Ritual Purposes Research Articles

Toxicological Aspects and Determination of the Main Components of Ayahuasca: A Critical Review.

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage prepared traditionally from a mixture of the leaves and stems of Psychotria viridis and Banisteriopsis caapi, respectively, being originally consumed by indigenous Amazonian tribes for ritual and medicinal purposes. Over the years, its use has spread to other populations as a means to personal growth and spiritual connection. Also, the recreational use of its isolated compounds has become prominent. The main compounds of this tea-like preparation are N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), β-Carbolines, and harmala alkaloids, such as harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline. The latter are monoamine-oxidase inhibitors and are responsible for DMT psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects on the central nervous system. Although consumers defend its use, its metabolic effects and those on the central nervous system are not fully understood yet. The majority of studies regarding the effects of this beverage and of its individual compounds are based on in vivo experiments, clinical trials, and even surveys. This paper will not only address the toxicological aspects of the ayahuasca compounds but also perform a comprehensive and critical review on the analytical methods available for their determination in biological and non-biological specimens, with special focus on instrumental developments and sample preparation approaches.

Understanding the Traditional and Contemporary Purpose of the Njelele Rainmaking Shrine through the Oral Testimonies of Local People in Matobo

The Njelele shrine is located in the Matobo Hills, an area that has been declared a world heritage site. The site of the Njelele shrine is of paramount spiritual significance in Zimbabwe, and it is visited annually between August and September for ritual purposes just before the rain season begins. The rituals are not limited to rainmaking but also relate to, for example, asking for forgiveness after society’s wrongdoings and asking for cures for diseases. During the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe, this shrine was consulted by politicians and liberation fighters, and, in contemporary times, war veterans still consult the Ngwali oracle. It is believed that many years ago a voice came from the Njelele rocks but that it has since disappeared because of the disrespect people have shown to the area. This article conveys the views of the local community about the traditional and contemporary purposes of the Njelele national shrine, and in so doing aims to provide some insight into these people’s views. It also looks at the diverse values that different interest groups attach to the site. The researcher mainly used oral testimonies as sources of information but also consulted some published sources.

Jathilan Horse Dance: Spirit Possesion Beliefs and Practices in The Present-day Java

Jathilan is one of the names for traditional Javanese trance dance which takes its roots in the most archaic levels of local culture but remains very popular nowadays. It is also described as a horse dance for the horse effigies made of woven bamboo are the hallmark props used by the performers. Horse dance is a part of the folk culture, still untouched by institutionalization or commodification; it can be performed for both ritual and entertainment purposes. Trance is its main attraction, though through the lens of local beliefs it is interpreted in terms of spirit possession thus it is understood that spirits can enter performers’ bodies and fulfill their needs while being manifest in material world, but also allow the dancers to perform various feats demonstrating invulnerability to physical harm (like eating glass, walking over hot coals, being whipped or even ran over by a motorcycle).The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough description of how trance in jathilan is performed and understood, based on existing literature, practitioners’ first-hand accounts and numerous performances observed and documented; but also to consider it in the wider context of Javanese beliefs and practices involving spirits, possession, and exorcism, which persist alongside with Islam.

Representation of Heaven and Beyond: The Bi Disc Imagery in the Han Burial Context

The bi (“disc”) is an object that was originally made from jade, and became an independent motif that appeared widely in different pictorial materials during Han times. The bi disc is considered one of the earliest jade forms, and has been used for ritual purposes or as an ornament from the Neolithic period until today. This paper focuses on the Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE), a period in which jade bi discs were extensively used and placed in burials of different ranks. Present finds show that images of bi discs also appeared widely in Han burials, in which they were depicted on coffins, funerary banners covering coffins, and mural paintings, and were also engraved on pictorial stones and pictorial bricks, these practices becoming more ubiquitous in the later Han period. By studying various images of bi discs in different burials throughout the Han period, this paper will explore the development and significance of different pictorial representations of bi disc in Han burial context, and also attempt to reveal the rich content and thoughts embedded in the form of bi discs during this period of time.

