The Xinjiang Qanat System of the Turpan Oasis

The Xinjiang Qanat System is a remarkable feat of irrigation engineering skill, and it is considered one of the three great wonders of China, after the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) Great Wall and the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE) Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The qanat (also known as a karez) system is a rich water source for the Turpan Oasis, tapping groundwater stored in the deep subsurface gravel layers of the Gobi belt. What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that scholars are still not agreed upon when the qanat system was built... and that begs the question of who built it. Climate of the Turpan The Turfan (or Turpan) basin, located to the east of the more famous Tarim Basin, is one of the driest areas in China, with a total precipitation of 15-25 millimeters (under one inch) per year, and an elevation about 160 meters (524 feet) below sea level. The average temperature of the basin is 32.7 degrees Celsius (90.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in July, but the winters are rather chilly, and in January the average temperatures are about 9.5 degrees C (49.6 degrees F), and can fall as low as -28 degrees C (18 degrees F). The Turfan Basis, while a desert, is much more hospitable than its southern neighbor, the harsh Taklamakan Desert. Wedged between the Taklamakan and the Tianshan Mountains, the Turfan was a much preferred, not to say feasible, route for travelers on the Silk Road: its oasis was a critical stopover. Irrigating the Turfan Theres no doubt that the oasis had a natural beginning. A total of 4,000 sq km (1,500 sq mi) of the Turfan Basin lies below sea level; the Turpan Oasis lies in the lowest part, at an elevation of 154 m (505 ft) below average sea level. The oasis is nestled at the foot of the Tianshan (Flaming or Heavenly) mountains, and from autumn to spring, water from snowmelt off the Tienshan rushes into Turpan, revitalizing the oasis naturally. But at some time in its past—scholars argue that occurred anywhere from 200 to 2,000 years ago—the residents of Turpan built a massive qanat system that reached into the water table and tapped the aquifer, in some cases up to 200 m (650 ft) below the surface. That system included over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) of underground tunnels and thousands of wells. Whether it was built as a result of an environmental disaster or merely insurance against one, the Xinjiang qanat system is evidence that the Turpan was a highly prized stop on the Silk Road. Qanats in the Deserts A qanat is a system of underground tunnels and wells that tap deeply buried aquifers in arid and semi-arid places. In brief, a well is dug into the aquifer, a horizontal tunnel is excavated from the well to a surface collection place and ventilation shafts are placed at intervals along the tunnel to provide maintenance access. Invented by the Persians in the 7th century BCE, qanat technology was spread by imperialism: outside of Persia by the 6th century BCE Achaemenid king Darius the Great; into Syria and Jordan by the Romans in the first and second century CE; into North Africa and Spain by the Islamic civilization in the 12th and 13th centuries CE; and finally into North and South America during the 16th century Spanish conquest. The only place in China where qanats exist at all is in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the Turfan basin on the far western edge of Chinas realm. Deserts make up 43 percent of Xinjiang province, oases only about 4.3 percent and the rest is mountains. In the 2nd century BCE, the international trade network called the Silk Road was dependent on a line of strategically situated oases wedged between the Tianshan Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim and Turfan basins. Turpan was an important oasis in the eastern-most segment of the Silk Road, and, even today, more than 95 percent of the total population and almost all the agriculture, settlements and industries in Xinjiang are concentrated in the Turpan Oasis. The Size and Complexity of the Turpan Qanat System The Turpan qanat system includes at least 1,039 qanats (some sources suggest as many as 1,700), with underground channels stretching for a length of more than 5,000 kilometers, or about 3,100 miles. While there is no doubt that the origins of the Turpan Oasis were natural, there is also no doubt that the Xinjiang Qanat System was built to increase the available access to water. Whether the qanats were built as a result of climate change or to support a population increase or even provide year-round water is open to debate: probably a little of all those things. Estimates for the construction date of the qanats vary from the first century BCE to the 19th century CE. The system is so successful that grapes are grown in a region of what is essentially a continental desert—the earliest grapes in Turpan are from the Subeixi culture Yanghai tombs, with an  AMS radiocarbon date of about 300 BCE. What we know for sure is that in the 1950s, an intense increase in well irrigation was established in Turpan, over-exploiting the aquifer: since then the majority of the qanats have dried and become abandoned. Only 238 were functioning in 2009. The Karez Wells in Turpan were inscribed into UNESCOs Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2012. Sources Beck U, Wagner M, Li X, Durkin-Meisterernst D, and Tarasov PE. 2014. The invention of trousers and its likely affiliation with horseback riding and mobility: A case study of late 2nd millennium BC finds from Turfan in eastern Central Asia. Quaternary International 348:224-235. Chen T, Yao S, Merlin M, Mai H, Qiu Z, Hu Y, Wang B, Wang C, and Jiang H. 2014. Identification of Cannabis Fiber from the Astana Cemeteries, Xinjiang, China, with Reference to Its Unique Decorative Utilization. Economic Botany 68(1):59-66. Jiang H-E, Zhang Y, Là ¼ E, and Wang C. 2015. Archaeobotanical evidence of plant utilization in the ancient Turpan of Xinjiang, China: a case study at the Shengjindian cemetery. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 24(1):165-177. Luo L, Wang X, Guo H, Liu C, Liu J, Li L, Du X, and Qian G. 2014. Automated extraction of the archaeological tops of qanat shafts from VHR imagery in Google Earth. Remote Sensing 6(12):11956-11976. Luo L, Wang X, Liu J, Guo H, Lasaponara R, Ji W, an d Liu C. 2017. Uncovering the ancient canal-based tuntian agricultural landscape at Chinas northwestern frontiers. Journal of Cultural Heritage 23(Supplement):79-88.Tang Y-N, Li X, Yao Y-F, Ferguson DK, and Li C-S. 2014. Environmental Reconstruction of Tuyoq in the Fifth Century and Its Bearing on Buddhism in Turpan, Xinjiang, China. PLoS ONE 9(1):e86363.Wang S, and Zhao X. 2013. Re-evaluating the Silk Roads Qinghai Route using dendrochronology. Dendrochronologia 31(1):34-40.

