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An Analysis Of Pottery From Western North Carolina Using Pxrf, Mark Pifer
An Analysis Of Pottery From Western North Carolina Using Pxrf, Mark Pifer
Anthropology Theses
Pottery samples recovered from this area and representing five different types (Burke, Pisgah, Connestee, Cowan’s Ford, and Hybrid Pisgah-Burke) were analyzed using pXRF data to examine the potential geochemical subgroups among these pottery types. Principal Components Analysis was used as the primary method to explore geochemical groupings and their characteristics. Five separate geochemical group were defined that generally correspond to the sherd types included and regions in which the sherds are likely to have been constructed. The inclusion of a high number of Burke sherds in two of these groups points toward close association of these sites. Sherds showing both …
Bridging Spaces: An Ethnographic Study Of Transnational African Art In Atlanta, Bukunmi Kehinde Bifarin
Bridging Spaces: An Ethnographic Study Of Transnational African Art In Atlanta, Bukunmi Kehinde Bifarin
Anthropology Theses
Transnational routes of exchange include the flow of materials often embedded within a range of social relations and cultural processes. This research examines the representation and circulation of art and artifacts from parts of Africa within Atlanta, a major metropolis in Georgia, United States. Using ethnographic research methods, I investigate cultures of patronage, acquisition, curation, and exhibition of African art within select art organizations in Atlanta, using a small-scale African art gallery as a case study. The study reveals the complex social dynamics and negotiations surrounding engagements with transnational African art across institutional contexts in Atlanta. My findings also show …
More Than Words: An In-Depth Examination Of Materiality In Ms Junius 11 And Manuscript Digitization, Allie M. Hayes
More Than Words: An In-Depth Examination Of Materiality In Ms Junius 11 And Manuscript Digitization, Allie M. Hayes
Anthropology Theses
Materiality is a significant component of medieval manuscript studies, but there is little research that approaches the subject from an anthropological-archaeological perspective. This project examines the Junius Manuscript (Bodleian Library MS. Junius 11) from its initial creation to its modern-day digitization. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection, this archaeological approach constructs the manuscript’s life story. Examination of material interventions within the manuscript, such as holes, writing/notations, and creases offers insight into what material traces are left behind on manuscripts and what these can tell us about human interactions in relation to the object. In addition, this thesis …
The Impact Of Obesity In Estimating Age-At-Death: An Analysis Of Senescence Of Features On The Auricular Surface, Dawson W. Lamb
The Impact Of Obesity In Estimating Age-At-Death: An Analysis Of Senescence Of Features On The Auricular Surface, Dawson W. Lamb
Anthropology Theses
Forensic anthropologists are commonly tasked with constructing a biological profile when attempting to identify an individual based on skeletal remains. During this process, age estimation is commonly accomplished by scoring the auricular surface of the os coxae. However, extrinsic factors such as obesity can influence the morphology of skeletal elements such as the auricular surface. In a sample of 151 individuals from the Bass Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, three age groups (30-49, 50-64, and 65-80) and both biological sexes were examined, and their sacroiliac joints scored, using the Buckberry & Chamberlain system. This research attempts to expand …
American Essentialism, Weirdo Habitus, And The Tensions Of Queer Performativity, Michael-Anthony Claytor
American Essentialism, Weirdo Habitus, And The Tensions Of Queer Performativity, Michael-Anthony Claytor
Anthropology Theses
From April to September 2023, I conducted ethnographic research on the experience of performing queer sexuality in the metro-Atlanta area with self-identified queer adults (ages 21 – 31). This thesis focuses on the performative tensions between notions of selfhood and their associated aesthetics that are present in the lives of this study’s participants. In performing sexual identity, these Atlantans create notions of queer sexuality which rely on what I call American essentialism – an ethnopsychological paradigm that sees individuals as possessing innate essences – and “weirdo habitus,” an embodied disposition towards things considered strange. These framings allow for legible expression …
