Anthropology Commons^™

Urvi And Brittany With Poster.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Alyssa Getting Certificate (1).Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Rachael With Marcie Myers.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Brittany And Urvi With Student.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Rachael With Poster.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Alyssa With Poster.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Urvi Getting Certificate.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Rachael With Group.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Urvi Getting Certificate_2.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Silvio Getting Certificate_2.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Dr. Ullinger With Oslo.Pdf, Lesley A. Gregoricka

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

No abstract provided.

Neoliberal Economic Policies: Implications Of Structural Adjustment Programs (Saps) And Free Trade On Small-Scale Farmers And Agricultural Production In Latin American Developing Nations, Alaynah Mowjee

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Cremation In Umm An-Nar Period Mortuary Practices Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs), Malena Butler

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Chemical changes in bone composition that occur during the process of cremation have begun to be explored alongside corresponding macroscopic changes to bone color using a variety of analytical instrumentation. This research employed a lesser-utilized method, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), alongside Munsell Color Charts to assess elemental changes that may occur in archaeological bone at varying cremation temperatures. It was hypothesized that differences in color would be indicative of different chemical compositions present in bone, despite previous evidence for at least some diagenetic change. Distal humeri from Umm an-Nar (2700-2000 BCE) period tombs Unar 1 (n=31) and Unar 2 (n=28) …

Age And Inclusivity In Umm An-Nar Communal Tombs From Southeastern Arabia, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger, Christian Berends, Alyssa Bolster, Brittany Clark, Hannah Jeanlouis, Urvi Kaul, Rachael Orkin

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

Umm an-Nar (2700-2000 BCE) tombs in the United Arab Emirates contained the commingled remains of hundreds of individuals interred across multiple generations. Archaeologists commonly reference tomb demographics as being inclusive of all ages, but this assumption is based on a handful of studies that rarely distinguish age categories beyond “subadult” or “adult.” An undergraduate research training program sought to examine age distributions – and thus inclusivity in tomb membership – in greater detail, with a particular focus on fetal and older adult age categories.

A combination of traditional and novel aging techniques were applied to bones from tombs Unar 1 …

Analyzing The Prevalence And Severity Of Cribra Orbitalia In Bronze Age Arabia, Urvi Kaul, Brittany Clark, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

Background: The Umm an-Nar period (ca. 2700-2000 BCE) in southeastern Arabia was marked by the intensification of oasis agriculture and a corresponding shift to sedentism. Cribra orbitalia lesions from tombs Unar 1 and Unar 2 (Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, UAE) were observed for rates of nonspecific stress during this period of transition. We hypothesized that due to increased reliance on agriculture beginning around 2200 BCE, Unar 1 individuals would have a higher prevalence of active cribra orbitalia.

Methods: Given the commingled and fragmentary nature of these collections, we first scored percentage of orbit present in 25% increments. Scorable orbits (defined …

A Transition From Tradition: Employing Ta3 And Traditional Age & Sex Estimation Methods To Study Paleodemography In Umm An-Nar Arabia, Alyssa Bolster, Hannah Jeanlouis, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

Background: Transition Analysis 3 (TA3) has enormous potential for the study of commingled skeletal material. Previous demographic analyses on commingled remains from Umm an-Nar (2700-2000 BCE) tombs Unar 1 and Unar 2 at the site of Shimal (Ras al-Khaimah, UAE) placed the majority of individuals in a generalized “adult” category using dental eruption. We hypothesized that we would identify more older adults (50+) in both tombs using TA3, and that more would be found in Unar 2, prior to the intensification of agriculture and regional aridification.

Methods: Commingled and fragmentary skeletal fragments (pubic symphyses (n=51), humeri (n=85), femora (n=194)) were …

Estimating Age From Fetal And Young Nonadults From Basilar Portions At Umm An-Nar Tombs From The Uae, Rachael Orkin, Christian Berends, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 2: AABA 2022 – Denver, CO

Background: The Umm an-Nar period (2700-2000 BCE) was a time of significant change in southeastern Arabia, prompted by agricultural shifts and seen in shifting social and mortuary practices. Communal tombs Unar 1 and Unar 2 from the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah (United Arab Emirates), which date to the end of the third millennium BCE, contained commingled, cremated, and fragmented skeletons, a common mortuary pattern in this period.