Essay on Impact of Rasicm on Idenity in Ralph Ellison’s...

In society, there are many misconceptions in terms of racism. According to the merriam-webster dictionary, racism is define the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others . Many people would agree with that definition. What is racism? The normal person if asked will simply reply, not liking someone for the color of their skin. Racism from my attitude which is substantiated by historical events is a system of power .Therefore is a system of power that is used to control the world and its people. Racism was employed by Europeans to subjugate and discriminate against other groups, in particular Africans/black people. It is also a power which ran through a†¦show more content†¦My race represents my ancestors who are a part of me. To gain more insight on identity and racism, and the effect on each other, I contacted Trevor Musa who is African American and studies African American history. Mr. Musa s tated that, â€Å"Racism has many facets on how it effect ones identity and one of the most paramount being racism via media propaganda. News media and Hollywood are the two main vehicles of identity theft among African people. In Hollywood, blacks are always shown in a position of reluctant assistance or sub servant i.e. butler, helper and or slave. Apart from these sub-servant positions, news media almost always show many of us as animals and criminals of the lowest morals. Consequently, through the system of programming, constant repetitions of demoralizing images are perpetuated, and with no other source of reference to rely upon, blacks often consciously and subconsciously accept those images. Moreover some people, rather most become not only to accept those images, but many Black disassociate themselves from their race. It is as if they do not want to belong to race of â€Å"nobodies â€Å"and by default they capture the identity of the European race. One must keep in mind that racism is a system of power that is employed by White people, thus one must ponder, who owns and operates Hollywood and new media.† I agree with Trevor Musa that some blacks often tend to see themselves as invisible, because of a media sometimes infer