The Hoard of the Rings. "Odd" annular bread-like objects as a case study for cereal-product diversity at the Late Bronze Age hillfort site of Stillfried (Lower Austria).

Cereals, in addition to being a major ingredient in daily meals, also play a role in the preparation of foodstuffs for ritual purposes. This paper deals with finds that may correspond to such ritual preparations retrieved from the hillfort site of Stillfried an der March. The site, spreading across an area of ca. 23 ha, held a very important position among settlements of Late Urnfield period (particularly during the 10th– 9th c. BCE), acting as a central place where large scale storage of grain as well as textile and metal production took place under the control of local elites. Three incomplete ring-shaped charred organic objects, found together with 14 rings and ring fragments made of clay were discovered in a secondary filled silo pit, excavated among a total of about 100 pits of this kind at the site. The overall good state of preservation of the organic ring fragments suggests that they were deposited intact on the bottom of the pit and covered well so that no re-deposition or damage occurred. This could be indicate their intentional placement in this position. Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the charred organic rings are cereal products containing hulled barley and a wheat species. Indications that the objects were shaped from a wet cereal mixture and had been subsequently dried without baking are discussed, as well as the possible significance of the find assemblage. The annular objects are put in context with the contemporary cereal spectrum as well as other cereal preparations from Stillfried, outlining their different chaînes opératoires for handling cereal food.

Diversity, knowledge, and valuation of plants used as fermentation starters for traditional glutinous rice wine by Dong communities in Southeast Guizhou, China

BackgroundBeverages prepared by fermenting plants have a long history of use for medicinal, social, and ritualistic purposes around the world. Socio-linguistic groups throughout China have traditionally used plants as fermentation starters (or koji) for brewing traditional rice wine. The objective of this study was to evaluate traditional knowledge, diversity, and values regarding plants used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine in the Dong communities in the Guizhou Province of China, an area of rich biological and cultural diversity.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were administered for collecting ethnobotanical data on plants used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine in Dong communities. Field work was carried out in three communities in Guizhou Province from September 2017 to July 2018. A total of 217 informants were interviewed from the villages.ResultsA total of 60 plant species were identified to be used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine, belonging to 58 genera in 36 families. Asteraceae and Rosaceae are the most represented botanical families for use as a fermentation starter for rice wine with 6 species respectively, followed by Lamiaceae (4 species); Asparagaceae, Menispermaceae, and Polygonaceae (3 species respectively); and Lardizabalaceae, Leguminosae, Moraceae, Poaceae, and Rubiaceae (2 species, respectively). The other botanical families were represented by one species each. The species used for fermentation starters consist of herbs (60.0%), shrubs (23.3%), climbers (10.0%), and trees (6.7%). The parts used include the root (21.7%), leaf (20.0%), and the whole plant (16.7%). Findings indicate a significant relationship between knowledge of plants used as fermentation starters with age (P value < 0.001) and educational status (P value = 0.004) but not with gender (P value = 0.179) and occupation (P value = 0.059). The species that are most used by informants include Pueraria lobata var. montana (Lour.) van der Maesen (UV = 1.74; Leguminosae), Actinidia eriantha Benth. (UV = 1.51; Actinidiaceae), Oryza sativa L. var. glutinosa Matsum (UV = 1.5; Poaceae).ConclusionThis study highlights that while most of the Dong informants continue to use a diverse range of plants as a fermentation starter for brewing glutinous rice wine, knowledge of these plants is being lost by the younger generations. Documentation of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and outreach is thus needed to conserve biocultural diversity in the rural Dong communities in southern China.

