MOUNT EVEREST

World Famous Extremes

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Mount Everest is so famous for being so high that you've probably heard of it before. It has been known the world over since the early 1950s when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay first climbed to its awesome summit. Hillary surveyed Everest at the time and determined that it was 29,000 ft/8840m high - a figure amazingly close to the current reading of 29,035 ft/8850m, which was confirmed using radar and global positioning satellite (GPS) technology.
Using state-of-the-art technology Professor Brad Washburn of the Boston Museum of Science, the world's foremost mountain cartographer, and his team have calculated that earth's highest elevation is actually 7 feet higher than the previous record. That makes the official height 29,035 ft/8850m. Thanks to some engineering whizzes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who developed really light, high-tech gear, the work of Washburn was made easier because he was able to hand carry a radar device to the top of Everest where it could be positioned to measure the actual height of the mountain - underneath all that snow. GPS technology was also deployed near the summit, which uses satellite signal relays to take readings from the top of Everest. After months of crunching numbers Washburn's team arrived at the new, official world-record elevation.

They've also determined that the Himalayan Mountains are still growing higher, at a rate of about 2.4 in/6.1cm per year. That's twice as fast as previously thought. A growth rate of 2.4 in/6.1cm per year doesn't sound like very much. If you think about it, that means in the last 26,000 years the Himalayans have risen almost a mile into the upper reaches of the earth's atmosphere!
When Hillary and Norgay climbed to the top of Everest they wore oxygen tanks. Because Everest is so high it juts into the upper reaches of the earth's atmosphere, where there are much lower concentrations of oxygen than at sea level. What that means to folks trekking up the side of Everest is that their bodies get less oxygen from each breath they breathe while climbing. But their brains and muscles require the same amount of oxygen to perform as they would at sea level. That makes it especially tough to climb Everest.
Try to imagine what it feels like to climb up a mountain with very little oxygen in your body - you get dizzy, your nose, fingers and feet get numb and tingly, your heart thunders in your chest trying furiously to keep up with the muscles' demand for oxygen. You feel sleepy, confused, downright stupid as your brain struggles to function on limited oxygen. Every step you take is extremely slow and plodding, requiring every ounce of will you have. Hillary and Norgay had extra oxygen to help them make the trip, but there have been a few people who have made the trip since who did it without the aid of oxygen - taking one step about every five minutes! Approximately 6,000 climbers have attempted the summit of Everest, but only 2,249 have made it. Over 200 people have died trying and of those, at least 120 bodies are still missing on the mountain.
Highest Mountains
Mount Everest is just one of over 30 peaks in the Himalayas that are over 24,000 ft/7315m high. Himalaya is a Sanskrit word meaning, "abode of snow", which is so true. The name of the mountain in Nepal is Sagarmatha, which means "goddess of the sky". The snowfields which dominate many of the peaks in the Himalayas are permanent. Yes, they never melt (not even in the summer). That means there are glaciers in the Himalayas - lots of them. Mount Everest is permanently covered in a layer of ice, topped with snow. The "top" of the mountain at which the elevation was measured can vary as much as twenty feet or more, depending on how much snow has fallen on its peak. Scientists believe that the actual tip of the rock lies tens of feet below the ice and snow on its summit. There are current plans to use ground penetrating radar to get a reading of the actual height of the mountain beneath all that snow. Although the Himalayan Range is only 1,550 miles/2480km long, the average height of all the major peaks in the Himalayas easily makes it the highest mountain range on land.