Air Asia Background Free Essays

ALBUKHARY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION STUDIES PROGRAMME 2011-2012 ALBUKHARY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION STUDIES PROGRAMME 2011-2012 Assessment Task: Team Project (10%) Type of assessment: Four persons in a team Starting Date: Week 5Ending Date: Week 10 Learning Outcome tested: 1. LO1 – Explain the difference between data and information, the economics and problems associated with information. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Air Asia Background or any similar topic only for you Order Now LO2 – Distinguish between different types of technologies for acquiring , processing, storing, disseminating and communication data or information 3. LO3 – Discuss the various types of information systems that are in use by various organizations. Assignment Specification and Requirements : Currently, most of the organizations are prefer using Information System (IS) to organize and coordinate their data, Information and records. Information System is present to support the organizational activities. IS providing organizations with advantages as follow: * allow organization to increase market share/profit to better negotiate with suppliers, to compete with competitors * help in managing/keeping records, organizing information, analyzing data * help in make a better decision Assume that you work as a Manager at IT Department in your organization and you plan to implement new system for organization/department. The purposes of introducing a new system are to achieve organization needs and to improve performance of the organization. Requirements: As a Manager at IT Department, you need to prepare a report to the top management. The report is to propose/advice the top management about IS. The report should consist of: 1) Cover page with project title, subject name and code, student names and ID 2) Report should be in 10/15 pages 3) Includes table of contents and references 4) Computer-typed report The contents of your report should be as follow: 1. 0 Introduction 2. 1 Information/Background of Organization 2. 2 Business Strategy 2. 0 IT Architecture 3. 3 Current method used in organization 3. 4 Explain why you need Information System in Organization 3. Describe the structure of IS 3. 0 IT infrastructure 4. 6 Identify IT components used to create and build IS 4. 7. 1 Hardware 4. 7. 2 software 4. 0 IT Personnel 5. 7 Staff involve in IT Infrastructure (e. g. IT Officer, Programmer, System Analyst, System Developer, IT Technician) 5. 8 Explain Roles and responsibility of IT Personnel 5. 0 IT Services (system used in organization) 6. 9 Detail Description about system 6. 10 Explain the function and services provid ed by the system 6. 0 Estimated Cost How to cite Air Asia Background, Essay examples