The earliest iron-producing communities in the Lower Congo region of Central Africa: new insights from the Bu, Kindu and Mantsetsi sites

ABSTRACTIn 2015 the KongoKing research project team excavated the Bu, Kindu and Mantsetsi sites situated in the Kongo-Central Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). All are part of the Kay Ladio Group. This is the first detailed publication on this cultural group, to which no contemporary ones can currently be linked, either from the Atlantic coast of Congo-Brazzaville or from along the Congo River and its tributaries upstream of Kinshasa. Dated to between cal. AD 30 and 475, these settlements mark the presence of what are so far the oldest known iron-producing communities south of the Central African equatorial forest. Evidence for metallurgy is associated with remants of polished stone axes, which were perhaps being used for ritual purposes by this point in time. The charcoal remains found at the sites indicate a savanna environment that was more wooded in Kindu and Mantsetsi than in Bu.

"Baby Factories": Exploitation of Women in Southern Nigeria

Despite the writings of feminist thinkers and efforts of other advocates of feminism to change the dominant narratives on women, exploitation of women is a fact that has remained endemic in various parts of the world, and particularly in Africa. Nigeria is one of those countries in Africa where women are largely exposed to varying degrees of exploitation. This paper examines the development and proliferation of baby-selling centers in southern Nigeria and its impacts on and implication for women in Nigeria. It demonstrates how an attempt to give protection to unwed pregnant girls has metamorphosed into “baby harvesting” and selling through the notorious “baby factories,” where young women are held captive and used like industrial machines for baby production. The babies produced through this process were often sold illegally to adoptive parent(s) in dire need of them. In some other instances, they were used for child labour or trafficked for prostitution, ritual purposes, or organ harvesting. The paper argues that the hideous phenomenon of baby factories—which has high patronage in southern parts of Nigeria—does not only exploit and debase the status of women, but that the nature of its operation foreshadows a future danger for women in southern Nigeria regions.

Native Useful Plants of Chile: A Review and Use Patterns

Native Useful Plants of Chile: A Review and Use Patterns. We compiled an inventory of the uses of the native flora of Chile by extracting uses cited in the literature until 2015. The inventory reported use citations for a total of 995 species of useful vascular plants (23% of Chile’s flora). These data were used to test the hypothesis that some plant families are overrepresented (overused) for some use categories. We used two statistical approaches: a Bayesian and an imprecise Dirichlet model (IDM). Families with a higher number of useful species are Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae. However, according to both the Bayesian and IDM approaches, the Grossulariaceae, Myrtaceae, Lamiaceae, Nothofagaceae, Salicaceae, Rosaceae, and Bromeliaceae are overrepresented. We found 501 species with medicinal uses, 228 with edible uses, 341 used for animal fodder, 300 considered ornamental, 102 used as dyes, 89 for ritual purposes, 75 for timber, and 51 species as a source of fiber. Over 43% of the useful species are endemic to Chile, and 4.7% are threatened. Our results indicate that the plant families of Chile with greater species richness are more likely to have a higher number of useful plants. However, some families tend to be overrepresented and others underrepresented within the different use categories, suggesting a non-random taxonomic distribution pattern of flora use.

Child Rape in Nigeria, Implications on the Education of the Child

&lt;em&gt;The purpose of this study was to investigate child rape in Nigeria, its implications on the education of the child. Descriptive survey design was adopted. Three research questions guided the study. The population of the study was all the young parents in Nigeria whose female children are between 0-12 years old. Disproportionate random sampling was used to select 100 respondents each from 8 states out of 36 states in the country, making it 800 respondents. Structured questionnaire and interview were used to collect data from the respondents. Frequency, percentage and rank order were used to analyze the data collected for research question one. Mean, standard deviations and rank order were used to analyze data for research questions two and three. The findings revealed a high prevalence of child rape in Nigeria. The findings also identified in rank order; lack of reports on rape cases, mishandling of rape cases, child labour, children being left alone without care, men raping children for ritual purposes, indecent dressing as the causes of child rape. According to the findings, the effects of child rape in rank order include; emotional traumas, social stigma, sexual transmitted infections, termination of child’ life, low academic performance, physical pains and injuries, school dropout, poor attendance to school. Recommendations and implications were also made.&lt;/em&gt;

Violation of Dignity and Life: Challenges and Prospects for Women and Girls with Albinism in Sub-Saharan Africa