The Birth of a Mountain
Mountains aren't just big piles of dirt, they're made of solid rock. Believe it or not, the rocks that make up the Himalayan mountains used to be an ancient sea floor. Over millions of years, rivers washed rocks and soil from existing mountains on the Indian subcontinent and nearby Asia into a shallow sea where the sediment was deposited on the floor. Layer upon layer of sediment built up over millions of years until the pressure and weight of the overlying sediment caused the stuff way down deep to turn into rock. Then about 40 million years ago, in a process called "uplifting", the sea floor began to be forced upward forming mountains.
Plate Tectonics in Action
What caused the sea floor to be pushed up toward the sky was the result of the action of plate tectonics. The theory of plate tectonics was developed about thirty years ago by scientists who discovered that the earth's crust is made up of many "plates" which are constantly moving around. They are still moving around, even today, but the speeds at which they move are REALLY SLOW. In human terms the movement can't even be seen, but it can be felt occasionally when we have earthquakes. Earthquakes happen when plate margins (edges) move past, or bump into each other. In the case of the Himalayan mountains, the continent of India is part of a plate that "crashed" into southwest Asia, but it didn't stop when it hit. It continued to push northward, crushing and rumpling the earth's crust, resulting in the mountains we see today. If you go back to the map of the Himalayas, you can see that the mountains look kind of like a rumpled blanket. India is still pushing northward today, raising the Himalayas even higher!
The Himalayan Mountains are forming where two tectonic plates are crashing into each other, known as a convergent boundary.
Need more earth science information? Read about the geologic history of earth.
How Do They Know?
Scientists know this because they've been measuring the increasing height of the mountains. There have also been a lot of earthquakes recorded down deep in the mountains, which indicates continuing movement. The Himalayas are growing, but only about 2 inches a year. That's not very much in human terms, but imagine how much that would be over millions of years! You may be thinking, "That would have been kinda cool to be here on earth 40 million years ago to be able to watch the Himalayas forming". You would have been really bored, though. The movement that took many millions of years to form the mountain range is still taking place today, and I doubt you would stake out a camp at the foot of the mountains just to watch them grow. You'd be waiting a LONG TIME.

EVEREST FACTS

Age of Everest:
Everest was formed about 60 million years ago
Elevation:
29,035 (8850m)-found to be 6' higher in 1999
Name in Nepal:
Sagarmatha (means: goddess of the sky)
In Tibet:
Chomolungma: (means: mother goddess of the universe)
Named after:
Sir George Everest in 1865 ,the British surveyor-general of India. Once known as Peak 15
Location:
Latitude 27° 59' N.....Longitude 86° 56' E It's summit ridge seperates Nepal and Tibet
First Ascent:
May 29,1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary, NZ and Tenzing Norgay, NP, via the South Col Route
First Solo Ascent:
Aug. 20,1980, Reinhold Messner, IT, via the NE Ridge to North Face
First winter Ascent:
Feb. 17,1980 -L.Cichy and K. Wielicki, POL
First Ascent by an American:
May 1,1963, James Whittaker, via the South-Col
Mt. Everest rises a few milimeters each year due to geological forces
Everest Name:
Sir George Everest was the first person to record the height and location of Mt. Everest, this is where Mt."Everest" got its name from(In american language)
First Ascent by a Woman:
May 16,1975, Junko Tabei, JAP, via the South-Col
First Ascent by an American Woman:
Sep.29,1988, Stacey Allison, Portland, OR via the South-East Ridge
First Oxygenless Ascent:
May 8, 1978- Reinhold Messner, IT, and Peter Habeler, AUT, via the South-East Ridge
First woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest from both north & south sides:
Cathy O'Dowd (S.A.) South May 25,1996/North '99
Fastest Ascent from South:
Babu Chhiri Sherpa 34, NP-16 hours and 56 minutes (5-21-2000)
Fastest Ascent (north side):
Hans Kammerlander (IT) May,24,1996, via the standard North Col Ridge Route, 16 hours 45 minutes from base camp
Youngest person:
Temba Tsheri (NP) 15 on May,22,2001
Oldest Person:
Sherman Bull May,25,2001 -64 yrs
First Legally Blind Person:
Erik Weihenmeyer May,25,2001
Most Ascents:
Eleven, 24th May 2000 Appa Sherpa became the first person to climb Everest 11 times-Ten, Ang Rita Sherpa, Babu Chiri Sherpa all ascents were oxygen-less.
Best and Worst Years on Everest:
1993, 129 summitted and eight died (a ratio of 16:1); in 1996, 98 summitted and 15 died (a ratio of 6½:1)
Highest cause cause of death:
Avalanches-about a (2:1) ratio over falls
Country with most deaths on mountain:
Nepal-46
Most dangerous area on mountain:
Khumbu Ice Fall-19 deaths
First ski descent:
Davo Karnicar (Slovenia) 10-7-2000
Last year without ascent:
1974
Last year without ascent:
1977
Corpses remaining on Everest:
about 120
Longest stay on top:
Babu Chiri Sherpa stayed at the summit full 21 hours and a half
Largest team:
In 1975, China tackled Everest with a 410-member team.
Fastest descent:
In 1988, Jean-Marc Boivin of France descended from the top in just 11 minutes, paragliding.
Only climber to climb all 4 sides of Everest:
Kushang Sherpa, now an instructor with Himlayan Mountaineering Institute
First person to hike from sea level to summit, no oxygen.:
11th May 1990,Tim Macartney-Snape, Australian
Largest number to reach the top in one day:
40, on May 10, 1993
First person to summit Everest twice:
Nawang Gombu-Nepal(once with Whitaker in '63,and again two years later in '65)Gombu now works for the Himalayan mountaineering institute
The oldest woman to summit
Anna Czerwinska May 22, 2000.

