Anthropology Commons^™

Skeletons Vs. Mummies: Osteological Trauma On Bog Bodies As A Measure For Cultural Change In Ancient Europe, Miranda Hoodenpyl

University Honors Theses

Bog bodies are some of the most well known archaeological finds in the world, and are preserved human remains found in wetlands. Researchers use the information stored in the bones of bog skeletons and mummies to learn about cultural lifestyles, travels, diet, and diseases throughout time in Northern Europe and the British Isles. Through multiple cultural changes and migration, the "bog body phenomenon" has remained an unusual treatment displayed throughout time. This literature review looked at skeletal trauma on bog remains to identify cultural change over time in Northern Europe and the British Isles, spanning the Neolithic, Bronze, Iron, and …

Who Keeps Us Safe? Youth Resistance And Security Regimes At The Neoliberal University, Arwen Hansell

University Honors Theses

In a political climate shaped by surveillance, labor precarity, policing, and immigration enforcement, questions of (in)security increasingly organize everyday life. Governments justify security measures through the language of public safety, even as many people experience insecurity surrounding housing, healthcare, employment, and the future itself. Although critical security studies have examined policing, militarism, and surveillance extensively, youth are often overlooked as political actors despite their central role in social movements. This study addresses that gap by focusing on student labor organizers and activists navigating (in)security. Using collaborative ethnography, I conducted fieldwork at protests, labor organizing meetings, workshops, and demonstrations connected to …

The Lion's Share: The Secret Land Grab Of Drake's Circumnavigation, Melissa Cole Darby

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Francis Drake’s journey around the world between 1577 and 1580 is renowned as one of the most famous voyages in history. The circumnavigation was a great achievement for England, but the official story Queen Elizabeth and her Privy Council maintained for nine years was that Drake was a pirate, and that the treasure he captured on the voyage would be returned to Spain. Upon his return, information about the voyage and his route were suppressed and the crew was sworn to secrecy: they were not to reveal where they travelled on ‘pain of death’. Here I present the case that …

Fermentation As Food Pedagogy: Insights Into How Teaching Fermentation Facilitates Engagement With The Food System, Madhura Rao, Ashley Thuthao Keng Dam

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper explores the pedagogical potential of fermentation as a tool to support critical engagement with food systems among urban European consumers. Drawing on the food pedagogy framework developed by Park et al. (2022), the study analyses qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 13 fermentation educators operating across eight European countries. The analysis examines how fermentation workshops may contribute to building awareness about food systems, enabling enjoyment and social connection, encouraging experiential practice in everyday life, and prompting action for change. Our findings suggest that fermentation enables sensorial and reflective learning, allowing learners to not only learn about …

Rethinking College Curricula: Preparing Students With The Skills Needed For Successful Cultural Resource Management (Crm) Careers, Kate Monti Barcalow, Shelby L. R. Anderson

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Postsecondary education is at the forefront of preparing the next generation of cultural resource management (CRM) practitioners for the workforce. We conducted a study from 2022 to 2023 to gain perspective on improving postsecondary CRM curricula in order to better prepare students for careers in CRM. Our research included semi-structured interviews of nine key consultants with careers in CRM, along with a survey of the broader CRM professional community in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Results from the research identified the necessary skills for new college graduates, areas where CRM programs could improve their curricula, and various approaches in and out …

Otolith Stable Isotopes And Maaori Archaeology: Marine Paleoclimate Data For Northern Aotearoa New Zealand, Reno Nims, Caitlin Smith, Matthew Campbell

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Marine paleoclimate records for the last 1,000 years are scarce in the southwest Pacific, limiting our understanding of complex environmental changes that may have affected Ma ori seascapes and fisheries. We seek to begin filling this knowledge gap by studying stable oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes in archaeological and modern otoliths from ta mure (Australasian snapper, Chrysophrys auratus), which provide information about water temperature, salinity, and fish diet and metabolism. Our results show that fourteenth and fifteenth century ta mure otoliths recorded environmental conditions that are comparable to twentieth century temperatures, with some evidence for anomalously warmer seas and/or …

The Collective Impact Of Physical Activity, Somatic Therapy, And Nature-Based Spirituality (Pastans) On Individuals Recovering From Substance Use Disorders (Suds), Sara R. Maddox

University Honors Theses

This correlation research study explores the collective impact of physical activities, somatic therapies, and nature-based spirituality (referred to as PASTANS, a term created by the researcher) on individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs). The study aimed to evaluate how these practices enhanced emotional regulation and fostered community development, thereby supporting sustained recovery and overall well-being. PASTANS interconnected to alleviate cravings and rewire brain reward pathways, promoting cultural connections through activities that resonated with pre-colonial traditions and were accessible to atheists and agnostics.