The mythology of most African societies includes the belief in patriarchy and primogeniture, holding the view that succession and the continuity of family lineage are only possible through the males. As such, women are considered inferior to men and often treated with prejudice. Albinism is also treated with prejudice in African societies. This includes the belief that sexual intercourse with a woman or a girl with albinism can cure serious infections like HIV/AIDS. Thus, in addition to common forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by women in Sub-Saharan Africa, those with albinism are particularly vulnerable to rape and sexual violation. In extreme cases, especially in East and Central Africa; these women and other persons with albinism are kidnapped for sacrifice or ritual purposes. Their vital organs are harvested for preparing “charms” for magic and spiritual powers. In other cases, they are simply murdered to ensure that they do not procreate. This paper explores common myth-based violations against women with albinism in Africa. It argues that these women suffer the tragedy of double prejudice and special violations to dignity and life, contrary to standard templates of international human rights. It then suggests specific measures for dealing with these violations at all levels: societal, municipal, regional, and international. Significantly, the paper raises global consciousness on the persecution of minorities, especially women and girls with albinism in Africa.

Knowledge and Use of the Flora in a Quilombola Community of Northeastern Brazil

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the Quilombola Community of Serra do Evaristo in the municipality of Baturité, Ceará state, Brazil. We interviewed 41 residents who provided information on the plants used, the types of use, the preparation methods, the purchase location of the plants and their knowledge source. One hundred and fourteen species belonging to 53 botanical families were recorded. Six types of use were reported, with most species being used for medicinal purposes (43% of the species), followed by food (25%), decoration (23%), construction (5%), domestic fuel (3%) and ritualistic purposes (3%). The most cited species were Musa paradisiaca L. (banana), Zea mays L. (corn), Phaseolus vulgaris L. (bean), Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (orange), Melissa officinalis L. (common balm), Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. (aloe vera), Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. (lemon grass), Mentha sp.(mint) and Psidium guajava L. (guava). The knowledge and use of the plants is part of a cultural heritage passed down through families, and has been helping the survival and maintenance of the Quilombola identity in the studied community.

Before it disappeared: ethnobotanical study of fleagrass (Adenosma buchneroides), a traditional aromatic plant used by the Akha people

BackgroundFleagrass, Adenosma buchneroides, is an aromatic perennial herb that occupies an important position in the life of the Akha people. They regard it as a tribal symbol and a gift of love. Fleagrass also has many medicinal uses, and there is considerable potential for its development as an insect repellent. Traditionally, Akha people plant it in swidden fields, but there are few swidden fields in China now. Therefore, the first question this study aims to answer is as follows: how is fleagrass planted and utilized now? At present, fleagrass is only reported to be used by Akha people in Mengla. We also try to understand the following questions: Is fleagrass used in nearby area? If so, how is fleagrass used in nearby area? Furthermore, why is fleagrass used in that way?MethodsFrom August 2016 to July 2018, field surveys were conducted six times. The ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses of A. buchneroides in 13 Akha villages were investigated by means of semi-structured interviews. We assessed the responses of a total of 64 interviewees (32 men and 32 women; mean age, 58.6) from the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China, and from Phongsaly Province, Laos. To explain the bases for the ethnobotanical uses of fleagrass, we used Google Scholar, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure to review the bioactivities of the chemical constituents of A. buchneroides.ResultsWith the vanishing of swidden agriculture and the development of modern products, fleagrass cultivation is disappearing in China. However, most Akha people in Xishuangbanna still remember and yearn for its traditional uses, and Akha people in a nearby area (northern Laos) continue to plant and utilize it. We documented ten uses of A. buchneroides within five discrete categories. The whole plant of fleagrass has a distinct strong aroma, of which Akha villagers are particularly fond. Akha villagers mostly use this aromatic property as a decoration, perfume, and insect repellent. A. buchneroides is also used as a condiment and for medicinal and ritual purposes, including its use as a cure for insect bites, headaches, influenza, and diarrhoea, and as a part of pray ritual for a bumper harvest. From our literature review, we identified many major chemical compounds contained in the essential oil of A. buchneroides, including thymol, carvacrol, 3-carene, and p-cymene, which have insecticidal or insect-repellent, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.ConclusionFleagrass is an aromatic plant that is widely used by Aka people. Its chemical composition also has a variety of biological activities. With the vanishing of swidden agriculture and the development of modern products, fleagrass utilization in China is disappearing and its cultural importance is reduced. However, its economic and medicinal value is assignable.