Trekking around Palpa

The ancient town of Tansen is the headquarter of Palpa district. It is located about seven kilometers northwest of Bartung in Siddhartha Highway. Tansen is famous for historical monuments, temples and lively handicraft industry. There are a number of short treks possible around Tansen that takes the trekkers to local sites of scenic and cultural interest. The best short trek from Tansen is probably the circuit to Ranighat, on the banks of River Kali Gandaki.
There are basic teahouses at Ranighat and camping on the beach is also possible. Another attractive short trek suitable in the wintertime is to follow the old trade route from Tansen down to Sisnu Khola and end in Butwal. Another popular trekking route is the Dhorpatan Circuit. Food and accommodation facilities are available at Tansen.Trekking in and around Kathmandu Valley Kathmandu valley offers excellent short treks. Some of these treks can be even completed in one day. It is also possible to turn the treks into overnight treks. Some popular treks around Kathmandu are Shivapuri area, Sundarijal to Budhanilkantha, Godavari to Phulchowki, Kirtipur to Champadevi, Nagarjun, and Nagarkot to Changu Narayan etc. Permit is only required for trekking around Shivapuri National Park. Transportation is easily available at the end and beginning of these treks. Private vehicles of taxis can also be hired.

About Palpa

The district of Palpa lies in the 'Middle Hills' region of Nepal, between the Himalayas and the Terai. Hill, forest and farmland predominate, interspersed by numerous villages that continue long after roads stop. Rich vegetation and successions of tree fruits make for a lush and pleasant landscape, occasionally dramatic around the winding Kali Ghandaki river. Shree Karnadhar School sits above the fertile Mahdi Kola valley, also sometimes referred to as the 'White Lake' because of the autumn and winter mists that can envelope it.
The dominant ethnic group in the area are 'Magars'. Their culture is distinctive; their modesty and friendliness typical of the rest of Nepal. Like many other groups they have a separate language, but most speak Nepali, and certainly celebrate fully the numerous festivals that inundate the Nepali calendar.

Tansen
The market town of Tansen is the provincial capital of Palpa. Here most facilities can be found: all kinds of shops, internet cafés, restaurants, taxi services, and a hospital. Most villages also have small shops selling fuel and basic foodstuffs. A daily bus passes the school and Sarai village on its journey (about 1 hour) to Tansen, returning late afternoon. En route to Tansen connections can be made with the numerous services north to Pokhara and south to Butwal, where connections by bus and plane can be made to Kathmandu (see map of Nepal).
Visitor attractions
There are many worthwhile attractions in the Palpa district. Tansen itself has a number of historic temples and a mosque, whilst half a day's walk out of the town lies the magnificent derelict palace of Rani Ghat, on the banks of the Kali Ghandaki. On either side of the Mahdi Kola lies the village of Ghorabanda, noted for its pottery, and Madanpokhara, home of Asia's first community radio station. Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, lies just outwith Palpa, but can be visited in a day. For keen walkers, there are numerous remote valleys to be explored, whilst Palpa's highest hill Gaurilek (around 2000 metres) is within striking distance of the school.
Access to trekking and other activities
Pokhara, the gateway to the Annapurna Himal, lies around 4 hours away by bus (Annapurna itself can be seen from the school on a clear day). Butwal is the connecting city for visiting Chitwan safari park in the Terai, and Lumbini. Ravi Tours (email) can offer guiding and trekking services in these regions or any other if desired from its base in Sarai. Trips can range from day rambles and sightseeing in the local area through a few days in the Himalayan foothills to treks such as Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp.

