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Mixco Viejo () ("Old Mixco"), occasionally spelt Mixcu Viejo, is an archaeological site in the north east of the  Chimaltenango department of Guatemala, some  to the north of Guatemala City and  from the junction of the rivers Pixcaya and Motagua. It is a moderate sized ruined city of the Postclassic Maya civilization.

The archaeological site and tourist attraction of Mixco Viejo was named after being erroneously associated with the Postclassic Poqomam capital referred to in colonial records by that name. The archaeological site has now been identified as Jilotepeque Viejo, the capital of the Chajoma Kaqchikel kingdom. To distinguish between the two, the ruins of the Chajoma capital are now referred to as Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo) while the former Poqomam capital is referred to as Mixco Viejo (Chinautla Viejo).

This confusion in the identification of the site has hindered study. The Chajoma capital has been investigated archaeologically, under the assumption that it was the Poqomam capital. Although the Chajoma ruins of Jilotepeque Viejo have been well described archaeologically, the archaeological data has been associated with the history of a different site entirely. Doubts about the identification of the archaeological site were first raised by Robert M. Carmack, who realised that the supposed Poqomam capital was not located within the Poqomam linguistic area but rather within the linguistic area of the Kaqchikels. The Poqomam who were settled in the new colonial settlement of Mixco by the Spanish had a long history of fine polychrome ceramic production, but no evidence of such production had been recovered during archaeological investigations, and the ruins were considered too distant from colonial Mixco.

Chinautla Viejo was attacked by the invading Spanish in 1525; the first two attacks against the heavily fortified city were unsuccessful. The besieged city received Poqomam reinforcements that were comprehensively defeated on an open field of battle, with the Spanish cavalry being decisive. The capture of Poqomam prisoners allowed the Spanish to discover the location of a cave providing a secret entrance to the city. A third assault broke the month-long siege, allowing the Spanish to take the city. The surviving inhabitants were moved to another settlement and Pedro de Alvarado ordered the city to be burned.

Jilotepeque Viejo was settled by the Chajoma in order to provide a capital that was safer from attack from the hostile Iximche Kaqchikel kingdom than their previous capital. In spite of this, the city fell under the domination of Iximche and the city's architecture, spread in a number of fortified groups along a ridge surrounded by deep ravines, shows a mixture of Chajoma and Kaqchikel styles. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the Chajoma of Jilotepeque Viejo may have initially allied themselves with the Spanish together with Iximche and have joined in the general Kaqchikel uprising against the Spanish in 1524. The site was abandoned after the conquest and never reoccupied.

Mixco Viejo in history: Chinautla Viejo
The historical Mixco Viejo has been identified as Chinautla Viejo ("Old Chinautla"), near the modern town of Mixco. Mixco Viejo ("Old Mixco") was the capital of the Poqomam Maya kingdom, and was founded on a defensive mountain-top location in the 12th century AD. The peak population in the early 16th century may have been around 10,000 people.

In 1525 Pedro de Alvarado sent a small company to conquer Mixco Viejo (Chinautla Viejo), the capital of the Poqomam. At the Spanish approach, the inhabitants remained enclosed in the fortified city. The Spanish attempted an approach from the west through a narrow pass but were forced back with heavy losses. Alvarado himself launched the second assault with 200 Tlaxcalan allies but was also beaten back. The Poqomam then received reinforcements, possibly from Chinautla, and the two armies clashed on open ground outside of the city. The battle was chaotic and lasted for most of the day but was finally decided by the Spanish cavalry, forcing the Poqomam reinforcements to withdraw. The leaders of the reinforcements surrendered to the Spanish three days after their retreat and revealed that the city had a secret entrance in the form of a cave leading up from a nearby river, allowing the inhabitants to come and go.

Armed with the knowledge gained from their prisoners, Alvarado sent 40 men to cover the exit from the cave and launched another assault along the ravine from the west, in single file owing to its narrowness, with crossbowmen alternating with soldiers bearing muskets, each with a companion sheltering him from arrows and stones with a shield. This tactic allowed the Spanish to break through the pass and storm the entrance of the city. The Poqomam warriors fell back in disorder in a chaotic retreat through the city, and were hunted down by the victorious conquistadors and their Mesoamerican allies. Those who managed to retreat down the neighbouring valley were ambushed by Spanish cavalry who had been posted to block the exit from the cave, the survivors were captured and brought back to the city. The siege had lasted more than a month and because of the defensive strength of the city, Alvarado ordered it to be burned and moved the inhabitants to the new colonial village of Mixco.

Archaeological site: Jilotepeque Viejo

Although the site now known as Mixco Viejo was traditionally considered the Poqomam capital, recent investigations have instead identified the ruins as the capital of the Kaqchikel-speaking Chajoma Maya, and have suggested that its identification as the historical Mixco Viejo is the result of confusion in the interpretation of colonial records. The site was apparently known to the Chajoma by a variety of names, including Chuapec Kekacajol Nima Abaj (also spelt Chuwa Pek Q'eqak'ajol Nima Ab'aj), meaning "Great stone in front of the Cave of the Children of Night", Zakicajol and Nimcakajpec. Jilotepeque Viejo is estimated to have had a population of approximately 1,500 inhabitants. Jilotepeque was close to the San Martín Jilotepeque obsidian source, giving the inhabitants ready access to the resource.

The site is open to the public and has a small museum. The site was declared a protected archaeological zone by Ministerial Accord 1210 of the Guatemalan Ministry of Education on 12 June 1970.

Location
The ruins are situated at the northeastern extreme of the department of Chimaltenango within the municipality of San Martín Jilotepeque; they are strung out over  along a  high ridge approximately  from the point where the Pixcaya River flows into the Motagua River, which drains into the Caribbean Sea. The ruins are surrounded by deep ravines dropping off sharply into a tributary of the Pixcaya River. The site is  from Guatemala City by road.

History

Known rulers
All dates are approximate.

Postclassic
Around 1450 the Chajoma, led by their king Lajuj No'j, moved to Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo) from Ochal to make their capital more inaccessible to their hostile neighbours. In spite of this, Iximche defeated the Chajoma and Jilotepeque Viejo became subject to the Kaqchikel kingdom. Groups C and E show Kaqchikel influence in their architectural styles, while groups A and B have a purer Chajoma architectural style. Both ballcourts appear to have been remodelled after the Kaqchikel fashion, with thick coatings of stucco.

Around the 13th century, Group A underwent a major remodelling, including the construction of a new retaining wall and the infilling of the  wide area between the old and new walls, creating a much expanded terrace for the construction of the group's architecture. Owing to its possession of two ballcourts, it is possible that Jilotepeque Viejo served as a regional centre for the Mesoamerican ballgame during the Postclassic; no other Postclassic ballcourt has been identified in the area of San Martín Jilotepeque although three of four Classic period ballcourts at other sites appear to have continued in use. Shortly before the Spanish Conquest, the Chajoma under their lord Achi Q'alel rebelled against the Kaqchikels of Iximche.

It is possible that the Chajoma of Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo) initially allied themselves with the Spanish together with the Kaqchikel kingdom of Iximche, and that they also rebelled against the Spanish in 1524. It is known that when the lords of Iximche broke their alliance with the conquistadors, they took refuge in Jilotepeque. The site was abandoned after the Spanish conquest and the inhabitants were moved by the Spanish to San Martín Jilotepeque, after which the area was never reoccupied.

Modern history
German geographer Karl Sapper visited the ruins in 1896 and published a brief description of the ruins together with a site map two years later in a 6-page pamphlet by the Internationales Archiv für Ethnographie of Leyden in the Netherlands, entitled Die Ruinen von Mixco, Guatemala. It was Sapper who labelled each of the archaeological groups and their attendant structures. American archaeologist A. Ledyard Smith visited the ruins in 1949 and wrote a chapter about the site in his Archaeological Reconnaissance in Central America, published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1955. Archeological excavations were carried out from 1954 through 1967 by the Musée de l'Homme of Paris under the direction of archaeologist Henri Lehmann, who certainly believed that he was excavating the Pocomam capital as described in Colonial records.

Although the site was restored during the archaeological investigations, it suffered considerable damage in the 1976 Guatemala earthquake. This resulted in destruction of some of the restoration work, although some of the damage has now been repaired.

Site description

The ruins consist of 15 groups containing the remains of over 120 major structures, including temples, palaces, and courts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame. When the site was excavated, the surface was found to be littered with abundant obsidian blades and arrowheads. Originally the city had its main entrance on the western side, a modern road has now been cut through to the ruins from the west along a similar route.