Participants engaged in movement and somatic practices in natural settings, including yoga and hiking. Somatic therapies are …

Drag’S Impact On Drag Lives, José L. Oropeza Iii

Anthós

Drag’s Impact On Drag Lives

In light of recent political developments where Drag and Trans identities are being punished, why do people still participate in Drag? If there are repercussion to face for being a Drag Queen, then surely it must affect their lives for the better for them to continue the practice.

Through an autoethnographic approach to researching the Portland, OR Drag community, I collected transcripts of conversations with local Queens, took notes of community interactions, and put myself in Drag for the first time as a Queer man to better understand the Drag community and why they Drag. …

Unshrouding Narratives, Beliefs, And Practices Related To The Aye-Aye (Daubentonia Madagascariensis) In Eastern Madagascar, Alessio Anania, Fiona Besnard, Delaid C. Rasamisoa, Erito Andriantsitoherina, Jean Fidele Mosa, Marco Campera, Megan Phelps, Dean Gibson, Timothy M. Eppley, Giuseppe Donati

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ethnoprimatology emphasizes the complex sociocultural dimensions of human-alloprimate interactions, often overlooked in conservation practices and narratives shaped by ecological perspectives alone. In Madagascar, lemurs are deeply embedded in local traditions structured around taboos, legends, and kinship beliefs. Among them, the aye-aye ( Daubentonia madagascariensis ) is frequently subject to a narrative portraying it as an evil animal, an omen, or a harbinger of misfortune. Yet, cultural representations of the aye-aye across Madagascar are far more diverse. While some reports describe ritual killings, others recount respectful mortuary practices bestowed upon these primates. We explored the beliefs, narratives, and practices associated with …

Communities Of Practice: Aging, Emergency Management, And Churches In Rural Clackamas County, Oregon, Lukas Robert Aberle

Dissertations and Theses

As the population of the United States ages, questions arise of how to best care for older adults in daily life and emergency situations. This research looks at the daily activities of churches to see how they affect everyday and emergency care practices. As a collaboration with Clackamas County government, I researched the relationship between churches and care through participant observation and interviews during the summer of 2024 to understand congregations’ support for older members, the role of church congregations in emergency management, and the implications of the decline in religious participation alongside aging in the United States. I found …

“Migration Craziness!” Financial Turbulence And Transnational Families In Sri Lanka, Michele R. Gamburd

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Why might three relatively well-off, middle-class, young adults from Sri Lanka chose to leave their parents and their village to emigrate to Australia and Italy? Why would these men and women give up promising careers and comfortable homes to start over elsewhere and endure the hardship of an immigrant’s deskilled and displaced life? To understand their decisions, I rely on anthropology’s holistic perspective to help me stitch together intimate details about family choices within a context of global economic structures and national politics. I have done ethnographic research in the village that I call “Naeaegama” since 1992. I have studied …

The Birnirk To Thule Transition As Viewed From Radiocarbon And Tree-Ring Dating Within Two Adjacent Houses At Cape Espenberg, Northwest Alaska, Claire Alix, Lauren E. Y. Norman, Antony M. Krus, Juliette Taieb, Shelby L. Anderson, Dennis H. O'Rourke, Owen K. Mason

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The transformation of the Birnirk culture into the Thule culture is essential in reconstructing the emergence of modern Inuit across Alaska and the larger Bering Strait. To this end, two adjacent semi-subterranean houses of late Birnirk and early Thule affiliation, respectively, at the Rising Whale (KTZ-304) site at Cape Espenberg were recently excavated and dated by radiocarbon and tree-ring measurements. We present the Bayesian analysis of the resulting large series of dates, demonstrating the lack of contemporaneity between the two features: the Birnirk house was occupied in the late twelfth to early thirteenth centuries AD, whereas the occupation of the …

Conversations With The Ancestors: Pursuing An Understanding Of Klamath Basin Rock Art Through The Use Of Myth, The Ethnographic Record, And Local Artistic Conventions, Robert David