Methods: Unfused basilar portions of nonadult occipital bones were examined to assess tomb membership and inclusion of young individuals. Three methods were used to analyze age, and measurements taken included sagittal length and …

Island Paradise To Urban Streets: Identifying The Effects Of Military Forced Displacements On Indigenous Islanders, Alexandria Mckinnell

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

During the twentieth century, indigenous islanders across the world were forcibly removed from their native lands by Western powers for militarily advantageous reasons. The Bikinians’ removal is the most notorious case of military forced displacement, but many other island communities faced the same fate during the superpower struggles of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. This study analyzes two documented cases of military expulsions of indigenous islanders, the Bikinians and the Chagossians. I created a matrix analyzing the common cultural experiences shared by both communities as a result of their expulsions and how those effects persist …

An Examination Of Sex Distributions In Umm An-Nar Tombs From Bronze Age Arabia Using The Distal Humerus, Charles Downey, Silvio Ernesto Mirabal Torres, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 1: AAPA 2021 – virtual

Background: Umm an-Nar (2700-2000 BCE) communal tombs from southeastern Arabia contain human skeletal remains characterized by extensive commingling and variable degrees of burning. Because of this, few bioarchaeological studies have been conducted examining the proportions of males to females in these monumental tombs. We hypothesized that increased social stratification in the late Umm an-Nar period would lead to a higher number of males interred in Umm an-Nar tombs over time.

Methods: To estimate sex, we measured four features of the distal humeri from tombs Unar 1 (2400-2200 BCE) and Unar 2 (2300-2100 BCE). Heat-induced changes to bone from cremation were …

Mni And Sex Estimation In Two Umm An-Nar Tombs From The Uae, Jaime M. Ullinger, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Chaylee Arellano, Quentin Burke, Victoria Calvin, Charlie Downey, Rachel Heil, Alyssa Mcgrath, Silvio Ernesto Mirabal Torres, Jeremy Simmons

Year 1: AAPA 2021 – virtual

Commingled tombs are often overlooked in bioarchaeological studies because of the difficult nature of analysis, despite their prevalence across the ancient world. Tombs Unar 1 (U1) and Unar 2 (U2), located in the United Arab Emirates, date to the Umm an-Nar period (2700-2000 BCE), when people witnessed shifts in mortuary practices likely reflective of broader changes in subsistence and social organization. A collaborative project that trains undergraduates in anthropological research has examined tomb membership for U1 and U2 by estimating MNI and sex. Despite early descriptions of U1 and U2 holding similar numbers of individuals, this project found that MNI …

A Tali Of Two Tombs: Calculating Mni And Bone Calcination In Commingled Remains From Two Bronze Age Tombs In The Uae, Alyssa Mcgrath, Rachel Heil, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 1: AAPA 2021 – virtual

Background: The Umm an-Nar period (2700-2000 BCE) is known for its dichotomy between the rise in social hierarchy during life, seen in the construction of monumental towers and emergence of oasis agriculture, and equal treatment in death, seen in the commingling of all community members within monumental tombs. Umm an-Nar tombs Unar 1 (2400-2200 BCE) and Unar 2 (2300-2100 BCE) were part of the Shimal Necropolis in the United Arab Emirates. Archaeologists initially hypothesized that these tombs each contained 400+ people, but these estimates were not based on bioarchaeological methods.

Methods: Using the talus, the landmark and zonation methods were …

Sex Estimation For Early Bronze Age Arabian Tombs Using The Temporal Bone, Victoria Calvin, Jeremy Simmons, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 1: AAPA 2021 – virtual

Background: The Umm an-Nar period (2700-2000 BCE) in the United Arab Emirates was marked by the appearance of settlements, oasis agriculture, and fortification towers, suggesting increasing stratification. Conversely, mortuary practices indicate equality based on commingling of community members. Based on other tombs in the region, it was hypothesized that sex ratios would not differ between tombs Unar 1 (U1; 2400-2200 BCE) and Unar 2 (U2; 2300-2100 BCE).

Methods: Sex was estimated using robusticity of the mastoid process and the lateral angle of the internal auditory meatus for the temporal bone. As cremation was part of the mortuary ritual and could …

Counting Chins To Count People: Determining Mni For Umm An-Nar Tombs From Mandibular Fragments, Chaylee Arellano, Quentin Burke, Lesley A. Gregoricka, Jaime M. Ullinger

Year 1: AAPA 2021 – virtual

Background: The Umm an-Nar period (2700-2000 BCE) was a time of rapid transformation within the Oman Peninsula, characterized by changes in mortuary practices, agriculture, and settlement. Located in the United Arab Emirates, Unar 1 (2400-2200 BCE) and Unar 2 (2300-2100 BCE) are two large Umm an-Nar tombs that held commingled, fragmented remains, posing a challenge in determining the minimum number of individuals (MNI). Based on the larger size of Unar 2, we hypothesized that the number of interred individuals would increase over time.