The relatively short period of occupation at Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo) led to an unusual unity of architectural styles for a Mesoamerican city. Almost all archaeological finds at the city, including both artefacts and earlier versions of later structures, date to the last few hundred years before the Spanish conquest. The architecture was built with mica and pumice slabs, in some cases this was coated with stucco. Stone sculpture is almost totally absent from the city, the only example being a ballcourt marker in the form of a serpent's head with jaws agape and a human head emerging from its mouth. Originally some buildings were decorated with painted stucco but this is so poorly preserved that only a few fragments remain.

A population estimate derived from the number of residential remains suggests that the city had approximately 1450 to 1600 inhabitants.

Architectural groups
The architecture is divided into a number of groups and subgroups, labelled by archaeologists as Groups A through to L; those subgroups belonging to Groups A, B, C and E that fall outside the city walls are indicated with the addition of an X or an apostrophe after the group name, to give Group A-X, Group B-X, Group C' and Group E'.

Group A

Group A is located on the northern end of the ridge. The group was extended during major remodelling work that included the building of the final versions of Platforms A2 and A3 on the north side; this involved building a new retaining wall some  further north, east and southeast and filling in the area between the new and old walls to create a greatly expanded terrace. Traces of charcoal at the base of the old retaining wall have been radiocarbon dated to the 13th century, indicating that the expansion of Group A took place no earlier than that.

Pyramid A1 is one of the principal structures of Group A, together with the ballcourt. The pyramid is  high and measures  at the base. It was built using cut stone and has four stepped levels, each of which terminates in a cornice. The pyramid faces west onto the plaza and has two access stairways with 27 steps each. The stairways are flanked by smooth balustrades built from well-fitted slabs. The summit of the pyramid supports a  high platform that once formed the base for the summit temple. The pyramid was built over another structure, a stucco platform with two levels, the upper of which terminated in a cornice.

Platform A2 is built along the edge of the retaining wall behind Pyramid A1. It faces west towards the pyramid and has two access stairways. Three successive versions of the platform were built, each overlying the previous. The earliest version sat upon the early retaining wall, as did the second version. The final version was much larger and was built after the new retaining wall had extended the available area for Group A.

Platform A3 encloses the north side of the eastern part of the Group A plaza. It faces south onto the plaza and was accessed via two stairways on that side. The platform was built over an earlier structure that was built on top of an early tiered retaining wall; the earlier structure extended  above the retaining wall. The final version extended  further to the west and  further to the north. It had two levels, each terminating in a cornice. On the north side a  wide bench extends along the base of the wall.

Platform A4 divides the Group A plaza in two. It was a later addition to Group A during the reorganisation of the group that involved the destruction of the earlier building under Platform A5. When excavated it was very poorly reserved but was able to be reliably restored. There was no earlier version of the structure; it consists of a platform with two levels that faces east towards the principal architecture of Group A. The upper level is topped with a cornice and access was via two stairways flanked by balustrades.

Platform A5 closes the north side of the Group A plaza. The platform has two levels upon a base and a cornice terminating the walls. The platform faces south towards the plaza and ballcourt. The platform was accessed via four stairways, each with nine steps; they were flanked by steep ramps or balustrades. The visible version of Platform A5 covers the remains of an earlier structure. The earlier building was a large platform with a north-south orientation as opposed to the east-west orientation of Platform A5. The surviving parts were investigated by archaeologists and consist of the north wall and parts of the west facade. The north wall was  wide, suggesting that the earlier platform was very large and probably extended south almost as far as the ballcourt. Two funerary urns were excavated from the earlier platform.

Platform A6 encloses the western extreme of the Group A plaza. The platform has two levels, the upper of which has a vertical cornice. The platform faces east onto the plaza; access was via two stairways flanked by balustrades terminating in vertical cornices. Platform A6 was built over an older version of the same building; this earlier construction phase was smaller and its stairways were destroyed in order to build the stairways of the final version. During restoration work carried out by archaeologists the back wall and a section of the facade were left exposed. Four funerary urns were found associated with the platform, mostly interred under the front of the building.

Structure A7 is a small square altar in the middle of the eastern part of the Group A plaza. It faces west with steps on that side.

Platform A8 is to the east of Pyramid A1, on the eastern side of the Group A plaza. It faces northwest towards the pyramid and had two access stairways. Behind the platform was a finely paved terrace extending along the edge of the retaining wall.

Platform A9 is to the east of the ballcourt (A11) and faces towards it. It had four access stairways set between corniced balustrades; each stairway had nine steps.

Ballcourt A11 encloses the west side of the Group A plaza, separating it from the retaining wall dropping off to the ravine behind the ballcourt. It is a sunken ballcourt with a north-south orientation and is entirely enclosed. A short sunken stairway leads from the plaza to the top of the south wall. Another stairway descends the south wall to the southern end zone of the ballcourt. A matching stairway in the northern end zone provides access from that direction. The interior of the ballcourt playing area measures  north-south and the playing alley is  wide between the side benches. The walls were built of small stone slabs and have a slight slope; as is common with the architecture of Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo), the walls were topped with vertical cornices. However, the end zone walls are all completely vertical. Fragments of stucco recovered around the ballcourt indicate that it was at least partly coated.

Structure A12 was a residential structure on the southwest side of the Group A plaza between the ballcourt and Platform A6. All that remains of this structure is its outline marked in stones.

Structure A14 was a residential structure immediately northeast of Platform A5.

Structures A31 and A32 were residential structures near platform A5 on the north side of the Group A plaza.

Group A-X
Group A-X defines a number of structures in two subgroups lying outside the walls of Group A, to the northeast and northwest of the main group.

Group B

Group B is near the centre of the site, roughly equidistant between Group A (to the northeast) and Group C (to the southwest). The main plaza of Group B was at the northern end of the group and was enclosed by the ballcourt on the south side, a double pyramid on the east side and three platforms. A stairway with 28 steps descends the Group B retaining wall behind the northeast corner of the double pyramid, providing an access route towards Group D. On the north side of the group another stairway, with 18 steps divided into two flights, descends towards Group A.

Ballcourt B1 is immediately south of the Group B plaza, with the northern entrance to the ballcourt directly accessing the plaza itself. It is an enclosed sunken ballcourt, as was common in the Maya highlands during the Late Postclassic. The ballcourt is aligned north-south with two transverse end zones forming a capital I shape. The ballcourt has two entrances in the form of inset stairways in the end zones, in the centre of the ballcourt's north and south walls. The side walls of the playing alley are slightly sloped and are topped by a cornice; the playing alley is flanked by two low benches set against the east and west walls. The end zones also possess sloping walls. All the ballcourt walls were built of large stones. The ballcourt playing area measures  north-south and is  wide between the benches. The end zones measure  east-west. The ballcourt was originally coated in stucco painted in a variety of colours; very little of this coating now remains. A drain opening empties runoff rainwater from the east side of the northern end zone; the drain continues under Platform B 2 and empties outside the retaining wall of Group B.
During archaeological investigation of the ballcourt a well-preserved tenoned ballgame marker was found placed on the western bench. Its original placement was indicated by a hole in the upper part of the ballcourt wall. The second marker that would have been placed directly opposite the first has never been found and the area of the ballcourt wall where it would have been had collapsed prior to excavations. Replicas of the ballcourt marker have been placed in both walls; the original is in the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología in Guatemala City.

Platform B2 is aligned northeast to southwest and faces northwest onto the Group B plaza. It had two access stairways flanked by steep balustrades topped with vertical cornices. Behind the platform two stairways descend Group B's retaining wall  towards Group B-X.

Pyramid B3 is actually two pyramids built upon a single basal platform. Together they comprise the most important architectural unit in Group B. The northern pyramid of the pair is denominated B3a; the southern is B3b. The two pyramids each have five stepped levels and face west onto the plaza. Each pyramid was accessed by a single stairway flanked by wide balustrades; each had a small altar at the base of its stairway. Both stairways had nineteen steps and the pyramids stand  high. Low platforms on their summits indicate where the temple buildings once stood. The double form of the twin pyramids had its origin in the Valley of Mexico and indicates foreign influences at the city. A broken stela was excavated from within the fill of Pyramid B3a; it was a plain monument broken in two parts. The bottom section still stood, while the upper section was lying beside it. It is one of very few such monuments raised in the Maya highlands and such stelae are characteristic of the Classic Period (c. 250–900). It is possible that it stands where originally erected before the pyramid was built over it. A funerary urn was excavated from underneath the rear of Pyramid B3b.