The Hurt Locker

The movie Hurt Locker was released in 2008 at a film festival in Italy. Hurt Locker is an American action film directed and produced by Bigelow Kathryn. Just as the movie was criticized for the reckless nature of the uniformed soldiers, it went ahead to win many accolades from army veterans. The movie was produced at a time when the Middle East peace process was a global issue. Hurt Locker was shot in Jordan, some miles away from Iraq.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Hurt Locker specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This was because the situation in Baghdad was unpleasant and insecure for the cast and Crewmembers. However, the scenes used in the film were typical of an Iraqi style. Natives from Baghdad acted as refugees in the film. This gave the film its major storyline just as the producer described. Hurt Locker won many awards for best movie director, best screenplay, best war action movie to mention a few . To date, the movie remains the best film that portrayed the life of a combat soldier in Iraq (Horton, 2009). The hurt locker was an outdoor film, the producer took time to show the harsh environments that existed in the Middle East and the dangers an average citizen of Iraq encountered on a daily basis. Unlike many other action movies that were produced in a room, Hurt Locker portrayed a harsh and terrible life conditions. There was nothing intriguing about the interior decoration, it was purely a war movie, and it was done outside. The landscapes used in the movie were the rugged mountains and deserts, which was typical of an Iraqi terrain (Horton, 2009). The dry lands and the rough roads that were filled with dusts and stones provide the natural costumes for the movie. Hurt Locker was quite different from other movies because there was really no need for the beautiful costumes instead the movie was characterized with hard lines, blood, and explosions. The movie was fully packed with breathtaking scenes that made the audience love the film. The external decoration was well coordinated in such a way that made the actors and cast comfortable. The men were armed to the teeth, and that alone provided the feeling of real combat, and the ability to perform exemplary. Ordinarily when a person is dressed in a camouflaged uniform, he/she becomes aware of the enormous responsibility attached (Horton, 2009). The movie was loosely based on the testimonies of Mark Boal, a journalist attached to an elite bomb squad that operated in Iraq between 2003 and 2004. The transcripts of Mark’s testimony were used to act in the film. Kathryn Bigelow wanted to explore the inside story of an elite team in the heart of a major war. Although many news agencies tried to show and report stories from major conflicts at that time, Kathryn believed that, their stories fell short of a vivid account of each elite unit in a war situation. Kathryn believed that the reporters that covere d war actions in real situation had limitations and could only describe what they feel at certain times without physically taking pictures of the area. In addition, an elite team will not allow a photographer to go that far in trying to cover their major actions in real combat.Advertising Looking for assessment on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike other comedies or action movies that were shot in a quiet atmosphere, Hurt Locker was produced in Jordan at a time that refugees from Iraq were resident in Jordan. The movie cast performed well in the film and this contributed to the reason why the movie was chosen as the best movie in 2009. The movie did not show the rich class individuals and their extravagant lifestyle, instead it portrayed a society without the rule of law, and a society where survival was best served hot. The environment used in the film reminded the audience that peace was far-fetched in Ir aq and the inhabitants were at the mercy of the tyrants and warlords. Although it was a war movie, the settlements used were modern buildings that portrayed civilization of Iraq in modern times. The social status of the inhabitant’s mostly average class was observed throughout the film. Though non-racial in nature, the characters were mostly Americans, and those who portrayed Iraqi citizens were not natives of Iraq. Except for the refugees who were natives of Iraq, the remaining casts were not from Iraq. Hurt Locker went on to win many awards even though it had much criticism. Some army veterans argued that the reckless behavior of some of the officers of the elite bomb squad did not represent in true life the real state of an average marine. The co-ordination between the soldiers was poor. The interaction between members of the team was poor, and not befitting for such an elite team (Horton, 2009). In some instances in the movie, the zealous captain of the bomb squad gave hi mself a mission that was not sanctioned by the American command. This scenes over heated the argument of how this classic movie should be rated. The characters in the film were not specially treated unlike other movies, they never had a perfect room, or a private space or a kitchen filled with stylish furniture. The producer created a typical scene that will remind the audience it was wartime and not bedtime fantasy. The entire cast had to perform in extreme temperatures and had to work day and night just to maintain a perfect storyline. Most of the cast were at their best in the movie, but the major role played by Williams James was controversial. James was a reckless soldier that could have killed his entire team because of his conduct.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Hurt Locker specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, James was best at bomb disposal, his prà ©cised timing and controls of his environment provide him with the support he needed to discharge his duty as a solider. His rugged attitude was a problem to his assistant Sanborn. Sanborn was a soldier with a humble background and was ready to serve his country. His allegiance to his country became a tough call when he planned to eliminate James because of his behavior (Horton, 2009). Most of the characters and Crewmembers in the film were American citizens. Although the film was non-racial, some people argue that the cast should have been Iraq natives. The boundary of racism is yet to be broken in Hollywood’s movies; many producers have tried to bridge the gap. Like in most movies, the enemies are made to wear Arab attire. This means that wars are majorly between the West and the Middle East. The movie is excellent and a thriller with heart pounding suspense. Every second that went by was considered the last for each member of the unit. Hurt locker remains a movie to see if you are looking for real action. Reference Horton, A. (2009). â€Å"Review: The Hurt Locker†. Army of Dude. Retrieved from http://armyofdude.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-hurt-locker.html This assessment on The Hurt Locker was written and submitted by user Sullivan Reed to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Brilliant Mind - A Man, His life, His Literature Aldous Huxleys writing of Brave New World, Island, Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell in relation to his life

A Brilliant Mind - A Man, His life, His Literature Aldous Huxleys writing of Brave New World, Island, Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell in relation to his life Throughout the ages of mankind, different things motivate people, directly or indirectly relating to their lives. They mold this motivation into what they wish to do, and the mark they wish to leave in life. This concept is directly related to authors, whom almost always use their life to express their feelings, their ideas, or a point they wish to make. Aldous Huxley, primarily know for his works Brave New World, Island, Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, exemplifies this concept to the highest degree. Huxley creates novels directly pertaining to his personal experiences, family, government, and society in general. People have interpreted his works in different ways, but many of his novels are mainly straightforward and satirical, often criticizing or poking fun at one of more aspects of life. His experimentation with drugs have been a major influence in his writing, mainly portrayed in Island, Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell.Brave New World StartHuxley uses his ideas and surroundings and melds them into magnificent works of literature that have left a major mark on society, past, present, and most definitely will leave some influence on the future, like his most famous novel Brave New World.Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931. He creates a negative Utopian society, which has a wide variety of influences instilled within its pages. He uses themes pertaining to his life, government and society in his greatest novel.Huxley was brought up into a high-class, wealthy family. During his day, England had a very strong class structure. An even stronger class structure is shown in Brave New World, where humans were produced to be an Alpha, or a Beta, or so on, Alpha being the highest. These classes where mentally engineered to serve in their class, and would be happy serving in it.

