tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post3362158065517522838..comments2023-08-23T07:26:40.601-07:00Comments on Scientist, Artist, Fulbright Scholar: Genius of Landscape: Communal Built Environments and an Architectural Mystery in the Yucatan Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853318053618422097noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-57468637732636363842018-11-06T08:03:51.827-08:002018-11-06T08:03:51.827-08:00Fabian?Fabian?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196778594160442312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-5078740115129095012018-11-06T06:22:20.773-08:002018-11-06T06:22:20.773-08:00Carolin,
That energy you write about and Professor...Carolin,<br />That energy you write about and Professor Sam describes is something the landscape preserves. It's what's hidden but still there. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196778594160442312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-9225001338946945352018-11-06T06:17:35.631-08:002018-11-06T06:17:35.631-08:00Stacey,
Every time I read those last lines in the ...Stacey,<br />Every time I read those last lines in the postlude..." a dollop of shame..." I feel it, too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196778594160442312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-44299358891330601902018-11-06T06:10:58.316-08:002018-11-06T06:10:58.316-08:00I'm struck by Professor Sam's post in the ...I'm struck by Professor Sam's post in the contrasts of difference in how our civilization is so different than those who came before us. It seems those before us intuitively knew about sustainability but today, we are having to learn a modern iteration of it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196778594160442312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-88111584590610518112018-11-05T23:14:10.864-08:002018-11-05T23:14:10.864-08:00(I had technical issues with inserting this post. ...(I had technical issues with inserting this post. I'm also not sure why it has identified me as "Unknown" when I created a profile. Hopefully I can get this sorted out for the next post.)<br />Thanks! - Diane BeckDiane Beckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16751987973943775961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-58841241500034279072018-11-05T23:07:38.581-08:002018-11-05T23:07:38.581-08:00What surprised me the most was this statement, “No...What surprised me the most was this statement, “None of my miniature pillars sing with the energy and awareness of the real thing.” It’s fascinating how one can feel the difference between real and replication, even by the creator of something real that replicates another.<br /><br />When you wrote that the stones were random-looking but weren’t random it made me think that the thoughts, intent, mental structures, purpose, and calculations in the minds of those who created the stone structures are part of what makes them difficult, and perhaps impossible, to replicate. They are part of the mysterious ingredients that produce the end results. Unlike programmable machinery that can reproduce objects in mass production, handmade work possesses an essence from its creator.<br />Diane Beckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16751987973943775961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-16690665142082232052018-11-05T21:13:07.775-08:002018-11-05T21:13:07.775-08:00It’s amazing when a small piece of the puzzle fall...It’s amazing when a small piece of the puzzle falls into place making for a clearer picture which we couldn’t see before. Those moments of discovery are fantastic. Also, it is neat when one group’s detritus is put to a new use and purpose by a later group. Nature seems to be constantly trying to deteriorate everything that it is a wonder that we haven’t given up on creating and building things from natural material. I suppose the warmth of wood and natural stone just resides in our memory too long creating a connection that is too strong to break. FIIS380_301018_FIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17893311003821875605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-58796786493633797302018-11-05T20:09:17.781-08:002018-11-05T20:09:17.781-08:00Dr. Hammer,
From your writing, I can tell that yo...Dr. Hammer,<br /><br />From your writing, I can tell that you prefer to immerse yourself in your travels rather than observing from a safe distance. I am most surprised by your ability to make inferences and deductions about the landscape through careful observation. Your post reads almost as if a poet has lived in another world for quite some time, yet this is the result of a single trip you’ve taken with an eye to detail. I relate your “style” of travel to method acting, as it seems to me that you must put yourself in another time and headspace to make such observations about temple ruins amidst hunger and thirst in a foreign land. <br /><br />Your observations seem to have made such an impression on you that you take it home with you, trying to recreate the feeling you got from your surroundings through art. You remind me of one of my friends who has spent most of her life traveling, even learning other languages. You both seem more concerned with immersing yourself in a landscape than experiencing surface level enjoyment.<br /><br />Great post!<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />Olivia Tilley<br />Olivia Tilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11380916983335426043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-35316366074487236782018-11-05T18:48:03.723-08:002018-11-05T18:48:03.723-08:00Hi John,
What they built was designed to be sustai...Hi John,<br />What they built was designed to be sustainable. Generations using leftover materials incorporating them into the landscape is something we don't do here. We tear down and build new as that's our modern way. I wonder if we have the modern idea of sustainable correct.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196778594160442312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-23756487815105382282018-11-05T18:29:44.042-08:002018-11-05T18:29:44.042-08:00I think that what surprised the most was the part ...I think that what surprised the most was the part about ruins on top of more ruins. It's funny to think that we keep living the same spots. People throughout generations seem to pick the same places to live and, whether that depends on the existence of a city already or other things, it's an interesting thing to think about. <br /><br />-Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson Jakob Forsbacka Karlssonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01464928505399083306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-25851713409273043152018-11-05T17:47:55.745-08:002018-11-05T17:47:55.745-08:00Professor Hammer,
