the Chub Sandhill preserve also produced a buried Paleoamerican, Clovis age cultural level confirming the model. In addition to the OSL dates, Blueberry Hill also produced a distinct and apparently discrete activity surface with a possible pre-Clovis age Cactus Hill point at the same depth as the Paleoamerican levels at Cactus Hill and Rubis-Pearsall.