Nasca-Palpa, Peru (español

The cultural and palaeoenvironmental history of the Palpa region, southern Peru, are being investigated in a cooperation between archaeologists and natural scientists. For the first time, the numerous geoglyphs of the Nasca and Paracas Cultures have been documented completely in an extended area.
Location




Location of Palpa on Peru's southern coast

The investigation area is situated on the southern coast of Peru, about 400 km south of the capital Lima, and about 40 km north of the town of Nasca (Fig.: Location of Palpa on Peru's southern coast). It comprises desert regions in the adjacent areas of Palpa and the valleys of the Rio Grande, Rio Viscas and Rio Palpa.
Departments:Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures
Further Information on the Section in Charge
Map

-->druckerfreundliche Version

History
The southern Peruvian coastal desert has been populated by sedentary groups at least since the Formative Period (Initial Period, 1800-800 BC; Paracas culture, 800-200 BC). In the Early Intermediate Period (200 BC-600 AD), the region flourished under the Nasca Culture. At the end of the Nasca Period the extreme desertification led to a cultural decline. It was not until the Late Intermediate Period (1000-1450 AD), in a phase of increasing pluviality, that the regional population increased again. The Spanish conquista (1532) brought Inca rule (from about 1400 AD) in Peru to an end. Subsequently, the region formed part of the Spanish colonial empire. Today, only few prehispanic traditions have survived.
Objectives




Geoglyphs on a valley slope near Palpa

The cultural history of a region is linked closely with its climatic and environmental conditions. The Nasca-Palpa project aims at investigating the cultural and palaeoenvironmental history of the Palpa region on Peru's southern coast from its beginning (newest finds indicate a date around 3800 BC) until the end of the prehispanic era (about 1530 AD). By means of surveying, mapping, excavations and geoarchaeological research, a systematic documentation of the cultural heritage (settlements, funeral contexts, petroglyphs and geoglyphs) is being pursued to establish a basis for scientific investigation of the cultural history in the Nasca region. By means of state of the art photogrammetric methods the millennium-old geoglyphs (ground drawings) (Fig.: Geoglyphs on a valley slope near Palpa) have been registered and mapped for the first time over a wide area. Thus, the project contributes to preserve one of the most important South American cultural heritage sites. Various survey and dating methods and technologies are being developed, enhanced, as well as tested under different conditions. Archaeologists and natural scientists cooperate closely working on an absolute chronology for the Peruvian south coast. Besides, new methods for the analysis of human and animal remains are developed and tested. Through the applications of these methods the life and environment of the past cultures will be reconstructed.
History of Research
The southern coast of Peru has been investigated archaeologically since the early 20th century. Early exploration concentrated on graves and their goods, especially the polychrome ceramic vessels and textiles of the Paracas and Nasca Cultures, the stylistic analysis of which first illuminated the prehistory of the region. In 1926, investigators described the Nasca geoglyphs for the first time. Since 1940 they have undergone closer investigation, producing a large number of sometimes fantastic hypotheses for their interpretation. Settlement studies began in 1957. Since 1980 the Nasca Culture is being investigated in a more systematic way and the geoglyphs can now be related to the settlements of the region. Despite these new interests, systematic excavations remain scarce and the number of scientific publications is extremely meager. Research on the Paracas Culture is mainly confined to the Paracas peninsula and the Ica valley, north of the investigation area (Fig.: Locality of Palpa on Peru's southern coast). Until now, few Paracas contexts, especially settlements, have come to light in the Nasca region. Even less is known about the earliest ceramic period of the region, the Initial Period (1800-800 BC).
Previous Activities




Video clip "Virtual flight over the digital terrain model" (3 MB; only runs with Internet Explorer)