Peculiarities of Writing in the Humanities

Peculiarities of Writing in the Humanities Peculiarities of Writing in the Humanities Writing in the humanities can be challenging because of the diversity and vastness of the discipline. Humanities covers human culture, which is rather hard to pin down. It covers anthropology, history, languages, laws, politics, literature, performing arts, philosophy, religion, and much more. Despite the extensive nature of this discipline, there are several essentials that you should keep in mind while writing papers about humanities subjects: Having focus. Since the humanities is a wide discipline, drawing attention to specifics is key. Say if your topic is â€Å"life as a working poet† it would be good to make it more narrow. It could be something like, â€Å"Working as a poet in Seattle in the 1980s.† The humanities is about digging deep into human nature and behavior, and decoding it for your readers. If you take only a surface look at a certain phenomenon, you aren’t doing your job. The format. Commonly, humanities papers run in this sequence: thesis, evidence/counter evidence, conclusion. The thesis is made in the introduction, and is usually a statement of one or two sentences that is the foundation of our paper. In the evidence/counter evidence section, you must present the appropriate research you have found on a certain phenomenon and make sure that the evidence backs up the claim in the thesis. In the conclusion, not only do you summarize your main points, but you also synthesize those findings and derive something important for your readers to think about from it. Though most academic papers require proper documentation of ideas and quotations, in the humanities, it is essential to building a proper argument based on your thesis and for your claims to be viable in the eyes of readers. Textual evidence, from books, journals, and so on, are more likely to be featured in humanities papers. Also, making footnotes is quite common in humanities papers, and you should be aware of how to use them and how to correctly format them. Okay, it is still an academic paper, but a paper based in the humanities can appeal to both logic and emotions. Writers try to capture the imagination of readers through their writing, and not just write dry text to impress textbook writers. The phrasing of the writing is key to appealing to readers. In the humanities, academic papers should be enticing and engaging to read, rather than a simple report. The emotions expressed should not explicit, but rather implied, however. Having a balanced discussion. Humanities papers should not lean towards one side too strongly. They are not persuasive essays. They try to report on the truth of a matter in a comprehensive, holistic way that is focused. If your essay becomes too preachy, know that something is wrong. Present both sides of the issue youre examining, from a neutral point of you. Give sufficient evidence for both spectrums of your topic. Writing a paper in the humanities can be a real trip sometimes. However, if you follow and integrate the above points in your writing practice, writing humanities papers can be a lot easier.

Performance of Mythic Oil Le Parfum and for it Coursework

Performance of Mythic Oil Le Parfum and for it - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that for companies to sustain in the current global scenario, it has become necessary to focus on aggressive innovation strategies, as it would permit constant extension to the product lines and help preserve brand image to retain competitive advantages. As Porter & Kramer notes, in today’s capitalist market, producing shared values for stakeholders through innovative strategies is too necessary for organizations to ensure their long-term success. This particular trend has already influenced many organizations around the world, including Unilever, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, and many others. As a matter of fact, indeed, product innovation is quite easily associable with the brand name of The LOrà ©al Group. Almost every year, the company launches new products as per the review of the market changes, which reflects the current consumer demands and preferences. It is thus that the company obtains competitive advantages by serving the c ustomers’ needs through continuous product innovation. It was in the year 2013 that the company launched a new range of products for its global customers, targeting both men and women. Among the newly launched products, one was the Mythic Oil Le Parfum, which has gained much appreciation since its launch in 2013. In the discussion henceforth, emphasis will be laid on the performance of the product selected, i.e. Mythic Oil Le Parfum since its launch. Special emphasis will also be delivered to identify the drivers’ responsibilities to trigger such performance of product along with its challenges applying theories relevant to the context. The objective of the discussion is thus to evaluate the performance of the product chosen and identify the reasons for its success in the global market after its launch. There is a wide-ranging product line introduced by L’Oreal in the global market targeting its male and female customers. Every year the brand intends to extend i ts product line with the introduction of new products as per the market preferences, needs, and trends. Therefore, it can be stated that the company emphasizes continuous innovation in its product line to enhance its competitive position.