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Chuj (bathhouse)
A chuj is a traditional Mayan bathhouse. It is a sweat bath or steam bath. Traditional chuj had stone walls and live sod roofs. Today, some chuj are made out of adobe bricks or cinder blocks instead. Each family would build their own chuj near their house. A chuj has no windows. Inside, the bathers heat rocks until they are hot. Then they throw water onto the rocks to make steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv .... The bathers lie down on wooden beds. Users believe that the chuj cleans the body, spirit, and mind. References Hygiene Society of Guatemala {{architecture-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mayan Civilization
The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from Ancient history, antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by Maya architecture#Pyramids and temples, its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Americas. The civilization is also noted for Maya art, its art, Maya architecture, architecture, Maya numerals, mathematics, Maya calendar, calendar, and Maya astronomy, astronomical system. The Maya civilization developed in the Maya Region, an area that today comprises southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador. It includes the Mayan Lowlands, northern lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula and the Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Sierra Madre, the Mexican state of Chiapas, southern Guatemala, El Salvador, and the southern lowlands of the Pacific littoral plain. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Public Bathing
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other criteria. In addition to their hygienic function, public baths have also been social meeting places. They have included saunas, massages, and other relaxation therapies, as are found in contemporary day spas. As the percentage of dwellings containing private bathrooms has increased in some societies, the need for public baths has diminished, and they are now almost exclusively used recreationally. History Indus Valley Civilization Some of the earliest public baths are found in the ruins in of the Indus Valley civilization. According to John Keay, the "Great Bath, Mohenjo-daro, Great Bath" of Mohenjo-daro, Mohenjo Daro in present-day Pakistan was the size of 'a modest municipal swimming pool', complete with stairs leading down to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steam Bath
A steam bath is a steam-filled room or steam-filled cabinet designed for the purpose of relaxation and holistic treatment. Steam baths have been formally recognized since ancient Greek and Roman times, yet variations can be found throughout the Middle East, Asia, Mesoamerica, and Northern Africa. The Greeks developed early vapor baths called ''laconica'' in Sparta, while the Roman variation was referred to as thermae, the most famous of which is located in Bath, England, and was founded in the first century AD. Regardless of location, steam baths serve as gathering places, centers for relaxation, and places for ritualistic practice. Steam baths have historically been operated through various forms of technology, from Roman hypocaust systems to pipes designed to transport geothermal water. History The Romans developed the first recognized steam baths, which became prevalent throughout the Roman Empire. Ancient Roman baths served many community and social functions within Roman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adobe
Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of earthen construction, or various architectural styles like Pueblo Revival or Territorial Revival. Most adobe buildings are similar in appearance to cob and rammed earth buildings. Adobe is among the earliest building materials, and is used throughout the world. Adobe architecture has been dated to before 5,100 BP. Description Adobe bricks are rectangular prisms small enough that they can quickly air dry individually without cracking. They can be subsequently assembled, with the application of adobe mud to bond the individual bricks into a structure. There is no standard size, with substantial variations over the years and in different regions. In some areas a popular size measured weighing about ; in other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cinder Block
A concrete block, also known as a cinder block in North American English, breeze block in British English, or concrete masonry unit (CMU), or by #Naming, various other terms, is a standard-size rectangular block used in building construction. The use of blockwork allows structures to be built in the traditional masonry style with layers (or courses) of staggered blocks. Concrete blocks may be produced with hollow centers (cores) to reduce weight, improve building insulation, insulation and provide an interconnected void into which concrete can be poured to solidify the entire wall after it is built. Concrete blocks are some of the most versatile building material, building products available because of the wide variety of appearances that can be achieved using them. Naming Those that use cinders (fly ash or bottom ash) as an Aggregate (composite), aggregate material are called ''cinder blocks'' in the United States. They are also known as ''breeze blocks'', a term deriv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is invisible; however, wet steam, a visible mist or aerosol of water droplets, is often referred to as "steam". When liquid water becomes steam, it increases in volume by 1,700 times at standard temperature and pressure; this change in volume can be converted into work (physics), mechanical work by steam engines such as reciprocating engine, reciprocating piston type engines and steam turbines, which are a sub-group of steam engines. Piston type steam engines played a central role in the Industrial Revolution and modern steam turbines are used to generate more than 80% of the world's electricity. If liquid water comes in contact with a very hot surface or depressurizes quickly below its vapor pressure, vapour pressure, it can create a steam exp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hygiene
Hygiene is a set of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refers to maintaining the body's cleanliness. Hygiene activities can be grouped into the following: home and everyday hygiene, personal hygiene, medical hygiene, sleep hygiene, and Food safety, food hygiene. Home and every day hygiene includes hand washing, respiratory hygiene, food hygiene at home, hygiene in the kitchen, hygiene in the bathroom, laundry hygiene, and medical hygiene at home. And also environmental hygiene in the society to prevent all kinds of bacterias from penetrating into our homes. Many people equate hygiene with "cleanliness", but hygiene is a broad term. It includes such personal habit choices as how frequently to take a shower or bath, wash hands, trim Nail (anatomy), fingernails, and wash clothes. It also includes atte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