Chillo, excavations of ancient trash midden

After recording and characterizing the geography of the investigation area, the archaeological sites were registered by means of surveys, topographic measurements and the excavation of test trenches. The documentation of the geoglyphs includes their three-dimensional photogrammetric mapping complemented by a full documentation in the field (see the video clip "Virtual flight over the digital terrain model") and their archaeological analysis. Extensive and intensive excavations were undertaken in the following settlements, cemeteries, burial structures, and trash middens: - Pernil Alto - a site in the middle Río Grande valley with settlement features and graves dating to the Middle Archaic Period (3800-3000 BC), the Initial Period (1500-800 BC), and the Early Paracas phase (800-600 BC). - Jauranga - a Middle and Late Paracas (600-200 BC) site in the Palpa valley. - Los Molinos und La Muña - two important sites of the Early respectively Middle Nasca culture (100-450 AD) in the lower Río Grande valley. - Parasmarca - a Late Nasca (450-600 AD) site in the middle Río Grande valley; also present are traces of settlement from the Initial Period until the Middle Horizon. - Chillo - a Late Intermediate Period (1000-1450 AD) site in the middle Río Grande valley.The excavations allow a nearly unbroken documentation of the prehispanic cultural sequence in the area around Palpa reaching from the first settlers around 3800 BC to the time of the Incas in the 15th century AD.
Current Work
Photogrammetric mapping of the investigation area has been completed and the result is currently under analysis by means of a Geo Information System (GIS). Beside the geoglyphs of the Nasca Period, the analysis extends to their antecedents from the Formative Period as well. A complete map and archaeological analysis of a part of the geoglyphs have already been published (Reindel/Lambers/Gruen 2003; Lambers 2006). Survey and settlement excavation data are now being prepared for publication. The preliminary results concerning the cultural and environmental history of the region are in the process of being refined with the aid of other analytical methods. Therefore, the new project cooperation group Nasca/Palpa], sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, has been formed. In close cooperation archaeologists and natural scientists are developing new methods and technologies contributing to the solution of investigation problems in the Palpa region in particular, as well as archaeology and cultural history in general. In the autumn of 2004 a field conference on "Development and Adaptation of Archaeometrical Technologies for the Investigation of the Cultural History of Palpa" was organized. During the conference, local museum was inaugurated. The museum presents the research results of the project to a broader public and illustrates the cultural history of the region.The project's concluding conference was held on the 14th and 15th of June 2007 in the "Wissenschaftszentrum", Bonn.
Methods
The topography and the geoglyphs have been photogrammetrically mapped and analyzed by means of a Geo Information System (see Photogrammetric Reconstruction of the Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa at the IGP Zurich). The archaeological work is carried out with the well-proven methods of survey and excavation as well as by the typological and stratigraphic analysis of findings and their contexts. The application of non-destructive geophysical survey methods (magnetometric and geoelectric surveys) in the preparation of the excavations allows a systematic choice of excavation areas. For the absolute dating of artifacts and sediments, radiocarbon and thermoluminescence methods have been applied; stratified sediments can be dated with the Optical Stimulated Luminescence method (OSL). The development and enhancement of these technologies for the absolute dating of archaeological finds and features, especially the dating of the geoglyphs and their associated architectural contexts, are one of the main aims of the project cooperation group Nasca/Palpa. Additionally, the methodological spectrum includes methods for the analysis of human remains and new methods for material analysis.
Results




Pernil Alto, Initial Period architectural remains





Pernil Alto, complex jar





Jauranga, adobe constructions





Jauranga, Ocucaje 8 funeral ceramics





The site of Los Molinos





Los Molinos, architectural remains in the central part





La Muña, excavation of a shaft chamber tomb





La Muña, reconstruction of a shaft chamber tombs





La Muña, reconstruction of the covering of a tomb





La Muña, reconstruction of the superstructure of a tomb





La Muña, vessel from burial superstructure (stir-up spout vessel)