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Past archaeological practices have resulted in a distorted history of Native American cultures based upon western-biased research. This has been especially apparent in the rock art of the Klamath Basin in southern Oregon and northern California. In response to this, Native and non-Native scholars are striving to develop a counter-discourse that both challenges and replaces western constructs in research on Native American communities. The result of this approach is a growing trend within the discipline that has come to be called “Indigenous Archaeology.” Critical to this approach is that Native voices are transported from the margins of the research to …

Global Scale Assessment Of The Human-Induced Extinction Crisis Of Terrestrial Carnivores., Erik Joaquín Torres-Romero, Timothy M. Eppley, William J. Ripple, Thomas M. Newsome, Miha Krofel, Neil H. Carter, Andrés Ordiz, Tadeu G. De Oliveira, Nuria Selva, Vincenzo Penteriani

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human impacts on carnivores are a persistent conservation challenge worldwide. We present a global analysis showing the overlap of conservation lands and the cumulative impact of humans on the distribution ranges of 257 terrestrial carnivore species. Our findings reveal that 64% of carnivore ranges overlap with areas characterized by high human pressures. We found that Indigenous peoples' lands emerge as crucial for carnivore population viability, potentially safeguarding 26% of carnivore ranges globally, while protected and wilderness areas cover roughly 10 and 16% of carnivore ranges, respectively. These three areas combined cover 35% of the global range of carnivores. Reducing human …

Exploring The Effects Of Anthropogenic Habitat Change On Euplerid Carnivore Occupancy In A Humid Evergreen Forest, South-East Madagascar, C. Cardinal, Timothy M. Eppley, M. Andriamorasata, G. Donati

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mammalian carnivores are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, including habitat modifications, disturbance, and the introduction of non‐native species. Forests throughout Madagascar are under persistent pressure from extraction of timber and non‐timber products, and conversion of forest habitat to agriculture. Yet research into the impact of anthropogenic pressures on endemic carnivores is only recent, and relatively little is known about their populations in the extreme south of the island. We sought to explore how disturbance affects the occurrence of small carnivores in lowland humid forests and their varying degrees of adaptability to human‐modified landscapes. To answer this, we conducted exploratory camera trap …

Alloparenting And Male Infant Care Behaviors In Varecia Rubra (Red-Ruffed Lemur), Noelle Wilcox

University Honors Theses

Nonhuman primates are known for their complex social structures that sometimes includes cooperative breeding strategies. In recent years there has been an increase in investigating alloparenting (infant care provided by an adult or subadult that is not a genetic parent) and male infant care, and how such behaviors contribute to the overall assistance to the extreme energetic investment and costs of the mother for the rearing of offspring. There is also debate to how male care has evolved in the primate clade, be it through the theory of kin selection or theory of mutualism. However, there is not enough research …

Cultural Ecologies And Local Policies: A Comparative Analysis, Alexis M. Gonzalez

University Honors Theses

In recent years, the role of arts and culture in economic development, community outreach, and local government has become focused on as a field of study. However, this is a new field of academic study, and there have not been many systematic comparative analyses of the role of arts and culture at the local level. Indeed, there is limited information at the state and federal level as well. Historically undervalued and underrepresented, yet with a streak of elitism involved, arts and culture is now being looked at as a major economic driver and social connector by policymakers at all levels …

Documenting The Effects Of Laboratory Sorting In Zooarchaeology: Lessons Learned From The Cixwicn Project, Kristine M. Bovy, Virginia L. Butler, Michael A. Etnier, Sarah K. Campbell

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Zooarchaeologists routinely analyze assemblages that were initially sorted into major animal type (birds, mammals, fish, invertebrates) by students or lab technicians with varied backgrounds in zooarchaeology. Sorting errors are probably made in this initial phase, which can affect taxonomic representation and understanding of human–animal relationships. Recent study of the immense faunal assemblage (over 1 million NSP [Number of Specimens]) from Čḯxwicən (45CA523), a 2,700-year-old Lower Elwha Klallam village located on the coast of Washington (USA), allows us to systematically analyze trends in sorting errors. For example, 22.6% of the bird bones included in our sample were initially missorted into other …

Accelerated Human-Induced Extinction Crisis In The World's Freshwater Mammals, Erik Joaquín Torres-Romero, Jason T. Fisher, Vincent Nijman, Fengzhi He, Timothy M. Eppley