Methods: MNI was calculated using the zonation and landmark methods for the mandible. MNI and tomb size …

Dancing Through Covid: An Ethnographic Exploration Of Exotic Dancers' Experiences During A Pandemic, Danyelle Sturdivant

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

The novel coronavirus pandemic, quarantine, and social distancing measures affected working conditions for a variety of workers. Exotic dancers were distinctly impacted due to the stigma of their work which, prior to the pandemic, often involved the sale of close-proximity lap dances. This paper explores exotic dancers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide insight on the unique challenges they faced.

Data were gleaned using ethnographic methods with modifications informed by phenomenology. Existentially-engaged participant observation was performed in a small, Southern strip club, identified here as Flare. Two rounds of formal, recorded interviews were conducted with six exotic dancers, and …

Functional Analysis Of Weeden Island Pottery From Bayou St. John, Emily Talbert

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Analyses of Weeden Island culture and Tate’s Hammock phase pottery are sparse throughout the literature and tend to adopt a culture historical approach. This study uses pottery sherds from the Bayou St. John assemblage to conduct a functional analysis in order to determine what food related activities took place at this site during the Tate’s Hammock phase and Weeden Island culture. By comparing vessel form with orifice diameter, temper material and size, and a subassemblage that was likely connected to mound activities, this study was able to determine multiple patterns. Cooking and storage vessels were the most common vessel forms …

Cremation And Secondary Burial Practices Among Umm An-Nar Communities In Bronze Age Arabia, Antonia Carter

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Understanding the ways in which the living processed their dead is a vital component to the field of bioarchaeology, so the purpose of this research is to provide insight into funerary practices for a Bronze Age community in southeastern Arabia and demonstrate a possible difference in mortuary treatment between one generation and the next. By using the Munsell color chart to assign color codes to five areas of testable distal humeri from two Bronze Age Umm an-Nar tombs (Unar 1 and Unar 2) located in the Shimal necropolis in the United Arab Emirates, a statistically significant difference between the articular …

Oldowan Stone Tools And Hominin Cognition, Brittney Highland

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

The manufacturing of Oldowan stone tools marks a significant first step in human technological adaptation as part of the larger story of human evolution. Stone tools allow manipulation of the environment in a manner not capable by human ancestors’ “tooth and claw,” or biology, and just as importantly stone tool manufacture and use changes selective pressures related to cognition and learning. These cognitive/technological abilities drove the members of the genus Homo to become one of the most flexibly adaptive creatures on the planet. Examination of the evolution of human cognition and pedagogy allows for a more complete understanding of the …

From Sacred To Profane: European Materials Integration Into Mississippian Cosmology, Campbell Walker

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Interpreting the significance of materials used by southeastern Native Americans to express their cosmological beliefs reveals certain trends that reflect changes in culture over time. We recognize that, for many hundreds of years within the Mississippian period, artifacts fashioned from specific materials reflected the relationship between these materials and their place in native cosmology. In the post-Mississippian period, nontraditional materials became available that were used to fashion these same traditional artifact forms. I present research on how Native Americans integrated these new materials into their cosmology by drawing analogies and distinctions between uses of traditional and nontraditional materials in relation …

The Art Of Passing: What Transgender People Can Teach Us About Gender, Jennifer Clark-Grainger

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

In this thesis I explore several published articles as well as the life-stories of five Caucasian, transgender informants from the Southeastern United States (specifically, long-term residents of Alabama). This research examines the role "passing" within the transgender community and contains information from interviewees who successfully passed as the opposite gender from the gender they were assigned at birth. These interviews helped me gain understanding, not only about the colorful lives of both those who are transgender and their partners, but also about patriarchy and the gender-binary system we, as Americans, are adhering to. It was my desire to learn from …

Comparison Of Two Nineteenth-Century Native American Cultures Through The Analysis Of Pottery, Aislinn Clements

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Fort Mims and Holy Ground are two contemporary nineteenth-century sites occupied by Native Americans on opposite sides of the Creek Indian War. Pottery assemblages from each site were gathered and compared to determine similarity. It was found that both sites continued to use traditional Native American pottery, but in different quantities. Fort Mims used less decorated, more utilitarian vessels, whereas Holy Ground continued to use more complicated vessels. The main difference in the two sites came from the amount of European-style pottery: Fort Mims had more than twice the amount of European than Native American pottery, but Holy Ground had …