Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Intrinsic Factors Affecting Decomposition Changes In Archaeological Head Hair From Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Kathleen Cole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post-mortem hair root degradation, and associated characteristics such as post-mortem root banding, brush-like ends, and hard keratin points, has remained a little understood phenomenon in the forensics discipline since its discovery in the 1800's. At present, the underlying causes of these characteristics are still unknown. In addition, there is no standardization for preparing samples for forensic or archaeological analysis. In this study, 1200 hairs from a total of 51 individuals (males, n = 22; females, n = 29) ranging in age from 16 to 60+ and interred at the Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt are examined microscopically …

Against The Flow: A Nineteenth Century Watermill In Central Florida, Elizabeth Chance Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small community watermills in Central Florida have gone virtually undocumented archaeologically and little is known about them except for written historical accounts. In an effort to determine how a settler in 1866 Florida would have used prior technological knowledge to design, build, and use a watermill I used a GIS predictive model to locate a previously undocumented watermill built in what is now Seminole County Florida. After the mill was located, excavations were conducted to determine the size of the mill structures, the industrial capacity of the mill, and determine the construction methods employed to build the mill.

Crafting Craft Beer Brands: An Examination Of Identity, Community, And Growth In Orlando Area Craft Breweries, Dylan Fehribach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beer is a commodity that has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia. Within the U.S., the craft beer industry has grown considerably over the last decade, accounting for 19% of all beers sales in 2014. Despite this increased market presence, craft beer marketing and production has received little anthropological consideration. To address this dearth of case studies, I consider the local craft brewery scene, or area of activity, in Orlando Florida. My 2016 ethnographic research reveals that the local craft brewery scene exhibits both variation in identity and community locations. Interactions among breweries present opportunities for local breweries …

An Anthropological Study Of Eating Perspectives, Meal Composition, And Food Choices Among Diverse Student Populations, Chelsea Daws

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis explores the factors that shape or reinforce international college students' perceptions of food. This research not only examines how cultural values affect individual nutrition and maintenance of eating behaviors, it also addresses the extent to which accessibility impacts eating behaviors. Notably, the research endeavor uses the concept of dietary habitus as an underlying directive mechanism for study. This study finds that most students experience a reduction in their fruit and vegetable intake. Another finding suggests that international students eat healthier and are more structured in comparison to domestic students if they hybridize their dietary habitus. Research findings also …

Cafeteria Culture: An Anthropological Approach To Lunchtime In A Central Florida Elementary School, Emily Herrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public school cafeterias are used by nearly 51 million children (ages 4-17) in the United States every day. With over 40% of the approximately 73 million children (ages 0-17) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), public school lunches carry resounding nutritional, social, and educational significance for their consumers. This fact, coupled with frequent media attention to school lunch food, notwithstanding, a notable lack of social scientific engagement with both students' perspectives and NSLP operators persists. Divided into two studies, this research utilizes ethnographic methods to explore students' lunchtime experiences within a Central Florida public elementary school cafeteria. Both …

Life After The Boat: Understanding The Needs Of Refugees Living In Second Reception Centers In Sicily, Russell Manzano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migration to Italy has drastically increased, with thousands of refugees traveling by sea to Sicily every month. International refugee policy is largely managed through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and although it attempts to regulate refugee assistance, immigration policy within the European Union is complex and continuously fluctuating. Upon arrival in Sicily, authorities send refugees to first reception centers, and then transfer them to second reception centers operated by local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The implementation of Italian immigration policy varies among regions; resettlement agencies often transfer refugees among centers where they receive different economic assistance, thus creating further …

An Assessment Of Trace Elements Distribution In Teeth Utilizing A Sample Group From Postclassic Lamanai: The Application Of La-Icp-Ms In Bioarchaeology And Forensics, Michelle Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trace element analysis of skeletal remains and teeth is a common research technique in biological and forensic anthropology. In particular, LA-ICP-MS has become a widely-accepted tool for analyzing and mapping the distribution of trace elements in teeth. Investigation into the relative spectral intensities and spatial distribution of thirteen trace isotopes (13C, 24Mg, 27Al, 31P, 44Ca, 47Ti, 52Cr, 55Mn, 56Fe, 66Zn, 88Sr, 138Ba, 208Pb) within teeth was undertaken using LA-ICP-MS. The total archaeological sample of teeth (N=26) was comprised of four tooth types (UCI, ULI, UPM1, and UPM2) and 18 individuals from a Postclassic Lamanai site. In preparation for analysis, teeth …