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human activities have significantly impacted natural habitats and wildlife worldwide, particularly emphasizing repercussions for freshwater habitats and associated species. These negative impacts on freshwater fish are well known, but for mammal species that regularly use and dependend on freshwater systems, there is an incomplete understanding. Here, we assessed the status of freshwater and semi-aquatic mammal species inhabiting and dependent on freshwater ecosystems (hereafter referred to as freshwater mammals) and evaluated the impact of human activities on species richness both globally and by biogeographical regions. We used structural equation modeling and simultaneous autoregressive models to assess the direct and indirect effects …

Proper Conjugation Of Bodies: Chastity, Age, And Care Work In Sri Lankan Migrants’ Families, Michele Ruth Gamburd

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Physical and symbolic aspects of bodies limit the migration trajectories of female domestic workers from a Buddhist community in coastal Sri Lanka. Government regulations and family decisions regarding women’s overseas labour draw upon and in turn influence discourses about gender, sexuality, age, health, and class. This ethnographic analysis illustrates that local norms task women with nurturing the brains of babies, preserving the chastity of teenage daughters, caring for frail elders, and preventing their working-class husbands from overindulging in liquor or having sex with other women. Successful social reproduction depends on the proper conjunctions of bodies in the extended family. Corporeal …

I Love That Country, That’S Why I Go There: Enduring Kiana Village Ties To Kobuk Valley National Park, Douglas Deur, Jamie Hebert, Emily Creek, Tricia Brown, Hannah Atkinson, Knowledge-Holders Of Kiana, Alaska, Christina Westlake

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

North of the Arctic Circle in far northwestern Alaska, Kobuk Valley National Park is a remote, roadless protected area transected by the Kobuk River—one of the northernmost salmon-bearing rivers in North America. Characterized by tundra, taiga, and the dramatic 25-square-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, the park serves as a critical pathway for nearly half a million migrating caribou. Significant archaeological sites have been documented along the Kobuk River, demonstrating thousands of years of human settlement, fishing, caribou hunting, and many other cultural activities. At the time of European contact, and into the early 20th century, there were still Iñupiaq “Eskimo” …

Facilitated Forest Restoration Using Pioneer Seed Dispersers In Madagascar: The Example Of Microcebus Spp., Joerg U. Ganzhorn, Jean-Basile Andriambeloson, Sylvia Atsalis, Lis M. Behrendt, Marina B. Blanco, An Bollen, Stephanie M. Carriere, Lounes Chikhi, Melanie Dammhahn, Giuseppe Donati, Timothy M. Eppley, Multiple Additional Authors

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The concept of “facilitated restoration” aims at native biodiversity reinstatement with the help of animal seed dispersers attracted by fruiting trees. Yet, large-crowned trees will have to develop in the early stages of restoration; therefore, seed dispersal provided by small generalist mammals and birds that use rapidly growing herbs, shrubs, and small trees at early stages of forest succession would accelerate biodiversity restoration. Due to the elusive lifestyle of these small animals, it is unclear what species can contribute to the early stages of this process. Using the primate genus Microcebus (adult body mass about 60 g) as an example, …

The Role Of Christianity In Shaping Agrarian Policies And Environmental Interactions: A Comparative Analysis Of The Uk And The Netherlands, Grace N. Brimble

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the enduring influence of Protestant Christianity on agrarian practices and environmental policies in the UK and the Netherlands, focusing on how historical religious values shape modern ecological and political landscapes. Despite increasing secularism, Protestant ethics--emphasising stewardship, diligence, and moral responsibility--persist culturally, influencing debates on sustainability, rural identity, and land use. Using case studies such as nitrogen policy protests in the Netherlands and post-Brexit agricultural transitions in the UK, this analysis highlights the symbolic role of Christian values in framing resistance and adaptation to contemporary challenges. The research combines discourse analysis and ethnographic perspectives to uncover the interplay …

¡Viva Puerto Rico! How Puerto Rico's Political And Economic Status Has Affected Its Vulnerability To Natural Hazards, Mystique Quintana

University Honors Theses

Using Hurricane Maria as a case study, this thesis examines Puerto Rico's vulnerability to natural disasters and explores the intersections between colonial history, political status, and socioeconomic inequalities. Undertaking the island's susceptibility to environmental crises based on centuries of colonial exploitation and dependence, along with restrictive U.S. policies. It is argued that policies like the Jones Act, Operation Bootstrap, and PROMESA perpetuate systemic neglect and undermine disaster preparedness. Due to these structural vulnerabilities, intensified by climate change, Puerto Rico is ill-equipped to recover from hurricanes. During Hurricane Maria, systemic governance failures, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient federal aid exposed these deep-rooted …

