Environmental Adaptations
Zulu:
1. The environment that the Zulu inhabited is in Southeast Africa in a region that is well-watered and around the coast where they have warm temperatures, high rainfall, and lower river valleys. This allowed for long growing seasons but as you get closer to interior the growing season becomes shorter. It is a subtropical area that is also semi-fertile. Temperatures are between 65 and 85 and it can get wet and humid during winter seasons.
2. A physical adaptation of the Zulu would be there dark skin. It protects them from the sun that is constantly radiating UV rays that can damage cells of the body. Since they live in the savanna they must have dark colored skin to keep at homeostasis. Here you can see how the sun can be a danger since it is always beaming on them.
3: A cultural adaptation would be the clothing they wear. One article of clothing in particular would be the hats they wear. They are made from grass and worn by women to protect from the harsh sun. They are called izicolo for men it is made out of leopard skin and signifies marriage for men and women.
4. I would say they are part of the black race. There adaptation has led them to be grouped up with everyone with black skin which comes from the environmental adaptation of living in the savanna with the sun always above you during the day.
5. The environmental adaptations people go through also end up influencing what race they are a part of. Race is another way of describing people of look similar but that only comes from people who have had to adapt and change the way they look because of the environment around them. Anthropologists should go off of environmental adaptation since it gives a better understand of what is happening rather than making it easy to categorize people.
Andean Indians:
1: The average temperature would be about 64 F and during winter it is dry and the temperature averages less than 52 F. It is a tropical region with tons of mountains and canyons. It has high plains and fertile river valleys.
2: The Andean Indians have a very interesting environmental adaptation. Since they live at high altitude there red blood cells can carry more oxygen since the air at high altitude is so thin. They can breathe at the same rate as someone at sea level but their bodies can deliver oxygen more efficiently.
3: To culturally adapt and live on the mountains they made terraces. These are giant steps along the mountain that were flat and make it easier to work. This made it possible to farm on the steep topography of the mountains.
4: I would put them in the race of American Indians since they are from South America which is part of America. Indian from all over America can be put in this race since they deal with somewhat similar environmental challenges and they look similar in that they have tanned skin that is not black but also not white.
5: For the Andean Indians there physical and cultural adaptations do not have that much to do with race. Race is used to group people who look similar up but in this situation it is very broad definition that does not really help since Indians in North America can have different culture and environment that South American Indians since they live in the mountains. Anthropologists should not use race but rather the cultures adaptations to their environment to categorize cultures. Race which is categorizing by appearance has much less explanatory power.
Sources:
https://www.southafrica.net/na/en/travel/article/zulu-culture-and-cattle-symbolism
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Zulu.html
https://nicharry.com/blogs/blog/traditional-south-african-clothing
https://lacgeo.com/andes-mountains-andean-region
https://www.paho.org/cub/dmdocuments/RED%20VIV%20Andes%20Mountain%20Climate..pdf
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/high-altitude-adaptations-evolution#:~:text=The%20Andeans%20adapted%20to%20the,people%20at%20sea%20level%20do.
Zulu:
ReplyDeleteOverall, good description of the environment, but hesitate to be more explicit in terms of the key environmental stresses that shape this culture, i.e., solar radiation stress and heat stress.
Yes, darker skin is an important physical adaptation to high levels of solar radiation, but again, that's why this stress should have been highlighted in your first paragraph.
Okay on the hats, but is this for everyday use or just ceremonial? If ceremonial, they aren't really and adaptation to an environmental stress. How about their housing structures as a cultural adaptation?
I agree with your choice of race.
(Summary was for the end.)
Andean:
A little generic here. The Andean culture experiences at least three specific environmental stresses: High altitude, cold stress and solar radiation stress. Those should have been identified specifically.
Yes, good description of their physical adaptation to address high altitude stress... but again, that is why it was important to identify this stress in your first paragraph.
Excellent example of a cultural adaptation in terracing.
Definitely "Indians". Is "American" necessary?
Summary: "Race which is categorizing by appearance has much less explanatory power. "
And that sentence is key here. Race *categorizes* humans, like sorting crayons into different colors. That doesn't help *explain* that appearance or the presence of any other adaptation, physical or cultural. The environmental approach *explains* how and why traits exist so we can understand this culture, not just describe it. Good.
Sorry... in the first line, that should read "don't hesitate".
DeleteGood afternoon, Great blog post! and those are some beautiful pictures as well! I liked how you mentioned the clothing that the Zulu wear to adapt their bodies to the high heats as well as their skin tone, Thats one of their traits that helps them as well. For the Andeans I also liked how you mention that they built stairs on their mountains so it would be easier for them to work and travel considering they are at high altitude that is a big help for them good job mentioning that!
ReplyDeleteHi Augustos!
ReplyDeleteTo Start off with your blog post I do like to mention that for your Zulu post I appreciate this piece, "izicolo for men it is made out of leopard skin and signifies marriage for men and women," (Ornelas). It points out that hats are not only to help reduce damage from the sun, overheating, and stress from such, but it is worn as accessories to show proof of class and marital status for some. While practical for sun protection, it indicates other things while also using leopard skin, as a way to respect the animal they had killed in order to use all their parts.
For the Andeans, the man made steps for agriculture due to the topography of the Andes Mountains is something I didn't even see in my own research, so thank you for showing that today. The more you think about it, of course this method of excavation for agriculture and crops makes sense, though it still fascinates me how they culturally adapted to their surroundings to benefit from the location they live.
I would agree that (in regards to the Andean Indians) their physical and cultural adaptations are removed from their race. One perspective I appreciate (and have now taken into consideration after reading your post) is the idea that race in this context isn't very useful because of the differences that stem between groups that would be considered the same race. I also agree with your closing point on how anthropologists should use cultural adaptations over race to explain/learn about/categorize cultures because I believe it's more effective for the reasons you stated (along with a few additional reasons).
ReplyDeleteHey Augusto,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading the blog post. I didn't know the headwear for the Zulu is used for a woman's marital status. It's like having a two-in-one special of using the headwear as a means to keep the sun off their skin and as a cultural adaptation. I wonder if they are also used a social status symbol as well. The Andeans Indians altering the topography to better maneuver the terrain and make it easier to have flat grounds to farm is a genius way to adapt. And also it makes for some interesting photographs.
Hi Augusto, your blog was very organized and easy to read. And the pictures you used are beautiful. I didn't know the Zulu's headwear was used for marital status. As for the Andean Indians, I didn't know they made terraces so they could farm on steep topography.
ReplyDelete