A drain near the northeast corner of Pyramid B3 carries runoff rainwater from the Group B plaza and channels it outside the retaining wall to the area between Groups B and D.

Platform B4 encloses the north side of the Group B plaza. The platform consists of a single level set upon a base and possesses corniced walls. Access was via an inset stairway in the centre of the south side. The platform top was floored with slabs and possessed a low double terrace at the rear.

Platform B5 possesses two stepped levels with cornices and encloses the northern part of the west side of the Group B plaza. The lower level possesses a single inset stairway, while the upper terrace has two stairways flanked by balustrades, with a third balustrade dividing the two. The platform provides a broad view across the Pancaco River valley to the west. Structure B5 was built on top of an earlier construction phase, which is exposed along the upper portion of the back wall because restoration of the building only rebuilt the lower portion. It was built from stone slabs and was originally taller than the final version of the platform but was cut back to the reduced height of the new building.

Pyramid B6 enclosed the southern portion of the west side of the Group B plaza. It is very poorly preserved and the top of the pyramid has collapsed, leaving only the lower walls. Archaeological investigation revealed that the final version of the pyramid had been built over a preceding version.

Structure B7 was a small, well-proportioned rectangular structure south of the main Group A plaza, between the north end of the ballcourt (B1) to the east and Structure B9 to the west. This structure was likely to have been an altar shrine.

Platform B8 is a range structure on the west side of Group B. It consists of a basal platform supporting inward-sloping walls that terminate in a cornice. The building faces east and possesses four access stairways separated by near-vertical balustrades. The retaining wall of Group B drops away into the neighbouring ravine  behind Platform B8. A great number of funerary urns were excavated around the base of this platform.

Group B-X

Group B-X includes a number of structures in three subgroups outside the walls of Group B; they are to the northwest, northeast and east of Group B itself.

Structure B-X3 is a step pyramid with sides so steep that it is almost cubic in shape. This temple platform would originally have supported a perishable superstructure but no trace of this now remains. The pyramid faces west and was accessed by an extremely steep stairway with fifteen steps that faces directly onto the massive  high retaining wall of Group B. The stairway is flanked by wide balustrades that form the western facade of the temple platform. Structure B-X3 has been restored.

Structure B-X4 has also been restored. It is a south-facing range structure with four inset access stairways.

Group C
Group C lies to the southwest of Group B and east of Group E. Group C is arranged around two large structures (C1 and C2). It possesses two small plazas; the East Plaza is the larger of the two, enclosing an area to the east of the main temple, Pyramid C1. The East Plaza was accessed via a narrow alley that ran between a large, low platform and a high-status residential structure with a patio (C8). An inset stairway climbed outside of the retaining wall of Group C and accessed the East Plaza between the high-status residence and a platform to its east. The West Plaza is located behind Platform C2 and is enclosed to the north by three platforms (C9, C10 and C17).

Pyramid C1 is the principal structure in Group C. Archaeological investigation uncovered three versions of the pyramid, each built over the last. The archaeologists restored the pyramid in such a way as to make a part of each of the three construction phases visible. The first phase of construction consisted of a platform of cut pumice blocks. This was buried under the second construction phase, which consisted of a five-level stepped pyramid. It had a double stairway on the west side; each stairway had 16 steps. The stairways were flanked and separated by ramps that terminated in sizeable masonry blocks at the top. The top of the pyramid stood  high and was topped by a temple, parts of which survive and have been restored. The walls were built from packed earth coated with stucco; a section of the northern portion of the rear wall still stands to a height of . A wide stucco bench was built against the rear wall and a concave hollow in the floor was probably designed for the burning of incense. The roof of the temple was likely to have been thatched. The third and final construction phase was considerably larger than the preceding versions of the pyramid. In its final form the pyramid base measured ; it had five corniced levels and only possessed a single stairway in place of the earlier two. The stairway was flanked by two wide ramps, only the lower portion of the stairway and ramps survive. The top of the pyramid stood almost  higher than the preceding version and preserved parts of the earlier temple building in its infill; the upper platform has largely collapsed and no trace remains of the final version of the temple superstructure. Both the second and third versions of the pyramid were originally coated in stucco, parts of which were preserved. New stucco was applied during restoration work to match the original coating. Although the pyramid was restored after it was excavated, the 1976 Guatemala earthquake caused considerable damage and the upper portion of the pyramid was reduced to rubble.

A burial was excavated from in front of the wall of the earliest version of the pyramid. The associated offerings included a number of clay vessels, a necklace of small gold bells and a copper axe.  The earliest metal artefacts in the Maya region have been dated to the Terminal Classic period (c.800-900); the presence of metal artefacts associated with the earliest construction phase at Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo) demonstrates the short span of the site and suggests that all three construction phases succeeded each other relatively rapidly. Further ceramic offerings were deposited under both of the latter two phases and an artificially deformed skull was interred under the central axis of the final version.

Platform C2 faces Pyramid C1 and borders the Group C Plaza. The platform is a long rectangular structure measuring  (north-south by east-west) and occupies the highest location of any structure at Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo). The platform has two levels and has a total height of , the lower of which has a prominent cornice. The east side of the lower level has an inset stairway accessing the upper level. The upper level of the platform is recessed against the rear of the lower level and possesses an elaborate facade with four access stairways separated by corniced ramps. The entire platform was originally coated in stucco, of which only a few traces remain. On the upper level the stucco traces outline where walls once stood, leading archaeologists to conclude that several residential structures once stood on top. Platform C2 was built upon an earlier, shorter platform that possessed a facade composed of thin slabs. It is likely that Platform C2 provided restricted access to Pyramid C1. A number of funerary urns were excavated from the base of Platform C2.

Structure C6 was an observation platform that formed the south side of the East Plaza. It faced out southwards across the neighbouring valley.

Platform C7 is an L-shaped platform that closes the east side and northeast corner of the East Plaza. Steps run the entire length of the platform.

Structure C8 is a residential compound that was accessed from the alley running to the East Plaza from behind Pyramid C1. The entrance opened onto the alley from a patio situated in the southern portion of the compound. This patio was surrounded on the east, west and north sides by rooms, with the alley to the south. It was floored with stucco and Structure C8 was the only stuccoed residential building in the whole of the city. The north range of rooms backed directly onto the ravine immediately to the north of Group C; the lower portion of the walls of the west room and of half of the north room still stand. The west room was square while the north room was narrow and probably extended the entire width of the patio. Wear marks in the stucco floor indicate that a door once accessed the north room from the west. The workmanship of Structure C8 was of very high quality and indicates that it was the residence of a member of the city's elite. Its proximity to the large pyramid-temple C1 has led archaeologist Henri Lehmann to speculate that it was once the house of the high priest.

Structure C11  was a small pyramid temple in the lower (western) section of Group C. It was built from small slabs of stone and faced west with an access stairway flanked by ramps. The structure overlies an earlier version that was built using pumice.

Structure C12 is a south-facing platform built from pumice. It divides the West Plaza in two. The upper surface of the platform is marked by a circle of burnt clay formed by the burning of incense.

Structure C13 is a platform closing the southern half of the west side of the West Plaza.

Structure C14 is a platform in the lower part of Group C, close to Pyramid C11.

Group C'
Group C' is a small group east of Group C; it is immediately south of Group B and adjoins it.

Structure C'1 is an unexcavated mound.

Structure C'2 is another unexcavated mound; it is smaller than Structure C'1.

Group D

Group D is a dispersed group to the east of Group B.

Pyramid D1 is on the east side of the Group D plaza. The pyramid had three stepped levels erected upon a low base. It faces west towards the plaza and had a single access stairway flanked by sloping balustrades that terminate in vertical sections at the upper extremes. The pyramid was of fine workmanship using well-cut stone slabs. However, itw was poorly preserved and the southern part had partially collapsed. The surviving portions of the building allowed it to be accurately restored by archaeologists.

Platform D2 is on the north side of the Group D plaza; it has not been investigated by archaeologists.

Platform D3 is on the south side of the Group D plaza and has not been subject to archaeological investigation.

Structure D4 is a small altar in the centre of the Group D plaza.

Platform D5 is a south-facing range structure of great length with just two access stairways. Excavations uncovered a number of funerary urns deposited under the back wall of the structure, the only example burial urns being interred behind such a platform.

Group E

Group E is located to the west of Group C. Group E is largely surrounded by steep ravines; the inhabitants of the city cut the cliffs to make them steeper and more defensible, and reinforced them with a retaining wall. Archaeological investigations failed to find any access stairway through the retaining wall to Group E.

