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February 27, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the February 27, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

January 30, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the January 30, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Cerrando La Brecha: Difusión Virtual De La Cultura Maya Para La Conciencia Pública Y La Preservación, Ana María Vera Arias, Dr. Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda, Brenda Marin, José Montesino

Journal of Maya Heritage

En este artículo se aborda el origen, los métodos y el resultado del ciclo de conferencias de divulgación virtual organizado por el Centro del Patrimonio Maya en colaboración con Arqueólogos sin Fronteras del Mundo Maya, esto con el objetivo de compartir conocimientos y generar conciencia sobre diversas facetas de la cultura maya. La pregunta central gira en torno a cómo se pueden comunicar efectivamente las complejidades y la rica herencia de la cultura maya a una audiencia no especializada. Como resultado, encontró que las conferencias de divulgación virtual fueron un método adecuado para ampliar el interés sobre la cultura maya …

Exploring The Pathogen Profiles Of Ancient Feces, Drew Capone, David Holcomb, Amanda Lai, Karl Reinhard, Joe Brown

Karl Reinhard Publications

Analysis of ancient desiccated feces – termed paleofeces or coprolites – can unlock insights into the lives of ancient people. We collected desiccated feces from caves in the Rio Zape Valley in Mexico (725-920 CE). First, we extracted DNA with methods previously optimized for paleofeces. Then, we applied highly sensitive modern molecular tools (i.e., PCR pre-amplification followed by multi-parallel qPCR) to assess the presence of 30 enteric pathogens. We detected ≥1 pathogen associated gene in each of the ten samples and a mean of 3.9 pathogens per sample. The targets detected included Blastocystis spp. (n=7), atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (n=7), …

Urban Security And The Crisis Of Values In A Risk Society: Elements For Reflection And Research, Bahamou Abdelilah, Abdelghani Chafik

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract: Urban security has become one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century, shaped by the complexities of modern urban life. As cities grow and evolve, they face unprecedented security challenges that transcend traditional notions of crime prevention. These challenges encompass social, cultural, economic, and psychological dimensions, deeply intertwined with societal transformations.

In the context of what sociologist Ulrich Beck refers to as the "risk society," rapid globalization, technological advancement, and cultural diffusion have disrupted traditional social values. This disruption has created environments of uncertainty and fear, where mutual trust and social cohesion are eroded. As Émile Durkheim …

Middle Chamelecon Survey Report-Site Descriptions, Edward Mark Schortman

Four Valleys Archive

No abstract provided.

Pvc Survey Report-Site Descriptions, Edward Mark Schortman

Four Valleys Archive

No abstract provided.

Pvn-Survey Report-Site Descriptions, Edward Mark Schortman

Four Valleys Archive

No abstract provided.

Lifelong Learning And Archaeological Field Schools, Ed Schortman, Pat Urban

Four Valleys Archive Scholarship

Higher education inculcates in students an enduring curiosity about the world. Accomplishing this goal requires helping undergraduates recognize that learning is a social process occurring within multiple communities of practice. Each of these collectives provides different lenses through which aspects of reality are illuminated, none encompassing all there is to know about a subject. Students thus appreciate that learning is an open-ended processes driven by a curiosity that is never satisfied. Knowledge resulting from that process is forever being refined, a project to which undergraduates can contribute. Appreciating the many ways of knowing the world requires engaging meaningfully with these …

Projectile Points Of New Mexico: 13,000 Years Of Technological Innovation, Bradley J. Vierra

Anthropology: Faculty Book Gallery

For the first time, New Mexico has a volume dedicated to all projectile point types dating from the Paleoindian through Historic period. Filled with historical details, measurements, defining attributes, age estimates, interpretations, references, and images, Projectile Points of New Mexico: 13,000 Years of Technological Innovation edited by Dr. Bradley J. Vierra and with many contributing authors and supporters, is graciously offered here courtesy of the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, who provided the grant for production costs, New Mexico State University, who was responsible for the contract, and Statistical Research, Inc., who produced the volume. There …