Maria Hempel – botanik i etnobotanik. Portret odkurzony

Maria Hempel (1834–1904), urodzona iwychowana w Chełmskiem, wywodziła się zrodziny o bogatych tradycjach wojskowych ipatriotycznych. Sama też była zaangażowanaw walkę niepodległościową w okresie powstaniastyczniowego. Znalazła się w gronienajważniejszych w Lubelskiem kobiet-kurierekpowstańczych i niezwykle ofiarnych samarytanek.Po utracie rodzinnego majątku, do końca życia tułała się po innych dworach.Mimo przeciwności losu i braku stosownegowykształcenia, położyła niemałe zasługiw dziedzinie botaniki i etnobotaniki.Udokumentowała stanowiska wielu cennychgatunków roślin, często już historycznych,na wschodzie Lubelszczyzny i lewym brzeguWisły. Materiały etnobotaniczne zgromadzoneprzez nią w powiatach chełmskim i janowskimdostarczają wiedzy na temat wykorzystaniadziko rosnących roślin naczyniowychi grzybów do celów spożywczych, leczniczych,gospodarskich, obrzędowych i magicznychna wsi polskiej drugiej połowy XIX w.

The first documented case of trepanation from Tarija, Bolivia, ca. 650 C.E.

AbstractTrepanation has been practised in the Andes since 400–200 B.C.E., with numerous examples documented across Peru and Northern Bolivia (Tello, ; Verano, ). This practice appears to have been widespread across these areas; however, other parts of the Andes, such as Northwest Argentina, Chile, and Southern Bolivia, have not yet produced examples of cranial surgery, with the exception of one possible example from Northwest Argentina (Seldes &amp; Botta, ). We present evidence for trepanation from a ca. 650 cal. C.E. burial from a salvage excavation near Tarija, Bolivia. We found that this probable male, adult individual had two blunt force traumatic lesions on the cranium. In addition, there was a rounded perforation on the right posterior skull that showed external bevelling and rounded edges consistent with a healed trepanation. We suggest that this case implies that trepanation was more widely practised than previously understood. Additionally, the correlation between trepanation and blunt force trauma suggests that this surgery was likely performed as a medical procedure, rather than for strictly ritual purposes. Thus, this is an important contribution to the broadening literature on pre‐Hispanic trepanation.

ON THE CONSTRUCTION FEATURES OF WHEELED VEHICLES IN IRAN AND MESOPOTAMIA (THIRD TO FIRST MILLENNIA BC)

Reinforcing metal elements in early Eurasian wheels are described. A typology of wheel constructions is proposed, and stages of their evolution and diffusion in socially and ethnically diverse societies are reconstructed. In Sumer and southwestern Iran, early (3d millennium BC) evidence of the use of wheeled transport includes remains of wagons in burials, representations on vessels and cylinder seals, as well as clay and metal models. The early reinforcing details were bronze nails pinned along the rims of solid wheels. Thick leather straps on treads served for binding wheels, prevented wear, and made riding more comfortable. Chariots marked high social status of their owners, and were used for military, hunting, and ritual purposes. Around 2000 BC, metal tread-bands with additional plates were introduced in Susiana and Central Asia. In the Early Iron Age, after a 1000-year long break, studded treads reappeared, but on spoked wheels. Such a construction occurs across a huge territory from the Balkans and Aegean to Bactria. The review of materials from the Bronze Age kurgan burials in the Eastern European steppes reveals no evidence of the use of metal details in the Pit Grave, Catacomb, Novotitorovka or Sintashta cultures, indirectly suggesting multiplicity of wheel-manufacturing traditions.