In our investigation area around Palpa (Fig.: Location of Palpa on Peru's southern coast) numerous Prehispanic settlement remains can be found in the vicinity or even in direct association with geoglyphs (Fig.: Geoglyphs on a valley slope near Palpa). A detailed survey of the area, topographic measurements, the excavation of test trenches and the analysis of surface material of more than 700 sites proved that a sedentary population lived in the investigation area since at least the Early Formative Period (around 1500 BC) continuously until the end of the Prehispanic era (1532 AD). Geoglyphs first appear in the Paracas Period (800-200 BC) and grow in number during the Early and Middle Nasca Period (0-450 AD). Following the end of the Nasca Culture (600 AD) the making of geoglyphs ceases.The excavation of small stone buildings on the plateaus illuminated the function of the geoglyphs: Inside the structures, which are associated with the geoglyphs, offerings, apparently laid down in a context of water and fertility cults, came to light. Geoglyphs, temples and sight markers of wooden posts in combination with postholes located near the geoglyphs form a kind of ritual landscape for water and fertility cults, which can be interpreted as the key sacred places of the Nasca population.Results by time period:Initial PeriodA settlement dating to the Initial Period and the Middle Paracas period was found at the site of Pernil Alto on the right-hand side of the Río Grande. The earliest settlement strata even contained finds dating to the Archaic Period (3800-3000 BC)!Pernil Alto lies on a slope along the Río Grande and stretches into a dry quebrada. The magnetometric survey indicated several large, rectangular structures of an ancient settlement under the current surface. The detailed topographic mapping of an area of approximately 200 m x 200 m showed that the settlement contexts identified in preceeding test excavations belonged to a settlement with terraces. The excavations in 2004 and 2005 concentrated on the exposure of an extensive room complex at the foot of the slope, mirroring the features indicated by the magnetometric survey (Fig. Pernil Alto, Initial Period architectural remains). In the adjacent quebrada further test excavations were undertaken to document the time and use of the terraces present in this area.Pernil Alto is the first Initial Period settlement on the southern Peruvian coast which was studied by extended area excavation. The analysis of the architectural stratigraphy showed that a large room complex measuring around 40 m x 20 m constructed of adobe walls with wooden posts had been modified and extended in five construction phases. Radiocarbon samples originating from several construction phases date the use of the settlement to between 1300 and 900 BC.In the excavation area several burials could be retrieved. Three of these burials predate the erection of the complex, as they were found in a stratum below the architecture. Recent datings assign them to the Archaic Period (3800-3000 BC) (see Recent Investigations). Further burials date to the Early Paracas (800-700 BC) and Nasca periods (around 400 AD).For the analysis of the material finds from the Initial Period contexts so far only very few objects for comparison are available in publications (Fig. Pernil Alto, complex jar). Preliminary analysis shows that the objects bear certain analogies to the material published from the excavation in other Initial Period settlements in southern Peru (Hacha, Disco Verde).The terraces in the quebrada next to the settlement can be attributed to the Middle Paracas period (700-500 BC) on the basis of associated pottery.ParacasIntensive extended area excavation at the site of Jauranga in the middle Palpa valley revealed architectural remains, burials, and pottery indicating that the site served as a settlement during the Paracas time with its simple adobe buildings (Fig. Jauranga, adobe constructions). The site was inhabited without interruption from at least 600 BC to around 200 BC, as indicated by the pottery found during the excavation. The ceramic material can be attributed to the styles of phases Ocucaje 5/6 through Ocucaje 9 (550-200 BC) (Fig. Jauranga, Ocucaje 8 funeral ceramics). During phase Ocucaje 9 the settlement was abandoned and subsequently used as a burial ground. A total of 49 Paracas burials were unearthed, amongst which a four-chambered tomb with adobe walls could also be documented. An additional 31 graves were laid down during the Nasca period.Jauranga can be characterised as a rural settlement, no monumental architecture has been documented so far. Jauranga nevertheless was connected to a functioning trade network via which shells from the coast and obsidian from the Andes reached the settlement. Its location on the valley floor underlines the importance of the flood plains during the early settlement periods. Additionally, the excavation results disproved the prevailing opinion denying the Paracas culture the role of being direct predecessors to the Nasca.NascaThe site