[Aztlan] Tsunamis and the Isthmus

Mon Jan 1 12:55:51 CST 2007

¡Prospero Año Nuevo a todos!
I do not know of any evidence for pre-historic tsunamis on either side of the Isthmus but I am not aware of any searches for such evidence. Given the topography, I imagine they would not have reached very far inland from either direction. Those coming from the Pacific (seemingly the most likely direction, to me at least) would not have reached much further than the coastal lagoons. I am not certain that the Caribbean basin is large enough to generate large tsunamis (is there a geologist in the house?) but if so, the flood plains are large enough to absorb a lot of water. 

Dick Diehl
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Today's Topics:

   1.  Image from Uxmal (Barbara McKenzie)
   2. Voice of the quetzal (David Lubman)
   3. Tsunami Wipes Out Olmec (Robert Kirsch II)
   4. Re: Tsunami Wipes Out Olmec (Greg Sandor)

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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 16:31:08 -0500
From: Barbara McKenzie <barbara.mckenzie at verizon.net>
Subject: [Aztlan]  Image from Uxmal
To: Aztlan <Aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Message-ID: <B36EF751-42A0-465E-B1CE-7A04874A81A2 at verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

I was wondering if anyone could supply some information about this  
lovely image from the Temple of the Magician in Uxmal?

http://mayaruins.com/uxmal/j1_1750.html

I happened to catch sight of it during my last visit to Uxmal in  
2004. It is located on the Northwest side -- these photos show its  
exact location:

http://mayaruins.com/uxmal/j1_1755.html

http://mayaruins.com/uxmal/j1_1756.html

Does anyone know what the image represents? What is the small figure  
holding in his left hand? How about the glyphs? Any information would  
be gratefully received!

Thanks,

Barbara McKenzie

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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 17:06:43 -0800
From: "David Lubman" <dlubman at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: [Aztlan] Voice of the quetzal
To: <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Message-ID: <052c01c72d41$1a951310$0202a8c0 at YOUR7ECEF29957>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

In  a private e-mail received during last week's discussion about the word "quetzal", Elaine Day Schele wrote:

"As I learn more about the Mesoamerican obsession with Kukulkan and their desire to worship him with all their senses, constructing a building that would emit a bird call of the Quetzal is very plausible."

The URL below is offered as evidence to support Elaine's suggestion.

http://www.ocasa.org/chirp.htm

Happy New Year to fellow Listeros

David Lubman
------------------

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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 01:12:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Robert Kirsch II <tikalman9 at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Aztlan] Tsunami Wipes Out Olmec
To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org
Message-ID: <20070101091234.11433.qmail at web32407.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ascii

I imagine the Isthmus of Tehuantepec would have had its
share of bad weather and storm surges. Is there any evidence for
a tsunamis wave rising up across the Isthmus, burying everything?
Were the lowlands flooded with salt water? Where would  you dig to find remnants of a flood?
     The Olmecs built canals to carry the heads. Of course the rafts would bottom out in a swamp, they would have to dig ahead of it, creating-inadvertantly-a canal. Only other options-fly them with sails and ropes and roll them on a cart with wheels. As for rafts, what shapes are most bouyant with the least surface area-like a canoe-the point of depth is in the center, the canoe would have to be balanced on both sides. The wood used to float them, unknown, but Balsa wood happens to have grown in the region, what phytolith evidence exists for the varieties of trees that forested the region in 3750 B.P. 
They used ropes to move the stone, we know this from the Olmec altar/thrones. I have found some evidence for the canals. If I am not mistaken, the clays found layered with travertine came from collection over a large area of excavation. 
    Lake Catemaco is quite formidable, its waterways and river must have been the prize of the Olmec. What findings have been made at Catemaco, any ideas. Perhaps the lake holds its secrets in the depths and a search might find stone effigies, celts or jade figurines. Such a large body of water must have had some significance for the Olmec, aquatic resources aside.                                      Robert Kirsch

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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 10:32:57 -0500
From: "Greg Sandor" <gregory_sandor at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] Tsunami Wipes Out Olmec
To: "Robert Kirsch II" <tikalman9 at yahoo.com>, <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Message-ID: <BAY103-DAV1FF27E414E9D1D12AB251E6BB0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

"Where would  you dig to find remnants of a flood?"

I'd flood a digital model of the region to the approximate depth of the real 
innundation, then on the ground dig at the edges of the flooded areas for 
silt.

Regards,

Greg

(614) 517-7204
greg at gregsandor.com
http://www.gregsandor.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Kirsch II" <tikalman9 at yahoo.com>
To: <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 4:12 AM
Subject: [Aztlan] Tsunami Wipes Out Olmec

>I imagine the Isthmus of Tehuantepec would have had its
> share of bad weather and storm surges. Is there any evidence for
> a tsunamis wave rising up across the Isthmus, burying everything?
> Were the lowlands flooded with salt water? Where would  you dig to find 
> remnants of a flood?
>     The Olmecs built canals to carry the heads. Of course the rafts would 
> bottom out in a swamp, they would have to dig ahead of it, 
> creating-inadvertantly-a canal. Only other options-fly them with sails and 
> ropes and roll them on a cart with wheels. As for rafts, what shapes are 
> most bouyant with the least surface area-like a canoe-the point of depth 
> is in the center, the canoe would have to be balanced on both sides. The 
> wood used to float them, unknown, but Balsa wood happens to have grown in 
> the region, what phytolith evidence exists for the varieties of trees that 
> forested the region in 3750 B.P.
> They used ropes to move the stone, we know this from the Olmec 
> altar/thrones. I have found some evidence for the canals. If I am not 
> mistaken, the clays found layered with travertine came from collection 
> over a large area of excavation.
>    Lake Catemaco is quite formidable, its waterways and river must have 
> been the prize of the Olmec. What findings have been made at Catemaco, any 
> ideas. Perhaps the lake holds its secrets in the depths and a search might 
> find stone effigies, celts or jade figurines. Such a large body of water 
> must have had some significance for the Olmec, aquatic resources aside. 
> Robert Kirsch
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
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> Aztlan mailing list
> Aztlan at lists.famsi.org
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