Military Forensic Archaeology: The Process And Recovery Of U.S. Missing-In-Action (Mia) Service Personnel, William Belcher, Luann Wandsnider, Ella N. Axelrod, Finn Kennison, Alicia Lawson

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The United States (U.S.) Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is the largest skeletal identification laboratory in the world and receives several hundred cases per year for identification related to Missing-in- Action (MIA) U.S. service members. While there are various sources for these accessions, by far the largest source is through unilateral or bilateral (done in cooperation with another governmental entity or nongovernmental organization) as well as public-private partnership excavations. While the DPAA-style military forensic archaeology follows archaeological principles and recording standards, the work is goal-oriented, evidence/trace-driven, and time-constrained— a common occurrence with cultural resource management sites …

Reassessing The Role Of Polynesian Rats (Rattus Exulans) In Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Deforestation: Faunal Evidence And Ecological Modeling, Terry L. Hunt, Carl P. Lipo

Anthropology Datasets

The role of introduced Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) in the deforestation of Rapa Nui remains a contentious issue. Several critics, including Mieth and Bork (2010), argue that rats played a negligible role compared to human impacts. We address the role of rats through three lines of evidence: (1) a response to rats-are-neglible arguments, including problematic continental analogies and misunderstandings of seed predation impacts; (2) analysis of rat remains from Anakena excavations (1986-2005) showing that rats decreased by 93% over time, contradicting claims they served as a “fallback food” following resource depletion; and (3) ecological modeling demonstrating that introduced …

Geophysics, And Capturing Ethnographic Interviews Of A Tidal Plantation Burial Ground, Kristin M. Meeuwen (Dew)

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Plantation development in Chatham County has a rich but incomplete history. Silk Hope, an Ogeechee District tidal plantation, is located seven miles from the city of Savannah on the Northern banks of the Little Ogeechee River. This project focuses on identifying the site boundaries of portions of Silk Hope Plantation and its historical background. Specifically, the project focused on delineating the boundaries of the associated cemetery and/or burial grounds, while estimating the number of individuals interred there using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Finally, collaborative work with community members, including stakeholder and descendant interviews, will provide ethnographic insights into the site's history …

The Black-Market Commodification Of Human Organs And Bones: A Marxist Perspective, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

The trade and treatment of human remains, while seemingly straightforward, have increasingly become subjects of ethical and moral debate. Over time and in light of recent events, questions have emerged regarding the appropriateness of how human remains are handled and exchanged. This paper examines these issues through the lens of Marxist framework and the perspective of forensic anthropology. The objective is to provide contextual understanding and encourage a reevaluation of current practices, particularly within academic settings, to ensure that human morals, dignity and ethical standards are upheld.

Should Human Remains Be On Display In Museums?, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

The debate of should human remains be displayed in museums, exhibits, classrooms, and other public areas has been a topic of discussion in recent years. This article aims to explore the positives and negatives of displaying remains through scientific racism, decolonization, ethics, and forensic anthropology. Although these characteristics may not always be present in a collection, they are common concerns, and they are also not the only concerns for displaying remains. The objective of examining this issue from multiple perspectives is to propose viable solutions for the ethical and appropriate display of human remains. This research will be geared more …

Anthropogenic Prairies Of The Southern Salish Sea: Ethnographic And Archaeological Landscapes, South Puget Sound, Washington., Jamey D. Taylor Ms.

All Graduate Projects

This project report has been completed to fulfill requirements of the Master of Applied Science of Cultural and Environmental Resource Management (MAS-CERM) at Central Washington University. The project models the cultural landscapes of the southern Salish Sea. These landscapes include anthropogenic prairies, travel routes (trails and roads), salmon runs, and archaeological sites. This study maps the historic boundaries of prairies and recent data sets for key plant species. The locations of prairies and indicator species are overlaid with ethnohistoric settlements, archaeological site locations, and trail systems. The spatial correlations of these data are used to interpret the prominence of anthropogenic …

Archaeological Survey And Testing At Site 38bu1834, United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, Chester B. Depratter, James B. Legg, Heathley A. Johnson

Research Manuscript Series

This report covers the archaeological investigations at site 38BU1834, which falls within the boundary of the Charlesfort/Santa Elena National Historic Landmark on Parris Island, South Carolina. Initial investigations involved a search for activity areas associated with the Spanish pottery kiln discovered in 1993 near the golf course clubhouse. Later work on the site focused on a pond or sinkhole containing a deposit of World War I era U. S. Marine Corps trash and the prehistoric period earth and shell mounds that line the periphery of the pond/sinkhole.