of Los Molinos could be identified as having been a regional centre of the Early Nasca period (0-250 AD) (Fig. The site of Los Molinos). Extensive excavation revealed two areas with monumental terraces, patios, columned halls and corridors (Fig. Los Molinos, architectural remains). These remained in use over a period of some 100 years and were abandoned after their destruction by heavy rains (!). Subsequently, the buildings served as burial places. Further such tombs lay in a nearby cemetery. Altogether, a total of 50 burials have been documented in Los Molinos, about half of them undisturbed.During the Middle Nasca period (250-450 AD), the population shifted to nearby La Muña. Excavation at this site concentrated on its cemetery, the elaborate funerary architecture of which could be documented for the first time for the Nasca culture (Fig. La Muña, excavation of a shaft chamber tomb; Fig. La Muña, reconstruction of a shaft chamber tomb [Jens Tomkowitz]; Fig. La Muña, reconstruction of the covering of a tomb [Jens Tomkowitz]; Fig. La Muña, reconstruction of the superstructure of a tomb [Jens Tomkowitz]). The deep-lying chambers of the grave constructions, which had been built in a special pattern, have long since been looted. But the construction itself and numerous highly decorated ceramic vessels fractured immediately after their deposition as well as pieces of jewelry made of stone, shell, or gold could be rescued, giving an impression of the once wealthy content of the burials.On the surface, the remains of the funerary architecture are well-preserved. The structures contained elaborately decorated vessels which depict mythical beings as well as ceremonial activities (Fig. La Muña, vessel from burial superstructure [stir-up spout vessel]). La Muña also seems to have been abandoned due to heavy rainfalls. Test excavations in destroyed buildings and in a dry ravine showed that heavy rains led to a deposition covering parts of the cemetery and the associated settlement buildings with alluvium.The geomorphological investigation has shown that the regional climate gradually became dryer since Paracas times. Then again, due to climate irregularities, local rainfalls at wide temporal intervals resulted in substantial destruction of adobe constructions in the Nasca settlements. But the longer lasting impact on the cultural development surely was exerted by the increasing drought, depriving the agriculturally oriented Nasca of their means of existence. Therefore, it can be supposed that climatic irregularities and sudden rainfalls in a period of extreme aridity at the end of the Nasca period led to a destabilisation of the Nasca culture and finally to its decline. The current geomorphological investigations complement the picture of the palaeoenvironmental history of the Nasca region.Based on present results, it is possible to delineate a detailed picture of the cultural development in the Palpa valley. Ceremonies associated with water evidently played a central role in the creation of the ground drawings (geoglyphs). It becomes clear that the bearers of the Nasca Culture lived in a complex society with well defined social standards and control mechanisms. This high standard of development explains how the Nasca achieved such a highly qualitative craftwork and put across the apparently planned creation of geoglyphs as a part of the common religious cult.One of the aims of the Nasca project is the documentation of the continuous cultural development in the area of Palpa. On the archaeological side this means providing a continuous sequence of stratigraphic features from settlements. So far it had not been possible to document the Late Nasca period (450-650 AD). For this reason in 2006 the site of Parasmarca in the middle Río Grande valley was chosen for further investigation (see recent excavations).Late Intermediate PeriodAround 4 km from Jauranga the site of Chillo is situated along a slope on the right-hand side of the Río Grande. The remains of the settlement dating to the Late Intermediate Period (1000-1450 AD) lie 100 m above the present valley floor and stretch across the slope. Small dry quebradas cutting into the slope were apparently used as trash middens but also as habitation areas as indicated by several walls. One of the quebradas was filled to a height of 6 m. The fill was later eroded in parts leaving a profile which was documented and excavated. The clearly stratified layers with their rich contents of refuse offered the opportunity to analyse a large amount of material from the relatively unknown Late Intermediate Period (Fig. Chillo, excavation of ancient trash midden Chillo).The excavation showed a long lasting use of this area with terraces and living surfaces alternating with alluvial layers. The pottery, especially the large amount of decorated fragments, will for the first time allow the thorough description and analysis of the ceramic inventory for this time period in the Nasca region. Radiocarbon dates show that the quebrada was used for a time span of at least 200 years