No Easy Path: A Ground-Penetrating Radar Investigation Of The Historic Penfield Cemetery., Robert Paul Theberge
No Easy Path: A Ground-Penetrating Radar Investigation Of The Historic Penfield Cemetery., Robert Paul Theberge
Anthropology Theses
Numerous historic cemeteries in the rural American South currently face deterioration due to natural and human elements. Those founded by enslaved African American communities are particularly vulnerable due to historical inequities, and to events affecting Black populations after emancipation. Rediscovery of these sites prompts inquiries into best practices for their preservation and revitalization. Tools such as Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), have proven valuable in addressing preliminary questions essential for effective cemetery preservation efforts. This thesis employs GPR to assess the number and distribution of burials in the historically segregated African American section of the Penfield Cemetery in Greene County, Georgia. Following …
Postmortem Interval Estimation Within The Context Of Adipocere Formation, Emily Fields
Postmortem Interval Estimation Within The Context Of Adipocere Formation, Emily Fields
Anthropology Theses
Adipocere is the transformed adipose tissue of a corpse into a wax-like substance. It is known for preserving soft tissue and subsequently obscuring the post-mortem interval (PMI) in a forensic context. The ideal conditions in which adipocere forms on human remains are generally considered to be in warm, moist, alkaline environments. However, these conditions can be highly variable. A searchable database is modeled here as a system for tracking forensic and experimental cases involving adipocere and using those findings to establish minimum PMI estimate for cases of unknown PMI. Test studies are experimentally run to validate the precision of the …
Applied Anthropological Perspectives On The Use Of Art Therapy And Creative Expression For Adults In Georgia, Juel Ables
Applied Anthropological Perspectives On The Use Of Art Therapy And Creative Expression For Adults In Georgia, Juel Ables
Anthropology Theses
This research project will show how adults use art therapy and creative expression to cope with difficult emotions and stressful situations. Scholars have argued the importance of mediating stress in the human body, citing damage to a person’s mind and body after prolonged exposure to stress. Furthermore, researchers have cited the importance and helpfulness of creative engagements to cope and mediate stress. In addition, this research will show how public policies affect access to resources for art therapists and for patients of art therapists. Research methods included conducting in-depth interviews and autoethnography.
Paleoindian And Early Archaic Hunter-Gatherer Landscape Use: A Case Study From The Brier Creek Drainage In Burke County, Georgia, Quinn Connally
Paleoindian And Early Archaic Hunter-Gatherer Landscape Use: A Case Study From The Brier Creek Drainage In Burke County, Georgia, Quinn Connally
Anthropology Theses
Artifact collections in museum repositories and those held by private individuals are numerous. Often these collections are analyzed and then reshelved by curators. In the case of private collections, the artifacts are assembled through purchase, avocational field work, or by hobbyists and can have limited or provenience. Despite this, these collections are valuable to current and future scholarship in archaeology. In this thesis I investigate and summarize three different legacy collections and groups of data that have limited and disparate information known about them yet were all sourced from the same general location of Burke County, Georgia. Each collection contains …
The Image Bank: Reflections On An Incomplete Archive, Anuolapo Boluwatife Oluleye
The Image Bank: Reflections On An Incomplete Archive, Anuolapo Boluwatife Oluleye
Anthropology Theses
This thesis examines the development of a digital archive for The Image Bank at GSU as a process of excavation and reconstruction. It defines the digital archive as a medium for the institutionalization of knowledge, its reproduction, and preservation. In addition, this thesis examines the digital archive as it operates on a continuum of materiality and immateriality, encompassing fractured distinctions between its possibilities and impossibilities in an increasingly dematerialized digitized landscape.