Pyramid E1 is located on the east side of the Group E plaza and was the most important building in Group E. The pyramid had three construction phases, the oldest of which was built from pumice upon a natural  high elevation and was found to be well preserved during excavations of the site. This early phase was packed with rounded pebbles to provide the infill for the second phase of construction. The second version of the pyramid was very poorly preserved; excavations uncovered many stucco fragments but were unable to determine which of the first two construction phases they belonged to. The third and final phase of construction was larger than the preceding versions of the building and encased both them and the natural elevation upon which they stood. The pyramid had four stepped levels upon a basal platform. It faced west with an access stairway flanked by two ramps that terminated in projecting masonry blocks at the top. A small altar was excavated at the base of the pyramid; two stones were found placed upon it. One of these stones was ball-shaped while the other was perforated and may have been a mace or club. A number of funerary urns were excavated at the base of the southern side of the pyramid.

Structure E2 is a range structure on the north side of the Group E plaza. It has not been subject to archaeological investigation.

Structure E3 is a square altar in the middle of the Group E plaza. It faces towards Pyramid E1.

Structure E4 is a platform located behind Pyramid E1 and encloses the eastern side of the Group E plaza. It faces west onto the plaza and has two access stairways, both flanked by ramps built from small slabs of stone and with cornices at the top. The platform walls are of fine workmanship, being built with well-cut and carefully fitted pumice. The front portion of the upper platform was paved with stone slabs, and a bench ran the entire length of the back of the platform. The clay floor between the paving and the bench was found to have been burnt. An offering was excavated from the central axis of the platform's base, it consisted of two ring-shaped clubs placed on either side of a stone ball.

Platform E6 is situated on the west side of the Group E plaza. It is roughly built from irregularly sized, poorly cut stones. The platform faces east towards Pyramid E1 and has four access stairways. The platform once supported perishable residences; these were built from maize stalks bound together with clay, as evidenced by the imprint of the maize stalks in the fragments of clay wall recovered during excavations. The platform itself was once covered with stucco.

Other groups
Group E' is a cluster of small buildings in the trough between the hilltops supporting Groups C and E.

Group F is to the west of Group E. Mound F is the main structure within Group F. It slopes gradually away to the west and was not easily defensible on that side, however it lay outside the strong retaining walls of the fortress and appears to have been an observation platform covering the western pass to the city. A retaining wall supported the mound above the pass and a round earth platform upon the mound may have supported a perishable watchtower.

Group G consists of a number of small structures strung out along the ridge to the north of Group A.

Group H is a small group to the northeast of Group A. Structure H1 is a platform that uses a natural mound as its base.

Group I is also known as the Campana Group. It is the northernmost group at Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo).

Group J is a cluster of small buildings immediately southwest of Group A and adjoining it.

Caves
Three small caves are found in the sides of the ridge supporting the ruins of the city; archaeological investigations have revealed that two of these caves were artificially modified in antiquity.

Cueva de La Lola ("Lola's Cave") is situated below Group A, near the bank of the Pancaco River as it flows to the northwest of the ruins. The cave is  deep and  wide; for most of its length it is  high. The cave had been artificially widened and heightened. During the rain season rainwater filtering through the ground below the city flows out as a small waterfall at the bottom of the cave. The cave was used for ceremonial activities, related to the presence of the spring within it and the fact that the walls are formed from green phyllite; greenstone was sacred to the Maya and was associated with water and fertility. Ritual activities in the cave have continued into modern times, with ceremonial fires being lit within.

Cueva del Murciélago ("Cave of the Bat") is located at the southern extreme of the site. It is  deep; at its widest point it is  wide and the cave is  high. It was artificially widened to permit access and was still used for Maya ceremonies in the late 20th century, when archaeologists found recent evidence of activity.

Funerary offerings
A large quantity of funerary urns have been excavated from the bases of buildings; the deceased were cremated and their ashes collected in the urns. The sides of the urns were perforated with three holes, perhaps to represent the eyes and mouth of the deceased. The urns were decorated with polychrome motifs in the form of highly stylised serpent decorations painted in black, red and cream; this style of Maya ceramics has been labelled as Chinautla Polychrome after the site where it was first identified. The Postclassic Maya custom of interring the cremated remains of the deceased in urns was restricted to the elite; commoners where buried in simple tombs outside the city centre. In Jilotepeque Viejo urns were usually buried under the front of platform bases or under the sides of pyramids and altars. This was not a general practice among the highland Maya in the Postclassic and represents a tradition unique to the city. Funerary urns have been found interred under all the principal plazas of the city. Approximately equal proportions of urns were interred under platforms and under the ceremonial architecture represented by pyramids and altars, although it is impossible to say if those individuals buried under religious architecture had differing roles than those buried under secular architecture.

A total of 52 urns were excavated from the ruins of Jilotepeque Viejo; 8 of these were destroyed by the 1976 earthquake leaving 44 available for study. Twelve of these were in the collection of the Musée de l'Homme in Paris for approximately thirty years; These urns, together with all other artefacts from Mixco Viejo (Jilotepeque Viejo), were repatriated to Guatemala in 1998. Each urn contained the cremated remains of a single adult. All of these appeared to be mature or elderly adults; the remains of young adults were notably absent, indicating that elite warriors were buried in some other manner. The urns themselves represented a variety of highland ceramic types. Analysis of bone fragments in the cremated remains indicates that the entire body was burnt without any special treatment for the skull, although the offering of a skull was excavated from Pyramid C1. Surviving skull fragments indicated the practice of artificial skull deformation among the elite inhabitants of the city. The remains of animal bones were found mixed among a significant portion of the contents of the urns; where identifiable these included deer bones and those of a number of bird species, particularly parrots and birds of prey.

Only six of the urns contained associated funerary offerings:

Notes

Citations

References

Maya sites in Guatemala
Populated places established in the 12th century
Former populated places in Guatemala
Archaeological sites in Guatemala
Chimaltenango Department
Ruins in Guatemala
Maya Postclassic Period

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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A major improvement in chew mark investigations in the USA started in 1962 when courses in forensic odontolgy began at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in Washington D.C. The development of forensic odontology was furthered by the publication of a e book in 1966 by Gustafson, referred to as 'Forensic Odontology'.
As is clear from the above-talked about, her interests are properly defined by art, music, movies, literature, languages, historical past, philosophy, geography, physics, environmental points, photography, gardening, cuisine, touring, people, animals, and yoga.
Though there are strong arguments that maintain that every human has a singular dental profile and is discernable in chunk marks this has not been proven valid by any experiments and thus causes critical issues when presenting chunk mark proof within the courts of justice.
Environmental science is the scientific examine of the methods wherein biological, physical, and chemical parts of the atmosphere work together, and the relations between them. Bite marks are usually found on the skin of the victim. The target of the conference is to determine the position of environmental analysis in present-day society and politics, by finding out how environments, sustainability, and know-how are linked in modern culture and politics.


FILE - An employee works on an assembly line producing Mercedes-Benz cars at a factory of Beijing Benz Automotive Co. (BBAC) in Beijing.
Asian stock markets sank Wednesday after a new report fueled more worries over the slowdown in China's vital manufacturing sector.
Chinese manufacturing activity fell to its lowest level in over six years, according to a preliminary version of the closely watched Caixin purchasing managers' index.
The report adds to concerns over China's economic slowdown, as Beijing attempts to transition from an export-led to a domestic demand-led model of growth.
On Wednesday, stock markets in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Seoul all lost around 2 percent by close. That came after a heavy sell-off in the U.S. and Europe.
Investors are also concerned about a possible further devaluation of China's yuan currency, though Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pledged this will not happen.
Speaking in Seattle at the outset of his visit to the U.S., Xi said Beijing plans to let the yuan adjust by market forces, saying there is "no basis for continuous depreciation."
Beijing's surprise devaluation of the yuan last month was seen as an attempt to spur economic growth, since it will make Chinese exports much cheaper in foreign markets.
But a major devaluation risks causing a regional currency war, since many other nations could lower the value of their own currencies in order to protect their own export markets.


4. Small units … agile … lethal … invisible … guerrilla … network warfare … distributed … dispersed … mobile .. Flat [hierarchy] … improvisational … etc.
13. Inflexibility and mass are favored in static times. Flexible and ephemeral are favored in chaotic times.
14. Ste p hen Ja y Gould : Bacteria rule! Sizeable cases [e.g. humans] are virtually irrelevant anomalies.
16. " Operations is policy." —Fred Malek* *Andy Pearson. Al McDonald. Jack Welch (?) . U.S. Grant. Horatio Nelson.
18. Sluggish + Obese + Unimaginative + More Sluggish + More Obese + More Unimaginative + Even More Sluggish + Even More Obese + Even More Unimaginative = Nissan + Renault + GM = Innovative Challenger for Toyota????
24. Case: Perceived Rommel invents Blitzkrieg. Krauts kick the crap out of the Frogs in two weeks. Q.E.D.
27. Case: Lesson Learned Do something. Get lucky. Attribute luck to superior planning. Get medals.


