Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China, as well as Greece, North Macedonia, and, briefly, England and France.
The types of cormorants used differ based on the location. In Gifu, Japan, the Japanese cormorant (P. capillatus) is used; Chinese fishermen often employ great cormorants (P. carbo). Darters (anhinga), which are very close relatives of cormorants, are also used for this fishing technique on occasion.
To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird’s throat. This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, but the birds can swallow smaller fish. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has the bird spit the fish up. Though cormorant fishing once was a successful industry, its primary use today is to serve the tourism industry.
On this day, 10 December 2006, former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet, died. His regime, which swept into power after a bloody 1973 coup and saw thousands of radicals, trade unionists and others rounded up and executed, was enthusiastically supported by both British and American governments.
He was close friends with Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (with whom he is pictured), and when Spain tried to extradite Pinochet from Britain to face trial for torture and murder, Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw ruled that he should not be extradited.
He was allowed to return freely to Chile where he was immune from prosecution. And although he was stripped of his immunity in 2004 and charged with multiple counts of kidnapping, torture and murder, he died before being convicted or punished.
The recent working class rebellion in Chile, provoked by an increase in the price of the Santiago subway, has developed into an enormous uprising demanding the abolition of Chile’s Pinochet-era constitution, which is still in effect. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1289003097951504/?type=3
Bronze votives in the form of figurines of gods, men, and animals were popular temple gifts in the First Millennium Egypt. This example depicts a priest standing before an ibis, sacred bird of Thoth. The priest has a shaven head and wears a long robe.
This bronze statue may have been offered in the temple of Thoth at Hermopolis or one of the numerous sites sacred to this god. The cult of Thoth, god of learning, wisdom, medicine, and writing was popular in pharaonic Egypt. The wooden base is original.
Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 332-30 BC. Now in the Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts. 1947.8
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