Teaching Truth: Grassroots Reactions To Classroom Censorship Legislation In Georgia, Emma Hugonnet
Teaching Truth: Grassroots Reactions To Classroom Censorship Legislation In Georgia, Emma Hugonnet
Anthropology Theses
Legislation known as “anti-CRT” bills swept across the United States in 2020 designed to eradicate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and oftentimes history from school curriculums. This research employs an engaged anthropological framework to explore the reactions and resistance measures employed by grassroots groups in response to the Protect Students First Act in Georgia. Data analysis utilized over 10 hours of participant observation at events during 2022-2023 in the Atlanta Metropolitan area, in-depth interviews with grassroots leaders from Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice Inc. (GAEEJ) and Teach for Freedom Collective, and surveys provided by GAEEJ on the impacts of …
Community Recovery In Eastern Kentucky After The July 2022 Flooding, Margaret L. Smith
Community Recovery In Eastern Kentucky After The July 2022 Flooding, Margaret L. Smith
Anthropology Theses
This thesis addresses the questions of how eastern Kentucky activists understand the July 2022 flooding, its impact on their lives, the lives of flood survivors, and what they and flood survivors want for the future and how eastern Kentucky are communities recovering from disaster. The goal of this research project was to collect community experiences, perspectives, and goals and to document recovery efforts. After analyzing 11 interviews with eastern Kentucky activists and participant observation data, I argue that the structural inequities related to coal mining influenced vulnerability, flood experiences, and recovery efforts. I also argue that the strong sense of …
Sexual Dimorphism Of The Second Cervical Vertebra In Humans, Morgan Paskins
Sexual Dimorphism Of The Second Cervical Vertebra In Humans, Morgan Paskins
Anthropology Theses
The pelvis and skull are frequently examined for the expression of sex-linked traits as are the humeral and femoral head dimensions. The second vertebra allows for rotation of the head, which is larger in males than in females. The axis is positioned close to other traits that have been shown to exhibit dimorphism, such as the mastoid process, gonial region, nuchal area, and the occipital protuberance. To explore which dimensions of the axis differ the most between females and males, and investigate its relationship to age, 149 individuals from the W.M. Bass Osteological Collection at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville …
Gendered Division Of Labor Among The Late Woodland Iroquois: Lithic Scrapers And Hide Production At The Simmons Site, New York, Brittany G. Hart
Gendered Division Of Labor Among The Late Woodland Iroquois: Lithic Scrapers And Hide Production At The Simmons Site, New York, Brittany G. Hart
Anthropology Theses
Among the Iroquois, hide processing is a highly gendered practice dominated by women. Due to the egalitarian structure of Iroquois villages, work is often distributed equally among individuals based on Iroquois gender roles. The village and surrounding areas are divided into spatial domains comprised of gendered controlled activities such as hide processing. Examining these domains through a task differentiation approach makes it possible to associate artifacts within the archaeological record with gendered labor division. Drawing on ethnohistoric and ethnographic data, this thesis analyzes gendered labor division at the Simmons Site, a Late Woodland Period (AD 900-1650) village in Elma, New …
The Debt I Owe: Consequences Of Criminal-Legal Debt In Metro Atlanta, Daniel A. Pizarro
The Debt I Owe: Consequences Of Criminal-Legal Debt In Metro Atlanta, Daniel A. Pizarro
Anthropology Theses
Neoliberalism alters U.S. carceral practices to extract revenue from marginalized communities. The criminal-legal system made monetary sanctions (e.g., cash bail, traffic fines, probation fees) a common practice that affects the millions of people who cycle through the system. I argue that criminal-legal debt extends punishment outside of carceral structures and creates a “revolving door” effect in which poor, racialized communities are subjected to constant incarceration. Domestic violence cases in Atlanta are a prime example of this phenomenon and illustrates the ways in which incarceration aids neoliberalism. The over policing of minority communities, and by extension the imposition of monetary sanctions, …
Increasing The Accessibility Of Archaeological Education: Exploring The Possibilities Of Inquiry-Based Pedagogy Through Collections Research, Aspen Kemmerlin
Increasing The Accessibility Of Archaeological Education: Exploring The Possibilities Of Inquiry-Based Pedagogy Through Collections Research, Aspen Kemmerlin