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The Combo Tour Ticket, new for 2022!
What's better than taking a trip along Blackpool's famous coastline on a piece of moving history in the form of a beautifully preserved Heritage Tram? How about two trips? This year we're launching our brand new Combo Tour Ticket to give you the opportunity to ride on both our Promenade and Coastal Tours on any…
Mini System Tour
There's plenty of track you've never been able to ride before, until now! Following the success of our Full System Tour, you can join us for a Mini Systems Tour during our Anniversary Weekend, on Sunday 25th. The Mini Systems Tour gives you a fresh perspective of our tramway, as you explore sections of track…
Starr Gate Depot Tour
This is your opportunity to walk around our state-of-the-art Starr Gate Depot, learning how we operate and the hard work put in around the clock to maintain a tram service. See the inside of our remarkable Depot you can usually only see from a distance and talk to us in person about our operations! Our…
Tram Sunday with Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours
After two long years of absence, the Fylde Coast's biggest transport event is back! Tram Sunday is here on Sunday 17th July, with all kinds of unique vehicles from across the country being exhibited in Fleetwood. Between Fisherman's Walk and Fleetwood Ferry, explore the souvenir stalls, view the wide range of vehicles and of course,…
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Parade and Events
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee is the kind of celebration you only experience once in your life and with good weather forecasted, you certainly won't want to miss out. Have you heard about what we're doing to honour the occasion? Between Wednesday 1st – Sunday 5th June you'll be able to witness one of our biggest…
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Constitution and Constitutional Convention Data
Iowa's Four Constitutions
Date Duration Comment
1836 2 Years 1st pre-statehood constitution. Provided by Congress for the Territory of Wisconsin, which then included Iowa. The people of Iowa were not given the opportunity to ratify this constitution.
1838 8 Years 2nd pre-statehood constitution. Provided by Congress for the Territory of Iowa. The people of Iowa were not given the opportunity to ratify this constitution.
1846 11 Years 1st statehood constitution. Iowa became a state on Dec. 28, 1846. This constitution was ratified by the people of Iowa.
1857 163 Years 2nd statehood constitution, effective Sept. 3, 1957. This was the second and current constitution ratified by the people of Iowa and now includes 48 amendments. Iowa's population of Iowa was 517,875 (based on the 1856 census) when this constitution was written.
Iowa's Three Constitutional Convention Delegate Elections
Election Date Total # Male # Female # Male % Female % White # White % Political Party
August 1844 72 72 0 100 0 72 100 21 Whigs; 51 Democrats
April 1846 32 32 0 100 0 32 100 10 Whigs; 22 Democrats
November 1856 36 36 0 100 0 36 100 21 Republicans; 15 Democrats
Note: Prior to 1844, the Legislature twice failed to get the people to approve calling a convention. The procedures associated with convention calls were specified in the enabling act. For example, the 1842 enabling act specified that the people would vote on whether to call a convention at the general election in August 1842, that the convention would have 82 delegates that would be elected on the second Tuesday in October 1842, that the convention would convene in the Capital on the first Monday in November 1842, and the people would vote on whether to ratify the convention's proposal(s) at the general election in August 1843.
The Duration & Cost of Iowa's Three Constitutional Conventions
Start Date, End Date, Duration, Cost
Start Date End Date Duration Cost
October 7, 1844 November 1, 1844 25 days $7,854
May 4, 1846 May 19, 1846 15 days $2,844
January 19, 1857 March 5, 1857 39 days N.A.
Iowa Legislature's Track Record of Calling Constitutional Conventions*
Legislature Vote
Date Standard Convention Process?** Voters Approve Referendum? Comments
July 31, 1840 Yes No
February 16, 1842 Yes No
February 12, 1844 Yes Yes
June 10, 1845 No N.A. Legislature resubmits to voters previously rejected convention proposed constitution without calling for a new convention. Nine state legislators in the opposition argue that this violates Iowa's Constitution, as the Legislature has no delegated powers to resubmit such a referendum on whether to ratify a constitution. The Legislature goes ahead with the referendum and the voters once again reject the proposed constitution.
January 17, 1846 No N.A. This time the Legislature approved calling a convention without first asking the people whether they want to call another convention.
January 24, 1855 Yes Yes
* With the mandatory periodic constitutional convention referendum, the Legislature doesn't place the convention call on the ballot for voter approval, as the call is placed on the ballot automatically; that is, even if the legislature is opposed to calling a convention.
** The standard convention process, regardless of whether a convention is called by a legislature or periodic referendum, entails three steps: 1) voters choose whether to approve a referendum to call a convention, 2) voters elect delegates to a convention, and 3) voters choose whether to ratify a convention's proposals. In 1844, Iowa's Legislature skipped 1) and 2). In 1846, it skipped 1).
Iowa Voters' Track Record of Calling Constitutional Conventions
Date* Yes
# No
# Yes
% No
% Called?
1840 937 2,907 24.38% 75.62% No
1842 4,129 6,825 37.69% 62.31% No
1844 6,719 3,974 62.84% 37.16% Yes
1856 32,790 14,612 69.17% 30.83% Yes
1870 24,846 82,039 23.25% 76.75% No
1890 27,806 159,394 14.85% 85.15% No
1900 176,337 176,892 49.92% 50.08% No**
1910 134,983 166,054 44.84% 55.16% No
1920 279,652 221,763 55.77% 44.23% Yes***
* Note on election dates. The April 1846 election was for April township elections. The August 1840, August 1842, and August 1856 elections were for general elections. The periodic constitutional convention referendum elections beginning in 1870 were for general elections.
** Official county results from the 1900 referendum showed it passing from Nov. 6, 1900 through Nov. 27, 1900. On Nov. 28, Iowa's canvassing board found 1,000 no votes that allowed it to turn the apparent yes vote into a no vote. For details, see the separate web page under the history menu item on Iowa's 1900 constitutional convention referendum.
*** The 1920 convention was called, but the Legislature refused to pass the enabling legislation to convene it. The House and Senate claimed they couldn't agree on the terms for convening it.
Iowa Voters' Track Reford of Ratifying Constitutional Convention Proposals
Vote Date Yes
# Yes % No % Comment
April 7, 1845 6,023 7,019 46.18 53.82 Constitution proposed by the 1844 constitutional convention rejected 1st time.
August 1845 7,235 7,656 48.59 51.41 The Legislature didn't like the rejection, so resubmitted the same constitution a second time, which the people then rejected a second time. It is unclear if this resubmittal without calling another convention was constitutional.
Aug. 3, 1846 9,492 51.23 9,036 48.77 Proposed constitution approved; presented to Congress and approved on December 28, 1846.
Aug. 3, 1857 40,311 38,681 51.03 48.97 The convention's main proposal; approved by voters.
Aug. 3, 1857 8,479 49,267 14.68 85.32
A separate convention amendment to make blacks equal to whites; rejected by voters. The specific question was: "Shall the word 'white' be stricken out of the constitution wherever it occurs?"
Note on sources: many sources, especially those dealing with pre-20th Century elections, have many minor conflicts in the data they contain. Most of these conflicts are probably due to typos; for example an "8" transposed into a "6" in a four digit number. Even Benjamin Shambaugh's authoritative The Constitutions of Iowa has discrepancies both within his text and with other reputable sources. Shambaugh was for 40 years the superintendent of the State Historical Society of Iowa and a professor of political economy at the University of Iowa. Where there have been conflicts, which may amount in an early source to no more than typographical errors (and then repeated by later sources), I have tried to go with what seemed the most authoritative source. Sometimes a seemingly well-defined concept has some ambiguity. For example, Shambaugh at various points says that Iowa's 1844 constitutional convention had 73 and 72 delegates. It turns out, both answers are correct! The 73rd member appears never to have attended the convention. Most sources appear to go with the 72 delegate number.
I have considered contemporary Iowa state government sources as most authoritative, despite the Iowa Legislature's track record since 1870 of opposition to calling a state constitutional convention in Iowa. One reason for the poor data may be the Iowa Legislature's lack of interest in documenting its full record concerning its enthusiastic and repeated support for state constitutional conventions prior to 1857.
I may be using some data for purposes not originally intended. For example, I calculate voter participation rates in elections for calling a state constitutional convention based on the highest vote for any office on the ballot, which I take to be either the presidential or gubernatorial election depending on the year. But my sources on those election results may only report the results for, say, the top four gubernatorial or presidential candidates. If so, I may not have counted the votes for all the fringe candidates, which are generally not of interest to students of elections.


