Anthropology Commons^™

The Commodification Of Native American Remains: The Use Of Native American Remains Within Educational Institutions And The Implementation Of Nagpra, Molly Nowak

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Indigenous communities have been commodified within educational institutions such as museums, universities, and governmental agencies throughout American history. Unethical collection practices have allowed for a disproportionate representation of Indigenous remains and materials within educational institutions. Indigenous bodies, funerary objects, religious materials, and other important cultural materials have been stolen from their communities and used for scientific discovery and education. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, created legal protections for Indigenous graves and remains and instigates the return of the stolen materials. This project reviews the historical contexts behind the collection of Indigenous remains, the …

The Effect Of Antemortem Tooth Loss On Craniofacial Shape In Apes And Humans, Ashley R. Laster

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Antemortem tooth loss (AMTL) (i.e., defined as tooth loss occurring before death) is common among humans and many primates, and several studies have examined AMTL across various primate groups. Some research indicates that AMTL can influence masticatory function and diet; however, the effects of AMTL on craniofacial shape and biomechanics have not been extensively analyzed. We assessed craniofacial and mandibular shape in relation to AMTL, anticipating that individuals with at least one tooth lost antemortem would display significant differences in cranial and/or mandibular shape compared to those without AMTL. AMTL rates were evaluated in three primate species: wild-caught samples of …

Dental Microwear Of Miocene Primates From The Carpathian Basin, Rudabánya, Hungary, Anna K. Wilcox

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study reconstructs and compares the dietary habits of the late Miocene primates Anapithecus hernyaki and Rudapithecus hungaricus by analyzing dental microwear patterns on fossilized teeth recovered from Rudabánya, Hungary. Previous research suggested that these sympatric species were both primarily frugivores but were unable to separate them by diet. However, earlier studies were limited by smaller sample sizes and less advanced methodologies. This study used an expanded sample and modern microwear texture analysis techniques to compare molar and incisor microwear patterns between the two species. Results revealed that Rudapithecus molars exhibited higher complexity compared to Anapithecus molar complexity, suggesting a …

Revealing Hidden Histories: A Multi-Sensor Aerial Survey For Detecting Unmarked Burials At Sinking Spring Cemetery, Abingdon, Va, Noah Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sinking Spring Cemetery, established in 1773 in Abingdon, Virginia, spans 11 acres and is divided by a road. The 9-acre southern section was reserved for white church members. Enslaved individuals and free people of color were buried in the smaller northern section, where few headstones remain today. This study aimed to map the unmarked graves using thermal, multispectral, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors deployed on unmanned aerial systems. Graves were characterized by subtle topographic depressions mapped by LiDAR and cooler radiant temperature anomalies in thermal imagery. Thermal data collected at different times of the day and year …

Interobserver Agreement Of Human Osteological Analysis On The Szeged, Hungary Skeletal Collection, Alleyia Bailey

All Theses

Biological anthropologists develop human skeletal biological profiles to identify skeletal remains and build demographic knowledge of past and modern peoples. Biological anthropologists estimate age-at-death, sex, stature, ancestry, and the presence of injury or pathology to develop biological profiles. While biological profiles are at the basis of the work anthropologists perform, there is a lack of research concerning the reproducibility and interobserver agreement rates of the methods used to create biological profiles. Due to the risk of variability stemming from the education, training, and experience of observers, along with variation that can arise from population affinity, examining the interobserver agreement rates …

“Just Broken Rocks” The Lower Colorado River Through The Lens Of The Coastal Migration Theory, Ruth Musser-Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My thesis is that archaeological evidence from the Havasu Landing Site (CA-SBR-1456) in San Bernardino County, California, supports the Coastal Migration Theory (CMT) proposed by Davis and Madsen (2020). The CMT suggests that humans followed the Pacific coastline to America during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), approximately 24,000 years ago (Erlandson 2024). I examined the site’s minimally modified cobbles, described as “just broken rocks,” confirming them to meet the definition of “creative minimization tools,” a criterion of the CMT. I found clustering of the minimization and other atypical stone tools with siliceous blade cores representing a 30,000-year-old East Asian technology …