Nepal: Investigate Kathmandu ‘Killing Field’

Government Needs to Ensure Full Investigation
(New York, December 28, 2007) – The Nepal government’s failure to protect the site of alleged army killings at Shivapuri National Park near Kathmandu signals an unwillingness to investigate past atrocities, Human Rights Watch said today.
This site may reveal horrific killings linked to the Nepali army, and the government has got to move more quickly to investigate. The government has recently made some fine-sounding pronouncements on human rights, but when it comes to actual cases it’s doing precious little to investigate effectively.
Charu Lata Hogg, South Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch.


Related Material
More on human rights and NepalCountry Page
Traversing the Mountain Kingdom for Human RightsAdvocacy Impact, October 18, 2007
Nepal: Truth Commission Bill Disregards Victims’ Rights Press Release, August 22, 2007
Nepal: Supreme Court Orders Action on ‘Disappearances’Press Release, June 15, 2007
Free Email Newsletter“This site may reveal horrific killings linked to the Nepali army, and the government has got to move more quickly to investigate,” said Charu Lata Hogg, South Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The government has recently made some fine-sounding pronouncements on human rights, but when it comes to actual cases it’s doing precious little to investigate effectively.” On December 20, 2007, a team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), found partially buried clothing, half-burnt logs, and other objects on a forested slope in the army-protected Shivapuri National Park, 10 miles north of Kathmandu. The site, which is located close to army barracks inside the park, was discovered following a tip-off from an army source who claimed to have witnessed the cremation of several people who had been “disappeared” in 2003. NHRC member Gauri Pradhan told Human Rights Watch: “Family members of those who disappeared along with a group of human rights activists requested NHRC to visit the site. The information appears credible.” Between September and December 2003, the Nepal Army’s Bhairabnath and Yuddha Bhairab battalions arrested and detained hundreds of individuals in Maharajgunj. Their detentions were never formally acknowledged, and at least 49 people were “disappeared” by the Bhairabnath battalion in 2003, according to an OHCHR report in May 2006. The OHCHR alleged that members of the Bhairabnath battalion killed possibly scores of detainees in custody, and evidence points to this site being used for extrajudicial killings and cremations. Following the discovery of the Shivapuri site and after repeated requests by human rights activists, the Nepal police deployed nine police officers to guard the site. Investigations, however, have been slow. Forensic experts have not yet collected all evidence from the site and government laxity in allowing people to freely roam the site could have resulted in tampering with evidence of a serious crime. Human Rights Watch urged the government to investigate the Shivapuri site in accordance with international standards, such as the Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. Concerned governments should offer support to the Nepal government as required, including with forensic expertise, witness and victim protection, and in the handling and transfer of evidence for prosecution. Human Rights Watch called upon the Nepal government to take effective action to resolve the thousands of enforced disappearances that occurred during the civil war and to prosecute those responsible. On December 23, the ruling seven-party alliance signed a 23-point agreement including some important commitments relating to human rights, such as the establishment of a commission to promptly investigate new “disappearances.” “While there are commitments to human rights on paper, it is high time the government takes concerted action to implement these commitments,” said Hogg. “Perpetrators for crimes like ‘disappearances’ must be brought to justice.” Human Rights Watch also called upon the Nepal government to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances without delay. In line with that convention, the government should ensure an inclusive and consultative process while drafting a law on enforced disappearances, make “disappearances” a crime in line with the convention’s definition, and set up an investigative body with a mandate and composition in line with international standards. There should be no blanket amnesties for serious human rights violations.

Other Places To Visit

ASAN Toll
This is a place to discover a new world of shopping in open markets. A visual feast is in Asan where rice, lentils, peas, vegetables, oils, clothes, and everyday commodities are sold. The place is usually very crowded during festival seasons such as Dashain and Tihar.
Budhanilkantha
Budhanilkantha is situated about 10 kilometers from the city. An immense status of lord Vishnu reclining on the coils of a serpent is situated at the center of a pond which is in the middle of the temple. A bike ride from Thamel to Budhanilkantha can be an enjoyable experience.
Balaju
A town located below Nagarjun hill about 3 km of the downtown is famous for having sprawling garden of stone water spouts, fish ponds and a replica of the statue of Budhanilkantha. The place offers sightseeing and is the start point for a breath taking mountain bike riding from Balaju to Kakani.
Kirtipur
The Chilamchu stupa, temple of Bagh Baghirav, and artistic houses and temple squares are major sights here. A great view of the Kathmandu valley can be seen from Shiva Parvati temple. Peoples of Kirtipur are known for their skills in building and weaving.

Dakshinkali
The immensely popular temple of the Hindu Goddess, Dakshinkali, the goddess of energy and power is here. This goddess loves animal sacrifices, and she gives energy and power to those who visit her. For Kathmandu people, this region is also among the favorite destinations for picnic.
Godavari
This region has flowers, butterflies and birds of many species. All around the year, the parks and gardens in this region are always in colorful visual delights. Most Nepali film and music video are shot here.
Kakani
Kakani offers skyline views of the Langtang, Gauri Shankar, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and Himalchuli. The bike ride from Balazu to Kakani is recommended for mountain biker to experience quiet surroundings and awesome snail-tail ride.
Nagarkot
Views of beautiful sunsets, sunrises, layout of the Kathmandu valley, and major himals including the Everest can be seen from here. The place is surrounded by good resorts and lodges. You can extend your stay for an adventure in the outback of Nagarkot.
Shivapuri
Most of the drinking water that comes to Kathmandu comes from this region. The region is situated beneath the high Himalayas. Sighting of wildlife and excellent parks and waterfalls makes it an ideal picnic spot.
Dhulikhel:
A nice place to escape from Kathmandu for rest and relaxation. Mountain bikers will appreciate the routes in the region. Excellent resorts and lodges are located in Dhulikhel. On clear days mountains can be viewed from here.