A few things struck me in your ...Professor Hammer,<br /><br />A few things struck me in your blog post. I really thought it was interesting that people felt inspired to do things like yoga at a temple site. I wonder what the reasoning would be to perform yoga there. Perhaps people felt a spiritual connection to the place and decided it would be good to further expand their minds and bodies in a place of worship. <br />I think what surprised me most was the gray whitewashed chip stone art in downtown Merida. I think its really fantastic that generations of stonecutters decided to leave their mark on the city by using little pieces of leftover material that was used for developing other parts of the landscape. I can imagine by looking at the picture that it was quite a sight to see. I'm surprised that a tradition went on like this for so many years that it now has made a distinct visual impact on the area. Furthermore I'm surprised that at some point a governing body did not put a stop to the practice. This leads me to believe that the city appreciates the history and the work of the stonecutters. Especially since they are willing to put a parking lot on top of temple ruins. <br /><br /><br />-John Vaz de MedeirosAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04128500131683450409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-13375179658364789252018-11-05T17:46:34.879-08:002018-11-05T17:46:34.879-08:00Hello Professor Sam. I thoroughly enjoyed your po...Hello Professor Sam. I thoroughly enjoyed your post. Your first sentence wrapped me into the article because you summed up what I’ve been learning this week. <br /><br />What surprised me the most was learning about the nature of the stone chips and their significance. I realized that the pure intention of the Mayans to collectively build their landscape in support of worship and power is ingrained in their creations i.e. the ruins and the chips. It makes sense that you could’t duplicate those chips in your experiment. I think this is what you meant when you said that landscape has a psychological state. <br /><br />The other thing that surprised me was hearing the humbling truth that the financial towers are our pyramids. <br /><br />Thank you for your insightful research and writing. <br />Stacey<br />Staceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11840840672551954554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-43679485351269254062018-11-05T17:06:22.144-08:002018-11-05T17:06:22.144-08:00Hi Dr. Hammer,
I know several people who have bee...Hi Dr. Hammer,<br /><br />I know several people who have been to the Yucatan, but have not had the chance to speak with them about their experiences. Your blog provides an excellent window into your trip. As a reader your descriptions were so thoughtfully written that I could truly imagine walking the city streets. One thing that has always been of interest to me is how young the United States is. Compared to other countries, our cities are “new”, even when they feel old to those whose only reference is in the U.S. I have traveled to several older cities than where I am from and find myself imagining what life was like at first construction and throughout the following years. It appears that you also were curious about Merida’s original occupants. <br /><br />Learning about the negative impacts of modern life, such as vehicles, on what was once such a bright city is difficult to read. Since we as people have the ability to greatly alter our landscapes, it should seem fitting that we have responsibility to do so for the benefit of all. While I might think that preserving the integrity of the original city should be prioritized, I also have to think of all of the people that would be effected. Would taking away modern conveniences diminish quality of life? Would the lack or control of cars/emissions deter tourists from coming? As an outsider, it can be far to easy to judge how other people live. I think that as we go forward in this world and find that cities need updates to keep with the pace of life, collaboration is needed to create landscapes that are both functional and sustainable. <br />Emma Crevelinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01278525504069938764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-39934010315848101562018-11-05T17:02:44.928-08:002018-11-05T17:02:44.928-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Emma Crevelinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01278525504069938764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-78717041137670330732018-11-05T16:40:56.061-08:002018-11-05T16:40:56.061-08:00Professor Sam,
I am amazed at the way you view t...Professor Sam, <br /><br />I am amazed at the way you view the world. It's truly an incredible experience to see the world through someone else's lens. One thing that often inspires me when I travel is to imagine my view of the world if I had lived in that particular place my whole life. There are things that humans take for granted when it is all that they know. I lived in California myself last year. After growing up in New England, it was amazing to see the mountains of Malibu. You drive directly through some of them. To think this was all a part of the landscape they built. Who was the first person to look at the mountains and tread the first trail through them? If I had grown up there my whole life, I'm not sure I would have been as enthralled with the dry landscape as I was and still am. I would travel back to California in a heartbeat, unfortunately it just wasn't the place for to reside. Just around the corner of Malibu there is a restaurant in Topanga Canyon called Inn of the Seventh Ray. It was the most peaceful place I have ever been. You eat dinner outside under vast trees between the mountains with a small creek runny next to you. It feels as though you travel to a different tropical world. How do two separate landscapes evolve so close to each other?<br />jesscelonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02166822019234824717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-18524100108318122872018-11-05T15:46:16.164-08:002018-11-05T15:46:16.164-08:00Dear Professor Hammer,