A Preliminary Assessment Of Steroid Reproductive Hormones In Archaeological Human Hair Utilizing A Modified Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa) Technique, Elisha Tisdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hair has become an invaluable resource in forensic, clinical, and bioarchaeological research. The unique interaction between the growing hair fiber, the hair follicle, and the endocrine system inundates the growing hair fiber with an incremental record of many of the discreet physiological processes of the body. Recently, a novel study by Webb et al. (2010) demonstrated that endogenous records of cortisol, the "stress hormone", are capable of being extracted from archaeological human hair through a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, thus providing insight into the "invisible" stress experiences of an individual that would otherwise not be detectable through skeletal …

A Formal Study Of Applied Ancient Water Management Techniques In The Present Water Crisis, Jesann M. Gonzalez Cruz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Many areas of the world are experiencing the effects of the water crisis. The water crisis is a widespread phenomenon whereby many regions are experiencing a shortage of water, lacking access to clean potable water. This study uses existing literature to examine the ways in which the ecological knowledge of ancient civilizations can be applied to modern water management in attempt to address the current water crisis. The literature reviewed for this study, stemming from notable books and peer reviewed journals, were published between 1882 and the present year. As part of a purposive sample, the following civilizations were chosen: …

Panorama Of Popular Haitian Music And Folklore, Jean Wilner S. St Jean

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Haitian music has been influenced by the people who lived on the island from the native before the Columbus discovered Haiti to the United States occupation. This country is rich in culture which has impacted by the Creole identity. The overview of the different kind of Haitian music by categories and subcategories from the beginning to now. The government, the religion, the social class, and population play an important role in the popularity and acceptance of certain music.

Archaeological Gis Analysis Of Raised Field Agriculture In The Bolivian Amazon, Thomas W. Lee

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Modern agricultural systems have been criticized for their detrimental effects on the environment and a general emphasis on crop yield rather than long-term sustainability. Traditional forms of agriculture may provide case-specific examples of sustainable alternatives for contemporary societies. In the seasonally inundated savannas of the Llanos de Mojos, pre-Columbian Indians piled earth into ‘large raised field platforms’ elevated high enough above the floodplain to allow crops to grow. Archaeological evidence indicates that raised field agriculture supported much larger populations than those found in the Beni today. The examination of satellite imagery has revealed more than 40,000 individual fields spread across …

Political Ecology Of Medicinal Plant Use In Rural Nepal: Globalization, Environmental Degradation, And Cultural Transformation, Emily Dovydaitis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prior to the advent of biomedicine, rural communities in Nepal relied on phytochemically active compounds in medicinal plants as their primary source of medicine; however, ethnobotanical practices have shifted over time due to economic, environmental, and sociocultural stimuli. Findings from 2016 fieldwork conducted in Dumrikharka, Nepal and Tutung, Nepal are compared to existing literature to describe the political ecology of medicinal plants in rural Nepal.

Anthropogenic climate change threatens individual plant species and ecosystem biodiversity. Globalized markets unabated by weak conservation programs place increasing demands on medicinal plants. As indigenous plants become overharvested and more difficult to access, Nepalis incorporate …

Prevalence Of Dental Pathology In A Juvenile Population From The Ancient Maya Site Of Altun Ha, Lindsey D. Lefebvre

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present research seeks to assesses the presence and prevalence of two distinct dental pathologies: linear enamel hypoplasia and caries in an ancient Maya juvenile subsample from Altun Ha, Belize spanning the Preclassic (ca. 600 B.C.) through the Terminal Classic (ca. 900 A.D.) periods. Teeth offer a remarkable wealth of information about the human experience in the past. Developmental and post-eruption pathology can provide insight into cultural and evolutionary processes by illuminating social and biological factors such as diet, weaning, illness, and overall health that manifest in observable changes to the composition of teeth. In addition, growth and developmental stages …

Gis Analysis Of Obsidian Artifacts Distribution At Holtun From The Preclassic Through The Classic Periods., Melvin Guzman Piedrasanta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nature of social organization at an archaeological site can be interpreted from many types of material remains. Exotic goods are particularly useful for making inferences about social organization because of their scarcity, utilitarian demand, and symbolic characteristics. Obsidian artifacts are some of the most abundant exotic goods among the Lowland Maya. The acquisition of these artifacts was the result of a wide net of commerce from the highlands of Guatemala and central Mexico into the Maya lowlands. The patterns of consumption and distribution of obsidian artifacts vary according the time and location. This variation is seen as the result …

The Effects Of Hegemonic Support Of Endangered Languages On Language Ideologies, Christy Box

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Endangered languages are those that are spoken by a very small percentage of the population and are at risk of disappearing with all the knowledge and diversity they contain. Endangered languages often become endangered because the speakers and the society perceive the language as low status or of little use, and a positive change in perception of the language could aid in revitalizing the language. Institutions such as governments, businesses, and universities have recently begun supporting endangered languages in several areas, and this support could greatly affect language ideologies, perceptions of and attitudes about the language. In this research project, …