The Human Legacy: Agriculture, Civilizations, Strife, And Pandemics Changing Our Climate, Jacalyn M. Wittmer Malinowski

Climate Change and the Individual, 2025-26

For most of human history, climate has shaped our lives, while our influence on it remained minimal. However, the notion that early humans had no measurable impact on the climate before industrialization is inaccurate. Early in human history, activities – such as the rise of agriculture, the growth of civilizations, periods of conflict, and pandemics – altered greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. These changes contributed to significant periods of climate change long before the burning of fossil fuels set us on the path to today’s global climate crisis.

Pottery As A Socio-Economic Marker In Prehistoric Burials Along The Southern Coast Of South Korea, P. Codi Shoemaker

Theses

This thesis investigates the role of pottery as a socio-economic marker in prehistoric burials along the southern coast of South Korea, with a focus on the Late Jeulmun to Early/Mid-Mumun Pottery Periods. Through an interdisciplinary analysis of burial sites at Janghang (Gadeok-do), Sangchonri, and Yulha-ri, the study examines how ceramic design, placement, and associated grave goods reflect evolving social structures within early Korean communities. While pottery has long been examined through functional and chronological lenses, this research considers its symbolic and cultural value in funerary contexts. Findings suggest that pottery served not only utilitarian or ritual purposes, but increasingly signaled …

Healthcare Access And Agency In Material Culture: A Specialized Analysis Of Pharmaceutical Artifacts From Louisville’S West End., Sara Marian (Deurell) Ignacio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American Victorian Period of the 1870s to 1920s was a time of significant transitions in medicine. In Louisville, Kentucky, this period saw an influx of Black healthcare professionals and the founding of Louisville National Medical College, the state’s first medical school open to people of color. A number of these professionals lived and/or practiced in the Beecher Terrace study area, which was excavated between 2017 and 2020. Patent medicine brands and archival records were examined qualitatively in order to understand neighborhood and case study household health concerns and consumer choice. Statistical analyses of the medicine bottles recovered during the …

Tracing Clovis Landscapes: Chert Sourcing At The Copelin Valley Site In Kentucky., Shaylee Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study conducts a raw material sourcing analysis of Clovis lithic artifacts from Copelin Valley, Hart County, Kentucky, a key Clovis occupation site. Over a decade of documenting private collections and recent archaeological investigations confirm the site's significance within the Paleoindian landscape. Using reflectance spectroscopy, a non-destructive technique, this research assesses chert source probabilities for over 100 Clovis points and tools. By integrating spectral data with geological sourcing frameworks, this study examines raw material procurement strategies and their implications for Clovis mobility and settlement. The findings reveal patterns in material selection, shedding light on occupation intensity, technological organization, and landscape …

A Semiotic Comparison Of Mayan And Egyptian Hieroglyphs In Relation To Cosmological Beliefs, Annmarie Vazquez

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Hieroglyphs, as a formal writing system, encode information reflective of a culture’s beliefs and worldviews and comprise inscriptions that represent objects (logograms), ideas (ideograms), or sounds (alphabetic or syllabic).  In this thesis, I employ semiotics, the study of how meanings are created by signs and symbols, to investigate Late Classic Maya (~250-990 CE) and Middle Period Egyptian (2240- 990 BCE) hieroglyphs that are associated with cosmological beliefs. In particular, I focus on Egyptian and Mayan hieroglyphs of birds and snakes as well as many other hieroglyphs of nature and celestial bodies. A semiotic approach provides new insights into the understanding …

Who Was Skull #0025336? A Forensic Anthropological Analysis Of Human Remains, Evelyn R. Wendland