Anthropology Theses
Recent trends in archaeological pedagogy include the adoption of active learning models as well as courses that incorporate community and public archaeology frameworks. These shifts have primarily been centered around archaeological field schools and on-campus excavations. In contrast, despite the growing concern over legacy and orphaned collections that contribute to the “curation crisis,” less attention has been given to the potential for inquiry-based learning in lab or collections-based courses, particularly at the undergraduate level. Utilizing ethnographic methods, this study examines undergraduate experiences in introductory archaeology courses at Georgia State University (GSU). Comparing student experiences in a traditional lecture course with …
Pre-Hispanic Frailty And Mortality In The Lambayeque Valley: Wilson Bands As Evidence Of Early Life Stress, Chelsea B. Batchelder
Pre-Hispanic Frailty And Mortality In The Lambayeque Valley: Wilson Bands As Evidence Of Early Life Stress, Chelsea B. Batchelder
Anthropology Theses
Early life stress impacts frailty and is important for understanding mortality in ancient populations. Utilizing Wilson bands (WB) from enamel thin-sections, this thesis explores displays of phenotypic plasticity, early life stress between pre-Hispanic and Colonial samples, and osteobiographical accounts of individuals associated with the Formative (3200-200BCE, n=2), Late Moche (550-800CE, n=11) and Late Sicán (1100-1375CE, n=1) periods from the Ventarrón archaeological complex in northern coastal Peru. Late Moche individuals had high prevalences of WB, potentially linking low socioeconomic status to acute, episodic early childhood stress. Pre-Hispanic individuals with WB displayed greater frailty and earlier mortality than those without, indicated by …
Barriers To Abortion Access: An Ethnography Of The Clinic, Amelia Phan
Barriers To Abortion Access: An Ethnography Of The Clinic, Amelia Phan
Anthropology Theses
Abortion access is constrained at various socio-cultural levels. While policy may be the most publicized level at which abortion access is determined, barriers to access are highly influenced by a variety of phenomena, including the cultural orientations of the clinic itself. In this thesis I examine the ways that the clinical context both enhances and constrains access to abortion. In this light, the abortion clinic is studied as a dynamic actor in an individual’s pursuit of abortion, and one whose structures, protocols, and cultural orientations are not taken for granted, but rather analyzed through the lens of a praxis-oriented, critical …
Finding Lost Voices: An Archaeological Study Of Historic, African American Burial Sites In North Georgia, Ayesha Khan
Finding Lost Voices: An Archaeological Study Of Historic, African American Burial Sites In North Georgia, Ayesha Khan
Anthropology Theses
As the city of Atlanta rapidly expands, burial grounds that have been lost in history are being rapidly rediscovered. This project surveyed three historic, African American burial sites in North Georgia with the aim of documenting the sites for preservation purposes. Survey methodologies included ground-penetrating radar and ground probing. Site histories were compiled using archival data, oral history collection, and the analysis of historic maps. Ground-penetrating radar results were compared with previous surveys for verification. This work has been conducted through the framework of archaeological praxis, where the project design and implementation was conducted in consultation with local stakeholders with …
An Art Museum At The Intersection Of Science And Technology: An Anthropological Approach, Birney L. Robert
An Art Museum At The Intersection Of Science And Technology: An Anthropological Approach, Birney L. Robert
Anthropology Theses
In recent decades, museums have increasingly implemented technology, both technology to better assist in the visitor experience and technology within the art on display. This research explores the possibility for a university museum and residency program that would exhibit art intersecting with science and technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Framed as an interest study, this thesis is situated in current scholarship pertaining to museum shifts of the 21st century and draws upon my interviews with interlocutors and participant observations. I make the case that community engagement, co-curation practices and residency programs can help museums …
Filling In The Gap: A Quantitative Analysis Of Dental Restoration Types Among Body Donors Of Asian Descent At The Mann-Labrash Osteological Collection, Melissa Bernadette Romero Mccarthy