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December 3, 2015 A DICKSON RESIDENT, architecture, Canberra, GOVERNANCE, urban development, URBANITYPaul Costigan
Northbourne heritage
The decision by the ACT Heritage Council to heritage list 17 of the Northbourne housing precinct does confuse the developments being proposed for the gateway to Canberra.
While the government has agreed to leave the 17 listed buildings, it will promptly go ahead with the demolition of other Northbourne buildings identified to be sold and the sites redeveloped.
This debate is yet to be over. There will be many conversations about whether saving these 17 buildings is a correct or a foolish ruling.
It is a good thing that there is a committee with the powers to protect Canberra's significant buildings and landscapes. Good because at the moment urban development in Canberra is driven primarily by the need to achieve sales and the subsequent topping up of the ACT Government finances.
While gathering this level of finance is fundamental to the city's survival, the government seems to be willfully blind to what is being sacrificed to meet this quest. The current Urban Development Minister, who is also Chief Minister, is not known for his interest in delivering well-designed urban environments.
Hence while I agree to the Northbourne buildings being demolished, there remain doubts about the motives behind how such development decisions are made and the quality of any subsequent buildings and landscapes.
The architect mentioned constantly by the supporters of this site is Sydney Ancher. He was a prominent award-winning Australian modernist Sydney architect from the 1950s-1970s and there are significant buildings with his name attached. The ANU's Pauline Griffin building (originally the student union) is such a building.
But I suggest that it is wishful thinking on the part of the local architectural heritage lobby to classify the Northbourne social housing precinct as having this level of significance. Yes he designed them and elements of his style are present, but when compared to other works, this is 'bread and butter' design.
Some of the buildings have incorporated into them some worthwhile features, namely the inner courtyards of the one-storey units. The precinct was an important step by the previous government to provide social housing, but the style of the building is very ordinary. Unfortunately this not an isolated case as social housing in Australia is rarely underpinned by high quality architecture.
Then there is the argument for how to handle social housing. Canberra governments have learnt many times that having a large number grouped together has the inherent danger that they become socio-economic ghettos.
The common view would be that these units had very much headed in this direction. Is this to be commemorated as heritage – being a possible failure of social policy?
The local heritage and architectural lobbyists are keen to list significant architectural achievements as part of the city's cultural heritage (and good on them). But while Sydney Ancher was an award-winning architect, these buildings are not award-winning architecture. Sydney Ancher was significant through his architectural work as well as his participation within the architecture association, but that does not mean that everything he designed remains significant and worth the huge financial commitments to be refurbished.
Is it more that the heritage committee decision has been swayed by the impulse to ensure that former design leaders from within the architectural association have their name attached to this city's architectural history?
The fight for this young city's heritage will be never-ending and is normally to be encouraged. But in this case, the buildings in question are well and truly passed their use-by-date. The real dilemma is the lack of design leadership for the future of this precinct. Is there any chance that whatever they build could one day be considered for heritage listing— or will it simply be demolished within about 20 years to make way for the next big development priority thingy?
So to answer my own question – this is indeed a foolish ruling.
A footnote: There is a story out there yet to be told about the ANU building referred to above. I have walked past this building often over many years and have always noted it is in a state of disrepair.
Given the usual standard of building maintenance within the ANU, the slow demise of this historic building remains a mystery. Maybe the heritage lobby should be caring more for this one rather than standing guard on the Northbourne Flats.
This is an occasional series on the broad subject of things architectural. There will be the occasional review of buildings as well as commentary on issues and the people involved – and anything else that comes to my attention.
also published on RiotACT
for more on architecture – click here
Paul Costigan
← George Monbiot	Architecture: The Goods Line →