The Formal Garden And Fruit Wall 2019, 2021, And 2022 Field Seasons Gore Place, Waltham, Ma, Christa M. Beranek, John M. Steinberg

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

The Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at UMass Boston engaged in a multi-season examination of the formal landscape north of the mansion house at Gore Place in Waltham and Watertown, Massachusetts. The archeological work consisted of a geophysical survey of the whole area in the fall of 2019 and excavation in the summer of 2021 and 2022 focusing on the southeast corner of the formal garden and the eastern wing of the fruit wall. Excavation units covered just over 63 sq m. The excavations identified large areas where Gore period features were preserved. In the southeast corner most units were …

Archaeological Fieldwork In The El Rancho De Las Golondrinas Museum Core (La 127375), La Cienega, New Mexico: An Interim Report, Heather Trigg, Sara Jaramillo, Tara Noel, Iris Glinski

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Two-Eyed Seeing Into Shipwrecks: Maritime Microscopy In The South Carolina Lowcountry, Sara A. Rich, Kayla Raimondi, Hannah Herness

Honors College Faculty Publications

By enhancing methods for how archaeology can contribute to the study of multi-species shipwrecks (or shipwreck ecology), this paper reconsiders the function of non-functioning ships and boats from anti-colonial and Native American perspectives. In partnership with the Waccamaw Indian People and the Indigenize SC Education Task Force, wood samples from several submerged wreck sites in a blackwater tidal river in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (USA) were analyzed for their archaeological potentials and for their potential to disclose the performance of individual sites within the underwater ecosystems of which they are a part. In turn, this information offers the opportunity …

Communities Of Stone Toolmakers Along The Lower Cumberland And Tennessee Rivers, Vanessa N. Hanvey

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

Concurrently occupied between circa 8,600-8,200 cal B.P., the Canton (15Tr1), Lawrence (15Tr33), Morrisroe (15Lv156), and Whalen (15Ly48) sites have similar stone tool assemblages. Though the sites are situated close to one another within the lower Tennessee and Cumberland River watersheds, the connection between the people who occupied each site remains unclear. Extensive lithic deposits representing all stages of tool manufacture were identified at both the Canton and Lawrence sites, and previous lithic analyses show that similar raw materials were being accessed by stone toolmakers at all four sites. To investigate the relationship between the people who occupied these sites, this …

Carbon 14 Dates For Pvn And Pvc, Edward Schortman

Four Valleys Archive

No abstract provided.

The Elemental Analysis Of Groundstone Celts From Noble-Wieting Using The Pxrf: A Provenance Study, Julian A. Marvel

Theses and Dissertations

Groundstone axes, or celts, were prehistoric stone tools used for chopping, cutting, or woodworking. Made from hard stone like basalt or granite, it was shaped by grinding and polishing rather than flaking, giving it a smooth, durable surface. Celts typically have a tapered edge and were often hafted onto wooden handles or used by hand. They were common in Neolithic cultures around the world and served both practical and sometimes ceremonial purposes. In this thesis, I analyze celts from Noble-Wieting (11ML24), a 14th-century Langford tradition village in McLean County, Illinois.