Jaguar and puma captivity and trade among the Maya: Stable isotope data from Copan, Honduras.

From Moctezuma’s zoo to animals kept in captivity at Teotihuacan, there is increasing evidence that Mesoamericans managed wild animals for a myriad of purposes. The present study situates ritualized animal management of highly symbolic fauna in the broader context of Classic Mesoamerica by examining another core site, the Maya center of Copan, Honduras (A.D. 426–822). In this study, we identify two animal populations among the faunal remains from public and private rituals spanning the Copan dynasty. One population, with diets heavily composed of atypically sourced C4 inputs indicative of artificial feeding, corresponds with the felids interred in Altar Q and Motmot caches. The second population is composed of felids and felid products bearing a predominance of C3 signatures indicative of a more natural dietary regime. As with Copan deer, species-specific δ18O variations within these felid populations further substantiates the postulation that an expansive faunal trade network operated throughout the greater Copan Valley and beyond. Animals routed from sites of capture into the mesh of this network would have been processed into pelts, venison and other secondary goods or delivered alive to centers of state power for ritual usage and display. Our data reveal that at Copan, wild animals were routinely brought into intimate contact with human settlements to be managed and physically manipulated in a variety of ways in order to fulfill ritual and symbolic purposes.

The Iban Textiles

The Iban traditional textiles are very well decorated with beautiful motifs. Some motifs are small and simple but some are complex (Durin, 2011). Both the simple and complex motifs are embedded meaning and symbols which depict the Iban traditional culture especially their traditional beliefs. This research aims to relate the motif of the Iban Textile and their traditional belief. Secondly, this research is also to analyse the usage of Pua Kumbu traditionally and currently. The data collection are carried out through observation and interviewing the experts in Iban textiles weaving in Kuching, Betong and Bintulu. The analysis method is used for the data collection is content analysis. In the research finding it is proven that the usage Pua Kumbu currently is not only confined to ritual purposes but also for the daily used as decorative accessories. It’s also proven, not only the Iban community weave the Pua Kumbu but few communities also weave the Iban’s textile motif. For example, Azmeer Sharkawi in Betong.

Jathilan Horse Dance: Spirit Possession Beliefs and Practices in The Present-Day Java

Jathilan is one of the names for traditional Javanese trance dance which takes its roots in the most archaic levels of local culture but remains very popular nowadays. It is also described as a horse dance for the horse effigies made of woven bamboo are the hallmark props used by the performers. Horse dance is a part of the folk culture, still untouched by institutionalization or commodification; it can be performed for both ritual and entertainment purposes. Trance is its main attraction, though through the lens of local beliefs it is interpreted in terms of spirit possession thus it is understood that spirits can enter performers’ bodies and fulfill their needs while being manifest in material world, but also allow the dancers to perform various feats demonstrating invulnerability to physical harm (like eating glass, walking over hot coals, being whipped or even run over by a motorcycle).The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough description of how trance in jathilan is performed and understood, based on existing literature, practitioners’ first-hand accounts and numerous performances observed and documented; but also to consider it in the wider context of Javanese beliefs and practices involving spirits, possession, and exorcism, which persist alongside with Islam.

Interpretation of prehistoric reddish pit fillings on Easter Island: A micromorphological perspective

In the context of geoarchaeological investigations on Easter Island several hundred human-made pits filled with reddish silty material were discovered in fluvial terraces of two valleys on the southern slope of Maunga Terevaka, the highest volcano of the island. Micromorphological analysis of one representative pit filling and comparison of its geochemical and physical properties with sediments in the surrounding terrace was performed in order to reconstruct the probable formation and use of the material in the pits. A hypothesis of pigment production by heating of minerogenic iron-rich substrate with grass fuel resulting in formation of hematite is suggested. It is assumed that the pits represented the places for production and storage of the pigments, which were used by Rapa Nui for cultural and ritual purposes. The ongoing interdisciplinary research will enhance the interpretation of the pits and their fillings and contribute to a better understanding of cultural development on Easter Island.