Revisiting the Epipalaeolithic-Neolithic Transition in the Extreme NW of Africa: The Latest Results of the Chronological Sequence of the Cave of Kaf Taht el-Ghar (Tétouan,Morocco)

African Archaeological Review - This study focuses on the chronostratigraphic sequence of the Cave of Kaf Taht el-Ghar (Dar Ben Karrich, Tétouan, Morocco) excavated in 2012 in the framework of...     

Construction,labor organization,and feasting during the Late Archaic Period in the Central Andes

Recent data from the site of Cerro Lampay, a Late Archaic Period compound in central Peru, sheds light on the role of ritual and architectural construction in the emergence of social complexity in the Central Andes. Excavations at this site have provided a detailed documentation of the building process that ended in the entombment of architectural compounds, including a remarkable sequence of construction events preceded by the processing and consumption of foodstuffs. There was not a single, large-scale construction event, but several small-scale events that were accompanied by consumption activities. This pattern strongly suggests a permanent reinforcement of ties and commitments through feasting, which was required in order to finish the construction process. This scenario supports the idea of emerging leadership capable of mobilizing labor for the construction requirements. Nevertheless, the reliance on feasting as ritual practices, and the small scale of these events, suggests a limited power capacity and a weakly formalized authority, which needed to be constantly reinforced through the inferred ritual practices.     

Geographie heute

Im STANDORT 3/1999 haben Heiner Monheim, Maike Schwarte und Christoph Winkelk?tter im Vorfeld des 52. Deutschen Geographentags in Hamburg die Ergebnisse von 60 Expertengespr?chen zum Perspektivenwechsel in der deutschen Geographie vorgestellt. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag werden diese Befunde durch weitere Prim?r- und Sekund?ranalysen erg?nzt, die im Rahmen einer Sonderveranstaltung “Zur Lage der Geographie in Deutschland” beim Geographentag vorgestellt und diskutiert wurden. Die Grundlage bilden Arbeiten von Studierenden der Universit?t Trier im Rahmen eines Forschungspraktikums und einer Projektstudie. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag wird ein Auszug der wichtigsten Ergebnisse der Studien und der Podiumsdiskussion in Hamburg vorgestellt. Das Projekt wurde durch die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geographie mit 5000 DM gef?rdert. Der DVAG hat die Projekte durch logistische Hilfe bei den Befragungen und durch Gespr?chsbereitschaft bei den Diskussionen aktiv unterstützt.     

Educating geographers in Spain: geography teaching renewal by implementing the European Higher Education Area

This article discusses the current state of the geography discipline in Spanish Universities after putting into action the European Higher Education Area. After decades of geography teaching, following theoretical and expository discourse models, the so-called Bologna Process has been a great opportunity to reflect what geography should be taught, how geography should be taught and why geography should be taught. Aspects such as competences, employability, learning methodologies, assessment, Geographical Information Systems domain have been incorporated into the renewal of geography teaching in Spanish higher education, which has contributed to the strengthening of geography in a context of geospatial technologies revolution and public awareness of spatial challenges.     

The Political Economy of Unemployment Insurance based on Individual Savings Accounts: Lessons from Chile

In recent years, unemployment protection systems based on individual savings have been instituted in several developing countries. Chile was one of the first to establish such a system, which at the time was widely cited as a model for other countries. This article discusses the particular political context in which the Chilean system was created before examining how it works in terms of coverage and levels of benefits received by unemployed workers. The authors undertake a detailed analysis of the administrative data produced by the system and conclude that the insurance covers only a small proportion of the unemployed, as most workers generally had precarious jobs that did not allow them to contribute to the system consistently. The Chilean case illustrates how difficult it is to establish functioning unemployment insurance in developing countries with precarious labour markets. Based on the interaction between employment characteristics and the conditions imposed by the benefit system, the article assesses the efficacy of the Unemployment Insurance Savings Accounts (UISA) system and analyses whether it can indeed serve as a model for other developing countries.