Specifically, my research addresses the following questions about these groundstone …

Geographic Disparity And The Comparison Of Projectile Points In Central California, Robert Clark Newcomb

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The study of stone projectile point typology is not new. Many scholars have developed both similar and very different approaches to classifying various point types based on a wide variety of key morphological characteristics. The comparison of projectile point types and sizes from disparate regions, however, has not been widely examined. This research utilizes the classification systems of Noel Justice (Justice 2002a) and Brian Glenn (Glenn 1991) as a basis for comparing projectile point specimens from two disparate geographic regions. The first specimen collection comes from the Vandenberg Space Force Base region on the central coast of California and represents …

"An Ancient Vanished Race:" Industrial Mythistory And The Alternative Archaeology Of Lake Superior Copper, Donovan C. Murphy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis explores how the perspectives, biases, and values of Euro-Americans regarding the copper mining industry have shaped a mythology which centers Lake Superior copper in an imagined pre-Columbian global trade network. Notably, many iterations of this mythology are rooted in a rejection of Indigenous agency in the creation of these sites, ascribing them instead to a ‘vanished race’ which had surely once occupied the region. The core of this thesis is formed around a set of semi-structured interviews with representatives of regional heritage institutions and avocationalists which were conducted with the goal of identifying how and why these stories …

Migrations And Malthusian Demographics Amongst Two Pioneering Paleo-Inuit Traditions, Skyla Moyer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding the ways in which resource variability, environmental conditions, and cultural behavior impact population movements has been a central concern both within the subfield of arctic archeology and within anthropology as an overarching discipline. To provide insights into these questions in Greenlandic contexts, Saqqaq and Independence I occupation movements have been examined through an analysis of broad trends in the radiocarbon record throughout the duration of these two cultural traditions. While the ultimate goal of this analysis is to recognize patterns in occupational progressions as indicated by the radiocarbon record, the demographic and environmental forces of change involved in the …

Unveiling Legacies: Exploring And Analyzing Cultural Artifacts In The Higbee Collection, Samantha Staller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anthropology and the Cummings Center to find ways to properly analyze an archaeological collection's artifacts to understand the overall significance of everything better. Before starting my research, I came up with the following questions: Can any artifacts be considered culturally affiliated? Is everything in the collection authentic? What is the overall background of the collection? Does this collection have any connection to Ohio history? Can anything in the collection be dated? Throughout the research, I will create an Excel inventory list to include qualitative and quantitative data from the artifacts to give insight into what is included in the Higbee …

Territory And Border Dynamics Among Small Pre-Hispanic Polities In Western Chiapas, Mexico, Antonio Martinez Tunon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation examines the concept of territory in premodern polities, challenging modern assumptions that territory is a static or obsolete notion in the face of globalization. It critiques the conventional Westphalian model of state sovereignty, emphasizing that premodern political entities often exhibited flexible, overlapping territorial arrangements rather than fixed, linear boundaries. By analyzing territorial organization in premodern societies, this research explores the historical evolution of territoriality, identifying continuities and transformations over time.

Drawing from archaeology, anthropology, and historical geography, the research investigates how different societies have defined and maintained territorial control based on factors such as political authority, economic resources, …

The Maritime Archaic Occupation Of The Stock Cove Site (Ckal-3), Newfoundland, Canada, Dana M. Keil

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The Stock Cove site (CkAL-3), located on the southeastern coast of Newfoundland, is an archaeologically rich multi-component site. The Maritime Archaic (ca. 8,000-3,200 BP) culture was the earliest people to inhabit the island of Newfoundland and the Stock Cove site, settling the island by at least 6,400 years ago. Their ability to maintain lithic traditions was key to their success. Finding new sources of lithic material would have been necessary and that process would have varied greatly across the island. In southeastern Newfoundland, far away from key lithic sources on the mainland, this would have been even more important as …

Household Archaeology Of An Eighteenth Century Settlement In Vermont, Usa, Stephen D. Butz

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The rediscovery of ruins in the mountains of Vermont may shine light on the theory and practice of household archaeology and its potential to reveal the social and economic status of the people who once resided there. To this date, there are the remains of twelve structures identified as potential dwellings located on Egg Mountain in Sandgate, Vermont, which local folklore claim were the homes for the refugees who fled from Massachusetts during Shays’ Rebellion in 1787. Shay’s Rebellion was an uprising that took place in Massachusetts led by Captain Daniel Shays in response to the unfair treatment of veterans …