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Biological anthropology identifies human remains to learn more about the individual or the ancient community from which they originate. Two subdisciplines of biological Anthropology that focus on osteology—the study of bones— are Forensic Anthropology and Biorchaeology. Forensic anthropology is the study of human remains associated with the legal process. They specifically analyze remains from post-1950. Biorchaeology also looks at human remains but in a historical and/or archaeological context. As osteologists analyze human remains, they typically try to create a biological profile. The biological profile includes classifications of ethnicity (ancestry), age, sex, and stature, as well as aspects of pathology and …

Dari Editor Vol. 15 No. 1 (April) 2025, Rahayu Surtiati

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Dalam edisi pertama tahun 2025 ini, kebudayaan berbagai bangsa ditinjau dari berbagai sudut pandang. Penelitian terbanyak menghasilkan berbagai kisah yang berkaitan dengan tradisi: gamelan jawa yang kembali ke jati dirinya (1), perompak di zaman Kerajaan Sriwijaya yang tidak selamanya merampok (4), Kebiasaan jahat pada masa perang selalu mengambil korban perempuan (6), ritual Monibi di Bolang Mongondow untuk minta rezeki (7), tradisi memancing yang berubah praktiknya (9), rajah dan pasaduan dalam carita pantun merupakan ciri khas pantun Baduy (10), Sinkretisme yang masih ada dalam ziarah makam keramat di Banten (11). Selain itu, dua artikel membahas perihal masyarakat Tionghoa di Manado (5) …

Types Of Student Translation Errors In English-Indonesian Translation, Haru Deliana Dewi, Andika Wijaya

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This research focuses on translation and language errors discovered in English-Indonesian translation results. This study aims to investigate the types of errors mostly made by Indonesian novice translators. The data were obtained from translation practice assigned to undergraduate students, who were taking the compulsory basic translation course. The respondents, who were native Indonesian speakers, were asked to translate two paragraphs from a given text in class for one hour and send their translations to the raters via email. The raters then marked the errors in the students’ translations using the 2021 ATA’s Standardized Framework for Error Marking. The results of …

Polemik Catra Pada Stupa Induk Candi Borobudur: Kajian Arkeologi Dan Filosofis, So Tju Shinta Lee, Salim Lee

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This paper explores the profound meaning of the main stupa at Candi Borobudur and analyzes the implications of the proposed catra installation on the monument’s spiritual and cultural values. The interpretation is based on a post-processual perspective that emphasizes the importance of considering context, internal evidence, and internal symbolic relationships rather than seeking externally sourced validation. Through a combination of literature study, observation, and comparative analysis of stupas at Borobudur itself, contemporary Buddhist candis in Central Java, and various types of stupas abroad, this research concludes that the proposal for catra installation on the main stupa of Borobudur lacks …

Kongsi Kematian Dan Perubahan Ritual Prosesi Kematian Tionghoa Di Padang, Eniwati Erniwati, Yelda Syafrina, Zulfa Saumia

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article discusses the changes in the implementation of death rituals organized by ethnic Chinese in Padang city. Documents in the form of photos and bylaws of the death ritual procession, an interview, and observations at the funeral home, crematorium of the Chinese socio-cultural and funeral association Himpunan Tjinta Teman (HTT), Himpunan Bersatu Teguh (HBT), and the Chinese cemetery complex in Bukit Sin Tiong and TPU Bungus Teluk Kabung are the sources of this article. The article's findings show that the performance of death procession rituals is an important part that marks the identity of the deceased and the family …

Sinkretisme Dalam Tradisi Ziarah Keramat Di Banten, Gita Safitri

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This review will analyze a book entitled Sinkretisme dalam Tradisi Ziarah Keramat di Banten by Helmy Faizi Bahrul Ulumi which reflects the richness of local culture in the Banten region, especially on relic sites that become pilgrimage destinations for the community. The popularity of the sacredness of sacred places is an attraction that not only has spiritual value but also sacredness becomes an important point as an inherent local belief. This review will evaluate the depiction of syncretism in pilgrimage practices to the construction of its meaning.