Filling In The Gap: A Quantitative Analysis Of Dental Restoration Types Among Body Donors Of Asian Descent At The Mann-Labrash Osteological Collection, Melissa Bernadette Romero Mccarthy
Anthropology Theses
The Mann-Labrash Osteological Collection at the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine houses over 230 skeletal remains amassed through the Willed Body Program. Of these donors, seventy-eight were of East and Southeast Asian American and Pacific Islander descent. This unique collection offers an exciting opportunity for skeletal analyses of these populations left understudied in the body of anthropological scientific literature. This thesis explores the dietary causes of dental disease and dental restorations from the past to the present. Additionally, macroscopic analyses and Chi-square statistical tests determined which sex cohorts utilized dental restorative prostheses in life. Also addressed …
Representations Of Southern Tourism Imaginaries And Negotiations Of Difficult History In Plantation Site Interpretation, Elizabeth C. Johnson
Representations Of Southern Tourism Imaginaries And Negotiations Of Difficult History In Plantation Site Interpretation, Elizabeth C. Johnson
Anthropology Theses
During the 20th century, wealthy Northern families purchased hundreds of Antebellum plantation estates in the Southeast, altering the meaning of the word “plantation” with profound implications for the historical memory of slavery in the South. Plantation scholars have documented how these sites were restored with re-established traditional hierarchies– a legacy that persists today. Portraying slavery through a lens of paternalism and nostalgia, the plantations reified the pre-existing social order which appraised White authority and Black servitude as natural. The symbolic capital of the post-slavery plantation is deeply intertwined with alliances of race and class, influencing which narratives prevail and which …
Chen Mul Modeled Type Effigy Censers, Maya Caves, And Their Relationship With Ritual Practices: Emerging Evidence In Quintana Roo, Mexico, Joy A. Przybyla
Chen Mul Modeled Type Effigy Censers, Maya Caves, And Their Relationship With Ritual Practices: Emerging Evidence In Quintana Roo, Mexico, Joy A. Przybyla
Anthropology Theses
Originating in Mayapan in the Late Postclassic Period (AD 1100- AD 1500) Chen Mul Modeled effigy censers quickly spread throughout the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. The part moldmade and part modeled production process created a large assortment of Maya gods readily available for assembly. Ongoing research in Quintana Roo has found several Chen Mul censers in cave shrines and altars. Caves in the Maya region have long been associated with religious rituals and activities. Chen Mul censers found in cave shrines and alters indicate what rituals took place based on the Maya god they were modeled after. Notably, …
Artifact Discard Eligibility: A Potential Alleviation To The Growing Curation Crisis, Andrew Jerome Blank
Artifact Discard Eligibility: A Potential Alleviation To The Growing Curation Crisis, Andrew Jerome Blank
Anthropology Theses
This thesis discusses current and past issues surrounding archaeological curation, often referred to in relevant literature as the “curation crisis”. Curation facilities lack the space and time to properly curate legacy collections, which in turn increases the cost necessary to curate modern collections. Some archaeologists propose discarding materials rather than curating them; however, by discarding materials from a collection the future research potential of the collection is negatively affected. In an attempt to alleviate this curation crisis while minimizing damage to future research opportunities, this thesis proposes a model for the systematic discard of certain machine-made, non-diagnostic, historical artifacts both …
Archaeological Analysis Of Built Environments At Coastal Ancient Maya Port Sites, Lindsey A. Goff
Archaeological Analysis Of Built Environments At Coastal Ancient Maya Port Sites, Lindsey A. Goff
Anthropology Theses
Archaeological research along the littoral of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has led to the discovery of hundreds of pre-contact coastal settlements. Following the work of Andrews (1990), these sites had multiple functions ranging for simple fishing villages to international port sites that facilitated long-distance, canoe-based trade. It is the latter category that I focus on in this thesis. The built environment of these port sites and the geomorphological characteristics of their surrounding coastline certainly played a critical role in the services they provided for traders. While individual site-level analyses exist, I take a broader comparative approach in order to highlight the …
Coyote- A Wily, New Emblem For The Anthropocene? Why One Of The Most Reviled Predators In North America Could Change Conservation Forever., Kimberly Myers