Book Review Of, Calling Family: Digital Technologies And The Making Of Transnational Care Collectives, Michele Gamburd

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book Review: Calling Family: Digital Technologies and the Making of Transnational Care Collectives

A Magical Symbiosis: The Advent Of Witchcraft In The Age Of Social Technology, James Dryden

University Honors Theses

This paper investigates the relationship between social media and witchcraft practitioners in online communities. After providing a landscape of how other researchers have studied similar phenomenon, interviews with anonymous witches who utilize online platforms such as TikTok and Instagram were conducted by the author. Using these testimonies in conjunction with the research of others, the author identifies trends and similar stories between American witches regarding Wicca, the commodification of the craft, and how witchcraft practice continues in the modern day.

Russian Views Of The Unknown Coast: Shvetsov's Accounts Of The Oregon And Northern California Coastline During The Sea Otter Trade, 1808-09, Cameron La Follette, Douglas Deur, Andrei Grinev

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Early-nineteenth century Russian accounts of the coastline between Alaska and Fort Ross are rare. This article helps fill this gap, providing diary accounts by Russian American Company employee, Afanasy Shvetsov, of two joint Russian-American sea otter hunting trips along the Oregon and northern California coasts in 1808-09. Recently recovered and translated, these accounts aptly describe landscapes and biota, as well as Russian, American, and conscripted Aleut and Kodiak Alutiiq hunters' interactions with Native American communities. Presented in their historical, geographical, and anthropological context, Shvetsov's accounts offer a rare, revealing glimpse of early European encounters with this contact-period coastline.

Introducing Isomad, A Compilation Of Isotopic Datasets For Madagascar, Sean W. Hixon, Ricardo Fernandes, Antonin Andriamahaihavana, Andrea L. Baden, Marina B. Blanco, Guillaume Caulier, Melanie Dammhahn, Igor Eeckhaut, Timothy M. Eppley, Natalie Vasey, Multiple Additional Authors

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract We present the first open-access, island-wide isotopic database (IsoMad) for modern biologically relevant materials collected on Madagascar within the past 150 years from both terrestrial and nearshore marine environments. Isotopic research on the island has increasingly helped with biological studies of endemic organisms, including evaluating foraging niches and investigating factors that affect the spatial distribution and abundance of species. The IsoMad database should facilitate future work by making it easy for researchers to access existing data (even for those who are relatively unfamiliar with the literature) and identify both research gaps and opportunities for using various isotope systems to …

An Ethnography Of Frostbite Among Unsheltered People In Portland: Safety, Governance, And The Manufacture Of Vulnerability, Muireall Brown

University Honors Theses

This thesis provides an applied anthropological ethnography of frostbite among unsheltered people in Portland, Oregon. I conducted the research over the course of three months between May and August 2024 in collaboration with Hygiene4All, a local nonprofit. The research consisted of participant-observation, six semi-structured interviews, and a review of unpublished data from Hygiene4All. I argue that the conceptualization of safety operating within some parts of Portland's governance structures actually makes unsheltered Portlanders more vulnerable to frostbite: governance bodies actively participate in constructing this vulnerability along the lines of disability, isolation, and displacement. I discuss uneven governance and the biopolitical conflicts …

Unbalanced Or Absent: Assessing Indigenous Representation In Interpretive Materials At Government Administered Heritage Sites In Cascadia And Hawai‘I, Leah Marie Rosenkranz, Jeremy Spoon, Douglas Deur

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Unbalanced or absent Indigenous representation in interpretive materials at government administered heritage sites in settler colonial contexts can create contention and perpetuate a misinformed or one-dimensional visitor experience and historical narrative. This research therefore examines representation in interpretive materials accessible in 2019 at heritage sites with Indigenous ancestral connections in settler-colonial contexts. This study uses 10 U.S. case study heritage sites and two supplementary sites in Washington, Idaho, and Hawai‘i. Researchers utilized participant observation and systematic photography during two 2019 research phases to document interpretive materials. Quantification generated 731 analytic units which were subsequently assessed for the presence of inductively …