Arah Baru Politik Kewargaan Etnis Tionghoa Di Indonesia (Studi Kasus Jakarta & Manado), Wasisto Raharjo Jati, Almunauwar Rusli, Rukmana Gonibala, Hendri Gunawan

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The new direction of ethnic Chinese citizenship politics in Indonesia is marked by a communal revival in non-governmental organizations, media and schools. The past of ethnic Chinese in Indonesia is indeed full of crises, but the future of Chinese citizens in Indonesia really depends on the policies of each ruling regime towards their group. The new direction of ethnic Chinese citizenship politics in Indonesia must be understood as a process of psychological rehabilitation for sentiment and antipathy towards China in the past. The interpretation of social reality and the social movements they carry out on a local scale should be …

Plantation Museums, Public Memory, And Historical Narratives: A Comparative Analysis Of Slavery Interpretation At Oak Alley And Lakeport, Gabrielle M. Stockand

ATU Scholars Symposium

Plantation museum sites are important in the public's understanding of the complex sociopolitical labor systems that dominated antebellum lifeways. This study examines modern museums' dilemmas when exploring expansive site narratives at plantation museum sites, using Oak Alley and Lakeport Plantations as case studies. Plantation Museum sites construct historical narratives using comparative exhibit analysis, critical discourse analysis of labor narratives, and landscape archaeology. Specific analysis of interpretive language, narrative construction, and site structure demonstrates a stark contrast: while one site marginalizes slavery in its guided tour with non-inclusive language and a self-guided slavery exhibit, the other integrates extensive research on enslaved …

Colonial Waste And Liminal Space: A Look Behind The Muhlenberg General Store, Ciara S. Chagnon

Anthropology Honors Papers

The following project includes both a comprehensive site report on the archaeological field school hosted by Ursinus College and Historic Trappe in the summer of 2024, as well as spatial representations and analysis of colonial window glass distribution over the excavation units. Descriptions of the results of this archaeological investigation aim to expand on the body of knowledge concerning the Muhlenberg general store and the Speaker’s House property where the field school was conducted. An exploration of liminality and archaeological boundaries provides a lens into the structural nature of the general store zone as well as its colonial-era functions. In-depth …

Unearthing Silence: Deaf Archaeology As A Pathway To Social Justice And Accessibility, Abigail H. Steiner

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Deaf archaeology is an emerging field exploring the material culture, spaces, and histories of Deaf communities to understand their social lives and identities. This paper examines Deaf archaeology as a framework for uncovering the historical presence of Deaf individuals and promoting social justice. It begins by defining deafness, contrasting medical and cultural perspectives, then traces the field’s roots in sign language evolution, marginalization, and Deaf education. Through a timeline of findings, the study reveals how Deaf individuals have been recognized or overlooked historically. Engaging with the Southern Tier Deaf community, I explore accessible archaeology and the role of Deaf archaeology …

April 24, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

April 24, 2025 minutes for the WKU NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee meeting. Meeting conducted via Zoom.

Lubiya (El-Khirbeh): A Late Hellenistic, Roman And Early Byzantine Village In Lower Galilee, Yardenna Alexandre, Michal Oren-Paskal, Gil Tsioni

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

A small archaeological excavation carried out in 2005–2007 on a hilltop in the Lavi Forest in Lower Galilee uncovered a small area of the village of Lubiya that was settled in the Late Hellenistic to early Byzantine periods. The earliest exposed building complex was constructed on the bedrock and comprised parts of two residential units with a shared long wall, an internal courtyard and several rooms. An underground complex beneath the units comprised individual basement storage elements that were subsequently joined to form an underground hiding complex, dated by the associated finds to the time of the First Jewish Revolt …

Legacy - Spring 2025, South Carolina Institute Of Archaeology And Anthropology--University Of South Carolina

SCIAA Magazine - Legacy & PastWatch

Contents:

Lean Times for Archaeology, and Legacy Goes Digital

Director’s Notes

Maritime Research Division- A Year of Fieldwork in Review 2024

29 Years on the Camden Battlefield

The Reburial of a British Soldier on the Camden Battlefield

The Southeastern Paleoamerican Survey: 20^th Anniversary

Francis Marion Continues to Elude Both Enemies and Friends on Snow’s Island

Cosmic Impacts as Indicators of Abrupt Climate and Cultural Change

2024 Update on the Southeastern Paleoamerican Survey

SCIAA on Scholar Commons

The ART Board Research Grant Program

Annual Report for 2023 and 2024

Historic Archaeology: Chester DePratter Retires

Incarcerated Adolescence: Historical Archaeology And Finding Teenagers In The Japanese American Concentration Camp, Jack Kendall

Student Publications

Through looking at the teenagers of the Granada Relocation Center, commonly called Amache, this research posits a unique framework to understanding and searching for teenagers in the past. This uses a combination of historical sources and oral histories in order to outline what materials to search for. This research also uses an emotional approach, titled an "archaeology of the heart" to understand and work alongside descendants to properly understand the nuance of the forced relocation of 110,000 Japanese Americans through World War II. By combining these different elements, this research shows the ways that teenagers were constructing and reconstructing a …

Skeletons In The Courtyard: Why The Maya Came Back For Their Dead, Kayla R. Tursack

Student Publications

This paper explores Maya secondary burials with a particular focus of the exhumed burial of SubOp Ax at Courtyard B-1, Chan Chich, Belize. Drawing on an array of archaeological sources, it examines a series of case studies throughout the Maya region and beyond of secondary burials, symbolic mortuary practices, and instances of ancestor veneration. The partial exhumation of SubOp Ax, with the crypt only containing a leg bone, is interpreted as a deliberate act of ancestral remembrance during the Terminal Classic collapse. This is done through a comparative analysis of case studies from Caracol, Naachtun, K’axob, Tikal, and Mitla. Understanding …

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

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

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

Sostenibilidad Ambiental En Comunidades Mayas: Riesgos Y Desafíos En La Era Del Cambio Climático, Gertrudis Guzmán Noh Dr.

Journal of Maya Heritage

El presente artículo analiza las dinámicas de sostenibilidad ambiental en comunidades mayas del estado de Yucatán, México, enfocándose en los riesgos ambientales y las respuestas adaptativas desarrolladas frente al cambio climático. El trabajo se desarrolló en tres comunidades: Yaxunah, caracterizada por la producción artesanal y la sobreexplotación del árbol de Chaká (Bursera simaruba); Ixil, que enfrenta disputas territoriales e inundaciones recurrentes; y Sotuta, afectada por la contaminación acuífera derivada de una granja porcina en zonas aledañas. Metodológicamente, se implementó un enfoque de investigación acción participativa que integró diálogo de saberes, matrices de análisis de riesgo y estrategias de intervención comunitaria. …

Archaeology And The Construction Of Artifact Lineages: From Culture History To Phylogenetics, Michael J. O'Brien, Blai Vidiella, Salva Duran-Nebreda, R. Alexander Bentley, Serge Valverde

All Faculty Scholarship (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Cultural Intersections: A Book Review Of Maya Christian Murals Of Early Modern Yucatán, Texas University Press, 2024., Lilia Fernández Souza Phd, Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda Dr., José Israel Herrera

Journal of Maya Heritage

Colonial mural art in the Yucatán Peninsula represents a cultural intersection where Christian iconography and Maya artistic traditions converged in a complex visual dialogue. Maya Christian Murals of Early Modern Yucatán (Texas University Press, 2024) offers a detailed analysis of these pictorial expressions, exploring how Indigenous artists reinterpreted colonial impositions by preserving ancestral techniques, materials, and symbolism. The book proposes a rereading of the murals in Franciscan convents, highlighting their role not only as tools of evangelization but also as evidence of cultural resistance and adaptation.

This review, titled Reimagining Cultural Intersections: A Book Review of Maya Christian Murals of …