Coyote- A Wily, New Emblem For The Anthropocene? Why One Of The Most Reviled Predators In North America Could Change Conservation Forever., Kimberly Myers
Anthropology Theses
Human populations have grown dramatically in the last century. Animal species have responded in different ways, some adapting and exploiting human urban centers, like squirrels and raccoons. While other larger mammals, and predators specifically, are often extirpated. Since the 1970’s it is estimated the earth has lost 58% of wild vertebrate life, while humans and domesticates make up 96 % of biomass. In contrast, coyotes have thrived despite being targeted by federal wildlife agencies as a pest species, and this is why they are currently being studied by an array of scientists such as biologists, anthropologists, and ethologists. A growing …
“We’Re Still Learning And Growing”: An Ethnographic Program Evaluation Of An After-School Program For Refugee Youth, Shelby M. Anderson-Badbade
“We’Re Still Learning And Growing”: An Ethnographic Program Evaluation Of An After-School Program For Refugee Youth, Shelby M. Anderson-Badbade
Anthropology Theses
Community-based programs for refugee youth are an integral component of their adjustment to life in the US. This study is a program evaluation of an after-school enrichment program for refugee youth, conducted in partnership with a resettlement agency. It examines the ways in which community-based programs can and are currently assisting in refugees’ psychosocial adaptation and acculturation to US culture. Using qualitative participatory action research methods, this study evaluates the program from the perspective of the students. Analysis of the data collected indicates that the program has assisted refugee youth in adjusting to American life through developing meaningful social relationships, …
Enhancing The Safety Of People Who Inject Drugs: A Program Evaluation Of A Syringe Services Program In Atlanta, Megan A. Sarmento
Enhancing The Safety Of People Who Inject Drugs: A Program Evaluation Of A Syringe Services Program In Atlanta, Megan A. Sarmento
Anthropology Theses
A syringe services program (SSP) is a public health initiative designed to combat the spread of HIV and other infections among populations of people who inject drugs (PWID). These syringe exchanges adhere to a model of care called harm reduction. A common goal of these initiatives is to reduce risky behaviors by providing health care resources that are necessary for PWID to avoid disease transmission, including sterile injection equipment and much more. These treatment systems contrast practices like forced abstinence, detoxification, and rehabilitation, which are standard ways to treat PWID within the dominant Western biomedical system. This thesis research utilizes …
Role Of Civil Society Under Autocratic Regime: Evaluating Activists' Role In A Nondemocratic Setting To Promote Sociopolitical Awareness, Yanet E. Fundora
Role Of Civil Society Under Autocratic Regime: Evaluating Activists' Role In A Nondemocratic Setting To Promote Sociopolitical Awareness, Yanet E. Fundora
Anthropology Theses
Activism in Cuba is perceived as an anti-government ideology that deviates from the monolithic, homogeneous socio-political norm. The Cuban government repudiates ideological diversity by implementing repressive regulatory tactics through internet monitoring to criminalize dissenting discourse. The focus of this research will be on cyber-activism in the context of an authoritarian regime. Netnographic methods, coupled with social network framework, will be implemented to collect and analyze qualitative data on the adaptive civil disobedience strategies used by activists to circumvent censorship. Semi-structured interviews rendered insights of social media experiences to express dissent and denounce human rights abuses in Cuba. This research proposes …
Maternal Inheritance In Colonial Lambayeque, Peru, Lateefa Abel
Maternal Inheritance In Colonial Lambayeque, Peru, Lateefa Abel
Anthropology Theses
The Spanish invasion and colonization of Peru devastated indigenous Andean peoples. Violent takeovers, massacres, the spread of deadly European diseases, and imposing European morals and religion are some of the events that greatly affected indigenous Andeans adversely. The Spanish colonizers would systematically siphon as much of the local resources as possible, natural as well as human. Their greed forced together indigenous Peruvians and enslaved Africans into a brutal economic system run by European colonizers. This system involved harsh labor conditions and Catholic indoctrination to "westernize" the Native peoples. This colonial system mixed people from three continents—willingly or not—who bore individuals …