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Pentanet.GG reveals their OPL 2020 roster
Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Shifting Tides Preview
Red Bull Fight or Flight: Interview with kritikalmotion
BenQ reveals EX2780Q gaming monitor featuring 144Hz IPS & HDRi
BenQ ZOWIE XL2740 27" 240Hz Gaming Monitor Review
Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition Review
Interview with topguN: "We were ahead of our time"
Nason Pybus June 16, 2019
Photo Source: Fragbite
Azad "topguN" Orami is a legend in the Australian scene. Part of the Vox Eminor lineup that dominated the region for over two years and a member of the ill-fated Championship Gaming Series' Sydney Underground franchise, topguN was once one of Oceania's most internationally-decorated players. However, his decision to step down from CS in mid-2015 and focus on his family saw him miss the further opportunities his former teammates were provided. Since then, topguN's appearances in official CS matches have been sporadic, now playing in a mix lineup alongside players like Peter "pecks" Nguyen, Marcus "gotz" Fonti and Nikhil "Nikkez" Victor.
topguN's 'Fighting 4 Freedom' recently attended the ESL AUNZ Season 8 Championships in Sydney, where I spoke to him about the CGS experience early in his career, his time on Vox Eminor and why he continues to play.
Not many people watching Counter-Strike now know about the Championship Gaming Series, a very ahead-of-its-time league in 2007, and your participation in it. Tell me about that experience.
It was definitely well ahead of its time. That's probably why it didn't last too long. It was 2008, many years ago during Counter-Strike: Source, when we heard about this company, the Championship Gaming Series. They were in the States back then, and Europe, and we heard that they were going international; they were coming to Asia and Australia, and we were going to have a squad in that. We built ourselves a little superteam with myself involved, Havoc, deathdoG; some of the sharpest players back then who would've been 17 or 18. Unfortunately for Havoc, he was actually too young, so he missed out.
We rostered up a team and it was definitely next-level. They were paying us a salary, a very lovely salary. Back then, it was around $30,000 USD. When you're 18 years old, back then, getting almost three grand a month, it was unheard of, especially in Australia. We definitely felt like we were living the dream with CGS. We were going overseas, playing with huge audiences, crowds and stadiums. It was just a great experience for me.
That level of investment in esports wouldn't be reached again for at least another five years. Did CGS give you an unrealistic expectation of what was to come from playing Counter-Strike at a high level?
No, not really. I was pretty young and dumb. I wasn't thinking business-wise. I was more excited about the travelling, competing and proving myself against the world's best than money. Money was all a bonus. It puts a glitter on it, a real star-studded feel behind it, like it was the real deal. Not for a moment did I ever think it was going to stop so suddenly, the way it did when the recession came through in the States. I didn't think, either, for the rest of my life, the next six to ten years or however I'd be competing, that this is the level I'll be, and that this is where it starts and it's only better from there. I never thought of it like that. I wasn't really business-savvy. It didn't really cross my mind. Saying that, it probably should have. In hindsight, now that you've mentioned it, it probably could have, because it was that very star-studded feel. It was kind of a really big deal. Maybe that's probably why, subconsciously, I was aware that it probably wouldn't last that long because it was too much too soon. It bit off more than it could chew. But nah, it didn't trick me; it didn't catfish me or anything.
If I'm not mistaken, the Vox Eminor lineup that became the best team in Australia at the start of CS:GO formed in Source and then made the transition to the new game.
That's actually a good question. I can't remember if I played for Vox in Source. There was a team with AZR, dimojR, ScottyBoomser and myself. Maybe I was.
It was a big blur for me because it was around the time I actually went to prison – I did a bit of time in prison – and then I came out and stopped playing Counter-Strike for a while. That's when Boomser and VoxE approached me and asked if I wanted to get back into it. I jumped on board and I think it was late in Source. Then, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive came out and we kind of moved on from there and became the Vox that people loved.
Boomser was topguN's captain on Sydney Underground and a CS: Source iteration of Vox Eminor (Source: XY Gaming)
What set that famous Vox Eminor lineup apart from the other teams in the region? Was it just sheer fragging power or were you doing more tactical work in a fairly underdeveloped period?
Individually, we definitely had the talent. We got the pick of the bunch. Myself, I wasn't too experienced then but I still had been around and done a lot in terms of the game, so we kind of get to pick from the lot. Originally, we had a player called Boomser. He was probably the best IGL I've ever played with. The way he led his team and had us thinking and feeling in rounds, we were ahead of our time. I feel like, nowadays, teams are playing like that. Not to say that they've caught up to us; mechanically and all that, they've surpassed us all. Definitely, I think we did have good strats and individual skill combined and we probably had all of the international experience in that squad back then. Because of that, like I said, we get to pick the players we wanted, like, for example, Justin [jks]. When he started shining, we were quick to gobble him up. Look at him now.
Touching on that international experience, you attended three Majors in CS:GO, but only managed to win one game out of six played in total. What did you personally take away from those events?
It's a lot of what I try and tell the players today that get the opportunity to go overseas. Obviously, going overseas, playing against the best on the big stages and coming out with the losses is not a nice feeling. But, the opportunity of being there for a week, two weeks, a month, however long teams get to stay there for, and bootcamping there is golden experience.
That's pretty much why the level of Counter-Strike in Australia today is where it's at. It's not just one team anymore. Before, when it was just Vox Eminor, I would dream of the day I was overseas and there was another Aussie team there. That was a dream, but now, today, it happens; teams like ORDER, Grayhound, Chiefs and Avant. All that time they get overseas, they then bring it back for the rest of the community to feed off. It just increases the level of our game here. Obviously, it's devastating not getting the best results overseas. But, in terms of those bootcamps and learning what we needed to better ourselves individually and as a squad, it's never for nothing.
The Vox boys moved on without you in 2015 due to the level of commitment becoming too much for you…
That's what everyone keeps saying. I don't want to admit I got KFC'd.
But, nah, I just kind of hit that point in my life where I couldn't commit the hours needed. Everything was getting more serious, it was getting more professional, and I was getting engaged and married. Back then, there was no salary. You did it for the love of it, for the passion, for the drive, for the competition. There was no funding. Not that Vox didn't pay – they paid for everything – but there was no income. I couldn't support a family, I couldn't buy a house; all these other things I had planned outside of the game. I obviously had to choose one or the other. My wife came first and it all worked out. I've got a house now, I'm married, I've got a son, and I'm still here. It was worth it.
The money did start to come in for your old teammates not very long after you stepped down, with their transfer to the organisation Renegades who paid player salaries and moved the team to America. Do you have any regrets from that situation?
It was like three months, if that. It was definitely really soon after. There's no regrets, absolutely not. Whenever I think about my wife or my son or my life today, you can't regret anything. Obviously, the boys are where they're at today and I would've loved the chance. But, realistically looking at it, with a wife and a mortgage, it would've been one or the other. I can't regret anything, but who wouldn't love the chance to go over and live that life?
Since that time, you've had a few short stints in different teams, like Legacy in 2016, Sydney ROAR for the last two seasons of Gfinity, and now this Fighting 4 Freedom mix. What keeps you coming back? Is it a pure love for the game or is there still that competitive drive?
There is definitely a fire in me that loves to compete. We just got smashed, but I don't have an ego where I'm thinking "I used to be the best, I was on top, now I'm not so I might as well quit". My ego's not big enough to let that affect me. I don't mind, I don't care. In fact, I kind of love it, seeing all of these young players come up, go beyond and take it to the rest of the world. There's a sense of patriotism in that. The reality is that I love to compete. Whether I come first or last, it's all the same thing. It's a community and I'm just happy to be part of it. Why I originally came back, funnily enough, is I had a workplace accident. I was grinding at work, doing all that kind of stuff. I was a father and a worker; I didn't have time for the computer. Then, I had an accident at work which rendered me home-bound. That's when I got the opportunity to play at IEM Sydney in 2018 for the Aussie team. Since then, I haven't looked back. Gfinity was coming around. I got into that and made a team. That fire keeps growing and I'm going to make the most of that because of the time I've got at home from this accident at work.
Richard Lewis and topguN on the analyst desk at ESL One Cologne 2014 –
Source: ESL
Do you see yourself continuing to compete for as long as you can?
As long as I can. The truth is, I should probably start looking to commentary or something production-wise and look into that avenue. All that sort of stuff is a lot of fun and it's probably what I should do if I was smart enough, but I love to compete. As long as I've got a group of boys that respect that and don't think I'm useless enough – they think I'm good enough to still compete with them – then I'll do my best with whichever group of boys that want to play.
You did a bit of commentary at the ESL One Cologne Major in 2014. Was that ever something you thought of going into?
It's not something I ever really thought of, no. That opportunity came and it was a lot of fun. I don't even know if I did well or not. I watched back the VOD and I kind of feel like I made a fool of myself. You know, you're your biggest critic. But, it definitely was a lot of fun. From that moment on, I was more thinking "ah, y'know, whatever, if an opportunity comes I'll take it". But, nah, I just wanted to compete. I just wanted to become the best player I can be. It unfortunately didn't last too long after that.
I'm interested in the discussion around a 'retirement age' in esports, specifically Counter-Strike. What are your thoughts on that?
The thing with gaming is that it's new. We're still the first generation of gamers. That age frame is only going to get bigger and bigger. We don't know yet. I started at a young age, so naturally I would be able to play a bit longer. I probably should retire now; I'm 30 years old and turn 31 this year. I'm not at the peak of my game, but still good enough to compete.
What happens is, I started at around six or seven, but my kids will start younger. I think, naturally, that retirement age will get pushed back. It's not athletic or physical; it's all mental. Your speed might decrease, but it's miniscule. It's a really interesting topic and I'm really into it. One of the things I've read on is that it's not actually that I'm getting slower – my reaction time isn't dropping – it's the fact that there's more stuff on my mind. I'm not a 16 year old that's just got his homework that I don't care about. No missus, no boyfriend or whatever; he's got nothing to concern himself with. He's just so involved in the game. That's why he's so good. When you're a 30 year old man with a mortgage and a family or whatever, there's just a couple of things that run through your head that also affect your gameplay. That was something I watched and read on that was really interesting.
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We figured it was time to start changing our poll questions on at least a weekly basis.
For those of you that are reading this via your RSS feed, please visit the site and vote in this week's poll. It is a timely question, considering the increase in candidates for the mayor's office in Birmingham (the election is coming up in October, with a runoff election if needed in November).


After using pine nuts for the pine nut and almond tart I made last week, I used the leftover nuts to make stuffed squid. I had never had stuffed squid and am glad to have discovered a new way to enjoy it. I am used to using squid in various summer salads as well as in pasta dishes but this was a great way to enjoy it as an appetizer or a light meal. I made a pine nut, tomato and herb stuffing but you could really use anything you think would pair well with squid.
The squid sort of looks like mini rockets ready to launch.. but I can assure you that it was delicious!
Gently wash the squid and thoroughly dry. Lightly score both sides. Reserve.
Seed the tomatoes and cut in small cubes. Finely chop the pine nuts, capers and parsley. Put the tomatoes, pine nuts, capers and parsley in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix.
Stuff the squid with the tomato mixture. Turn your grill to medium high heat. Lightly season the outside of the squid with and place on the hot grill. Grill for 3 minutes on each side, lightly pressing down on the squid to get nice grilled marks. Serve atop of crusty bread and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
Gotta dig a gal that knows her way around squid...love the dish.
I went to Italy when I was 18, with a bunch of other teenagers, when we ordered "calamari" they brought us each a GIANT squid that was stuffed! To teenagers that is a scary thing, but now that I am grown up this looks delicious!!
This looks so beautiful that I'm tempted to try squid at home. Very nice recipe and presentation.
You know, I love squid, but I've never had it stuffed with anything. I'm definitely going to have to try this...especially because I love pinenuts so much! What a great meal you've put together!
That is the best looking squid I've ever seen! Fabulous idea!!
I love to stuff squid and grill it! I love your stuffing, though - would love to try it.
Stuffed Squid is such a terrific Italian light meal! Yours look great and I'll be trying your combo of pine nuts and tomatoes soon!
Thanks for charing this great recipe!
I am so glad you found this way and shared it because I'm always looking for an alternative to frying. Thanks for sharing this. It looks delicious.
I love an excellent squid recipe: superb!!


