Land,Labor, and Indigenous Response: Huaquechula (Mexico), 1521–1633

During New Spain's early colonial period, the Crown pursued a seemingly contradictory policy of exploiting and protecting its indigenous subjects. On a continuum of possible responses, many indigenous peoples chose to appeal to the Crown to defend their interests against arbitrary abuse by Spanish settlers. Based on early colonial-period documents, this article focuses on the case of Huaquechula, a town with deep prehispanic roots in the fertile Valley of Altixco, to describe its attempts to fend off land encroachment and excessive demands for labor. It is suggested that, by using rhetorical strategies that resonated with the Crown, in conjunction with a combination of characteristics specific to it, Huaquechula's attempts were relatively successful.     

Elasmosaurs (Sauropterygia,Plesiosauria) from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian), Argentina

O’Gorman, J.P., Salgado, L., Varela, J., & Parras, A., 2013. Elasmosaurs (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian), Argentina. Alcheringa 37, 257–265. ISSN 0311-5518.

Elasmosaur postcranial remains from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian), Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina, are described. The new material has small dimensions and caudal vertebrae with parapophyses strongly projected laterally—characters shared with some Elasmosauridae indet. from the coeval Allen Formation, Río Negro Province, Argentina. These features reinforce the similarities between the plesiosaur faunas to the north and south of the Somún Curá Plateau. The small size of these elasmosaurs may be palaeoecologically related to the marginal marine depositional environment of the sedimentary host rocks.

José P. O’Gorman [joseogorman@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar], División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina and [CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas)]; Leonardo Salgado [salgadoleito@yahoo.com.ar], Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Isidro Lobo y Belgrano, 8332 General Roca, Argentina and [CONICET]; Julio Varela [julioadrianvarela@hotmail.com], and Ana Parras [aparras@exactas.unlpam.edu.ar], INCITAP (CONICET-UNLPam), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Uruguay 151, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. Received 27.7.2012; revised 19.10.2012; accepted 27.10.2012.     

Reconstruction of a country estate in Prussia,Pomerania (now Poland), 1861–1945

SUMMARY: Most of the estates in Pomerania, Germany (now West Poland), were completely destroyed by the end of World War II (WWII). One of these estates belonged to our great-grandfather, and thereafter to the eldest son and a grandson; three generations lived in the house from 1861 to 1945. An inventory compiled in 1941 by the wife of the third owner has survived; the contents of the entire house, some with their ownership attached, enabled us to divide 80 years of occupation into three phases. This unusual but precise record, together with unpublished family histories, personal memories, and a few photos and documents made it possible to reconstruct the house and revive the history of these three generations in Daber-Freiheit.