I thoroughly enjoyed feelin...Dear Professor Hammer,<br />I thoroughly enjoyed feeling transported to the Yucatán through your insightful words and photos. What I found to be surprising was your reference to the raised Chapel parking lot in Mérida being built atop of ruins. It is a chilling feeling to learn of a tumultuous history and energy beneath present day amenities. You then discuss how all of the Yucatán could be built upon ruins, this again is an overwhelming feeling to try and comprehend the extensive past the region has endured. I also found it very intriguing how the stone chips throughout the streets carry such an extensive record dating all of the way back to the Mayans and continued to be built upon into present day Valladolid and Mérida. The stones as you say were not randomly placed along the streets and even became art enhancements later in time within the stucco walls. This illustrates how generations build upon each other and continue to use and touch the same materials, collectively. <br />Best,<br />Carolin Goodman <br />Carolin Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323785684189810871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-36619530853273237752018-11-05T15:06:25.983-08:002018-11-05T15:06:25.983-08:00Professor Sam,
This was an enjoyable read. I actu...Professor Sam,<br /><br />This was an enjoyable read. I actually wish you would have written more. What surprised me? I think I would have to say the self-reflection that hit me afterwards was what really surprised me. I feel like within your short blog I found a subtle nudge to myself to open my eyes more to my surroundings. That what we see on the surface is just the beginning. There is so much more to learn if we were to look below. We walk past history every day, often without realizing. We are all tourists in this life. Most people, myself included, would walk right past the small rocks embedded in the walls without thinking much more than they looked nice. But, your scientific mind and curiosity caused you to look further and dig beneath the surface. This is the lesson that I took from it. Our landscape is constantly changing and our progress is often times built over the top of others who have come before us. We should take more time to look beneath the surface and acknowledge the history of our landscape. It can be very interesting.TonyStromhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01172991848515760921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-56729109062811639212018-11-05T14:59:43.121-08:002018-11-05T14:59:43.121-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.TonyStromhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01172991848515760921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-22050525167837389922018-11-05T14:24:01.565-08:002018-11-05T14:24:01.565-08:00Prof. Hammer;
Today, we are accustomed to constru...Prof. Hammer; <br />Today, we are accustomed to construction projects throughout the areas in which we live. This weekend, my wife and I were driving to one of our favorite restaurants. Due to traffic we took a less direct route which we had taken before, but not for some time. As we were driving, we were astonished to see a familiar strip mall, with several shops we had been to, was replaced high-end townhomes with smaller shops to provide services. (Dry cleaner, convenience store, small restaurants etc.) I then read your blog. So what surprised me the most was really two things: Landscape change happens all around us all the time, and it has been happening since the beginning of Civilization.<br />Your journey contained two discoveries that intrigued me. First, was the re-use of the chipped stones from the Ake pillars. It makes sense one would re-use every bit of waste, (chips) but more importantly your original experiment, to build an Ake Pillar, actually led to another discovery, where did the stone chips come from. I can only imagine the feeling you had upon the discovery! Incredible.<br />Second, the parking lot built on temple ruins. At first review, this is disrespectful, but a second take was it was out of necessity. Religions had changed over time, and other churches were constructed to accommodate the religion of the time, rendering the temple obsolete. In effect, religion shapes landscape as well. Something I hadn’t considered before.<br />gpdavishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01001560317735329178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-54912733083050234402018-11-05T13:36:00.161-08:002018-11-05T13:36:00.161-08:00Professor Hammer -
I really enjoyed the detailed d...Professor Hammer -<br />I really enjoyed the detailed description in this article! It almost made me feel like I was there too. When you mentioned how some cities like the Mayapan are built on top of ruins, it reminds me of how the landscape around me and around the world have changed over the year. As technology improves and we start to change our life styles, we constantly have to update our landscape to keep up with the rest of society. Houses get torn down and replaced, and now it's more and more common to see tall skyscrapers replacing the old fashioned buildings. I think the Mayapans were rebuilding to improve their lives of the citizens. It reminds me of how I went on an underground tour in Seattle last summer and they showed us the hidden underground Seattle before it was destroyed by a fire. Seattle was able to rebuild itself into an even better city.<br />Another thing that stood out in this article was the German tourists you mentioned. I wonder why they were doing yoga on the buildings in a place with tourists. You said maybe they were thinking of human sacrifice, and I was surprised when they ended up almost forgetting one of their companions. It's almost as if they came here to offer a human sacrifice by praying and leaving notes before leaving the person behind, but in the end they didn't leave the person. Overall it was a really great read!! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11488737805539560084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-72443821570269962182018-11-05T13:20:06.904-08:002018-11-05T13:20:06.904-08:00* as THEIR stone walls were built* as THEIR stone walls were builtKristian Hoskerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01636562384026657535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-16967260270994187102018-11-05T12:59:34.505-08:002018-11-05T12:59:34.505-08:00What surprised me professor was how effective the ...What surprised me professor was how effective the Spanish were at conquering and imposing their culture to the area. The tour guide told you to follow along the route of churches to get the lay of the land. The churches not only give you an idea of the layout and the community of the once Spanish colony taken by conquest, but underneath is the once mighty Mayan lays in ruin. In your entry you imagine what the area would look like now if it were a bustling hub of Mayan activity. What the area would look like if these huge temples remained as these cornerstones of Mayan activity. Those temples were buildings of religious order and architectural marvel for these civilizations. As there stone walls were built, the Mayan civilization rose with them. They immersed their people to their pantheon of beliefs as most early civilizations do.The Spanish knew this when they conquered the land. The razed these temples and replaced them with churches. To me this symbolized the ending of Mayan culture at the hands of Spanish exploration. These huge temples were the Mayans first marks into the world. A younger culture that only started to form society and civilization as much of the world had already become technologically and culturally superior. They never got a chance. The Spanish tore the temples down and replaced them with buildings of their own culture and doctrine, to enforce Spanish influence to the area. What most surprised me professor is that you were in a city with a deep and rich history of Spanish and Mayan culture. However what most surprised me was how different that city might have been if those temples remained after Spanish invasion. Kristian Hoskerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01636562384026657535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-78058569926904289372018-11-05T10:24:11.661-08:002018-11-05T10:24:11.661-08:00Dear Dr. Hammer,
What an amazing and informative s...Dear Dr. Hammer,<br />What an amazing and informative story about the Yucatan and the history beneath it. What continually baffles me is the layers and layers of civilization below our feet. The fact that for thousands of years communities have walked on the same earth as me and used the same rivers. The small rocks that have been repurposed throughout the long time line of the area fascinated and surprised me the most. Although I am aware of the age of rocks, I do not often think of them as permanat fixtures of a landscape. Small chips from ancient walls and sculptures, which then functioned as walk ways and found their current home within walls is an amazing concept. How wonderful that the same small parts of the landscape have had an important function since the Mayans. ckrousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09576597844226085143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-85131326346153722522018-11-05T09:11:28.293-08:002018-11-05T09:11:28.293-08:00Hi Professor Hammer,
Your descriptions paired with...Hi Professor Hammer,<br />Your descriptions paired with the photos really allowed me to transport myself to the Yucatan region. I found the correlation you made to skyscrapers in NYC to the Mayan pyramids interesting. It makes me wonder what NYC will look like hundreds of years from now- will Wall Street be “ruins” and what will sit on top of it? I also loved your line- “The modern place melts onto the bones of the old.” Very poetic. I find this to be a common theme in most urban areas. Societies obsess over building more and more and making bigger and better cities, yet we flock to ruins to take in their history. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07412458513502128904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361137256121620055.post-65459708798721355532018-11-05T08:20:52.140-08:002018-11-05T08:20:52.140-08:00What surprised me the most was that the people of ...What surprised me the most was that the people of Mérida, Yucatán do not seem to care about the history they are surrounded by. They replace Mayan pyramids with churches, and the “seven churches” are now replaced by twenty or more. I wonder why they would not keep the Mayan pyramids as a way to show their culture and history of their village. It takes a lot to cover up a pyramid and replace it as a church, and it seems they are going out of their way to erase the history around them. Why not keep the seven churches as a way to show the history of the town? I do not get why they have to make twenty or so churches, and not keep the original seven? The people of Mérida seem to not care about pollution or their vibrant city because as described in the article it was a very “grey city” for how vibrant it really was. Exhaust and soot seem to cloud the city of its natural beauty, and I cannot help but think that plays into how society does not embrace the historical beauty around them. <br /><br />Another thing that surprises me is that the town seems to be built upon old ruins. That is crazy to me how people could build a town upon old ruins. There is so much history beneath them it amazes me how they seem like they want nothing to do with it. The people seem to care less about the history that is beneath them. The Spanish temple ruins are now a parking lot. Whole cities from years ago seem to be buried away, but why? Why are the people of Mérida not uncovering these discoveries and embracing them? If it were me living in Mérida I would want to explore the ruins my city is built upon, not ignore them. <br /><br />Caitlin Sheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08975483621778228450noreply@blogger.com