"My dear sisters and brothers, welcome to this ancestral home of the Archdiocese. This bishop, the lowliest member of the family, chosen by God to be a sign of unity, this bishop graciously thanks you for joining him in giving the awaiting world the Church's word."
These were Archbishop Romero's opening words in his March 20, 1977 homily -- the first sermon contained in the Archbishop Romero Trust's collection of English translations of Romero's sermons and pastoral letters. In those first few words, Romero prophetically intuits that his audience is not just the people attending the March 20, 1977 Mass; his audience is "the awaiting world" which would follow his brief, three year ministry as Archbishop of San Salvador, from 1977 to 1980. Now, thanks to the Romero Trust, Romero's words will also reach "the awaiting world" of English speakers who have known Romero through his actions, but never -- until now -- through his words.
In addition to these slices of everyday life in the late 1970s, of course, we also get Romero on the disparities between rich and poor, Romero on the oppressive policies of the military dictatorship running El Salvador and its ruthless loyalty to the harsh oligarchy in power, Romero on liberation theology, Romero on charity, Romero on the persecution of the Church, and Romero on the Church's preferential option for the poor. In addition to three years of Sunday homilies (the final year, 1980, is still being finalized), the web site also features Romero's four pastoral letters: "The Church of Easter" (April 1977), "The Church, the Body of Christ in History" (August 1977), "The Church and Popular Political Organizations" (August 1978), and "The Church's Mission amid the National Crisis" (August 1979). Romero wrote "The church of Easter" as an introduction to the archdiocese when he started his mission and he wrote the next three pastoral letters each August of 1977, 1978 and 1979 on the occasion of El Salvador's patronal feast, which celebrates the Transfiguration of Jesus. "The church of Easter," the first letter, which Romero wrote by himself, was the masterpiece of the group; he wrote each successive letter with increasing numbers of collaborators, paralleling Romero's attitude of humility and consultation.
With its Mother lode of primary materials, the Romero Trust web site has become the most important Romero web site since Servicios Koinonía placed Romero's Spanish language sermons on the web. The Romero Trust translations will bring Romero's preaching to a broader, world-wide audience. When the Christian story was first reduced to the Gospels beginning about 50 years after Christ's death, it was the first time that His words became accessible to a world-wide audience beyond his immediate followers, allowing intimate exposure to the teachings of an immolated Master. Now, after 30 years, the Romero Trust is giving new meaning to the Romero phrase used by Father Brockman for that first influential Romero biography -- The Word Remains.


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The MH Transformation: Reset Your Body after 50
A 60th birthday and a type II diabetes diagnosis motivated Paul Rosol to make a change.
By The Editors of Men's Health
Things had gotten away from Paul Rosol. He was still active, playing pickleball with his wife making it to the gym, but it wasn't doing enough to offset the diet and sedentary lifestyle for the 60 year old from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Then the Type II Diabetes came. Now, with his first grandkid just arrived and encouragement from his physician son, Paul needed to get things back in check. Beyond 'in-check', even. He wanted to flourish. He'd lost his own father to a heart attack when he was seventeen. His dad was 56. He was all too aware of not wanting to miss out. "As I grew older, I became more nervous, but I never did anything to ensure my longevity," he says. "I've never been able to control my eating—when I play cards, my hand's always in the snack bowl. I'm a personal chef on the side and do catering with my wife, so food is everywhere."
Nick Onken
So the auditor for a local clothing company set to work with renewed discipline and rigor to get his health back in order, and with an assist from his trainer and nutritionist at Life Time.
Adapting a fitness and nutrition regimen to a serious health issue like Type II diabetes requires some finessing and fine tuning, and an extra level of care. He'd cut his regular calorie intake from over 2,2000 a day down to 1,339 when he started the program in November.
"I hit a plateau in December," Rosol says. "I kept losing and gaining the same two pounds." So he met with his trainer, who suggested increasing his carbohydrates on cardio days. That diet change, coupled with a slightly more challenging fitness routine, helped him break through. Rosol says he's lost almost 40 pounds. The tape doesn't lie either. He's down 5 ¾ inches around his midsection and 4 ½ inches around his hips.
His greatest challenge, Rosol says, is adapting what he and his wife cook together. They've had to overhaul many of their carbohydrate-heavy favorites to his more protein-centric plan. "We love pancakes," he says. "Now we make a Greek yogurt pancake with very little flour." Dinner is chicken, fish, or pork, with roasted broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or cabbage. It's somewhat rigid, he admits, but it's working.
"Paul started out at 40 percent body fat, but dropped to 33.7 percent body fat by the end of the challenge," says his Life Time trainer Kirk McFarland. "He trains with me Monday through Friday around 5 or 5:30 in the morning, when most people are still in bed sleeping."
[Related: Build muscle and get lean with Men's Health Muscle After 40 training guide.]
What motivates him to step inside the gym at 5:00 a.m. every morning? "I'm so mad at myself for getting the way that I did over the years. I don't want to do that to myself again."
"I bought a dress shirt four years ago that I liked, but I could never button the bottom two buttons because the shirt was too tight," says Rosol. "I'm wearing that shirt right now."
Drop those Later in Life Pounds
If you're a motivated big guy, like Rosol, Kirk McFarland, C.P.T.-N.A.S.M., N.S.C.A., C.N., of Life Time Eden Prairie recommends these strategies to get your weight loss going again:
Start with Safe Exercises
After 25 years on the couch, Rosol couldn't just jump into hard-core workouts. So McFarland started him with basic moves that are unlikely to lead to injuries, like plank, bird-dog, and rotator-cuff exercises to strengthen his spine and shoulder joints. For metabolic conditioning, he did medicine-ball slams and rowing. These moves build strength without overloading your muscles.
Throw in Some Changeups
Rosol worked out six days a week, alternating a day of fast-paced weight training and body-weight work with a day of interval-style cardio on a treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, and rower. This approach stimulates muscle growth one day and ramps up your heart rate the next.
Rosol wanted to do more training—but he didn't want an injury. The solution: A few evenings a week, he hit the gym again, solely to walk on a treadmill "to get some additional calorie expenditure," says McFarland. It's an easy, safe way to slide more activity into your life without risk.
Eat for Weight Loss, and Your Life
Losing weight and managing a medical diet can be a challenge, but it's possible with some of these tips from Kirk McFarland of Life Time Eden Prairie.
Get Tested for Diabetes
Weight loss for diabetics is different than for non diabetics. If you're diabetic, you have to pay particular attention to carbohydrates, especially empty carbs devoid of fiber and stuffed with sugar. That means replacing foods like white bread, white pasta, soda, and candy bars with non-starchy vegetables and fruit. Consult your physician, as lower-carb nutrition plans may alter the need for medication.
Eat More Cabbage
The cruciferous vegetable offers a ton of fiber, nutrients, and disease-fighting antioxidants for minimal calories. For a simple slaw, thinly slice and combine with a splash of red-wine vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Or chop and toss into a chicken stir fry.
Fear Not the Pig
A lot of people skip pork and opt for chicken because they think pork fat is bad. Well, when you're on a low-carbohydrate diet, you need to makeup for the lost calories (and not be hungry all the time) with fat.
THE BEFORE
Body Fat: 40%
His markers for diabetes—A1C, glucose fasting—are all down to the extent that his doctor believes he'll be able to ease off his medication. He uses his asthma inhalers less.
The Editors of Men's Health The editors of Men's Health are your personal conduit to the top experts in the world on all things important to men: health, fitness, style, sex, and more.
More From Weight Loss Transformations
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What are some tips for making the most of a coding bootcamp? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.
Start Strong. This depends on what your goal is for going to a coding bootcamp, but I'll assume for now that it's to get a job as a software engineer. One of the biggest things I've seen in outcomes at Fullstack is that attending the program acts as a multiplier of your skills/knowledge. In many ways, the stronger your programming foundation is when you start, the more you'll get out of the course. Because instructors have such deep expertise, and there's so much theoretical runway for the open-ended projects you build, you want to be as technically strong as possible when starting. So the advice here is, over-prepare for the admissions process, then invest heavily in the pre-course work.
Use a technology (even if it's just a single JS library) that's not explicitly covered in the curriculum of the coding bootcamp. While building the project, this forces you to learn a new technology (an important skill to have a developer). You can then talk about that in interviews, which will impress companies and give them confidence that you'll be able to learn on the job (which you'll always have to do).
Write/blog as much as you can about your learning. My theory here is that we're able to hold abstract and complex thoughts in our mind but writing forces us to serialize those to paper. That serialization process engages a separate part of your mind and is extremely useful for retention.
Teach others. I can't say how much teaching is a secret weapon to learning. If you spend time teaching others (in your class, among your friends) or giving talks, you'll grow very quickly.
Teaching is to learning what hackathons are to MVPs; it forces you to focus on what's important quickly.
Work on a side project where you do everything you learned again.
Startups: What is some advice for engineers who want to work in the startup world as opposed to big companies?
Computer Programming: How can anyone overcome programming frustration?
Programming Bootcamps: How is Fullstack Academy different from other coding bootcamps?


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DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History
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Kruger Museum
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Tswaing Meteorite Crater
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