Anthropology Commons^™

Incidence Of An Astronaut Not Closing The Pressure Garment Visor On Reentry, Cameron M. Smith

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Audiovisual records of a Project Mercury pilot's activities during an orbital flight indicate that his visor was left open during reentry and descent to the sea surface, phases of flight during which cabin pressure loss was to be mitigated by suit pressurization; however the suit could not have been pressurized with the visor open. Thus, for a presently unknown reason, a critical safety step—sealing the visor and making a pressure suit integrity test before re-entry—was overlooked in this flight, a fact itself unreported in any flight review or historical documents known to the author. The lesson is clear: even a …

Skills, Division Of Labor, And Economies Of Scale Among Amazonian Hunters And South Indian Honey Collectors, Paul L. Hooper, Kathryn Demps, Michael Gurven, Drew Gerkey, Hillard S. Kaplan

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In foraging and other productive activities, individuals make choices regarding whether and with whom to cooperate, and in what capacities. The size and composition of cooperative groups can be understood as a self-organized outcome of these choices, which are made under local ecological and social constraints. This article describes a theoretical framework for explaining the size and composition of foraging groups based on three principles: (1) the sexual division of labor; (2) the intergenerational division of labor; and (3) economies of scale in production. We test predictions from the theory with data from two field contexts: Tsimane' game hunters of …

Chapter Eight: Ethnoarchaeology Of Foraging And The Case Of Vanishing Agriculturalists In The Amazon Basin, Pei-Lin Yu

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Debates about ancient Amazonian social organization have evaluated characterizations from a range of sources that include ethnographically documented foraging societies and archaeological discoveries suggestive of sedentized agriculturists. This study uses qualitative ethnoarchaeological data about foraging and small-scale horticulture among the Pumé of Venezuela, and Lewis Binford’s quantified database of foraging groups and environmental parameters, to develop a testable model that predicts the conditions under which Amazon Basin foragers would (or would not) intensify subsistence to the point of incorporating maize and other cultivars; as well as the conditions for reversing the process. Specific expectations for the archaeological and paleoenvironmental record …

“I’M The Oldest New Archaeologist In Town”: The Intellectual Evolution Of Lewis R. Binford, Pei-Lin Yu, Matthew Schmader, James G. Enloe

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lewis R. Binford was a hugely significant figure in the archaeology of the 20th century. His prolific publications invigorated the role of anthropology in archaeology, and pioneered the development of processualism, scientific archaeology, middle range theory, ethnoarchaeology, hunter–gatherer studies, and the use of global scales of analysis in constructing conceptual frameworks for understanding the organization and evolution of cultural systems. In this issue, two of Binford’s most important contributions – middle range research and the construction of frames of reference – are brought into new relevance with case studies that span time from the Middle Pleistocene to modern-day traditional communities, …

Migrant Remittances, Population Ageing And Intergenerational Family Obligations In Sri Lanka, Michele Ruth Gamburd

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As Sri Lanka’s population ages, its migrant women face a difficult choice: should they work abroad to remit money to provision their families, or should they stay at home to look after elderly kin? Although numerous studies have explored migration’s effects on children, fewer works focus on issues of elder care. This essay presents contextualizing information on transnational migration from Sri Lanka and the rapid ageing that is transforming the country’s population structure from a pyramid with many youth and few elders into a column. Using qualitative ethnographic data gathered from a labour-sending village in southern Sri Lanka, this anthropological …

Kwakwaka’Wakw “Clam Gardens”: Motive And Agency In Traditional Northwest Coast Mariculture, Douglas Deur, Adam Dick, Kim Recalma-Clutesi, Nancy J. Turner

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast of North America actively managed natural resources in diverse ways to enhance their productivity and proximity. Among those practices that have escaped the attention of anthropologists until recently is the traditional management of intertidal clam beds, which Northwest Coast peoples have enhanced through techniques such as selective harvests, the removal of shells and other debris, and the mechanical aeration of the soil matrix. In some cases, harvesters also removed stones or even created stone revetments that served to laterally expand sediments suitable for clam production into previously unusable portions of the tidal zone. …

Linking Disparate Approaches To The Study Of Social Norms: An Example From Northern Siberia, John P. Ziker

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article examines altruistic social norms among the Dolgans and the Nganasans in Arctic Siberia, drawing on and integrating experimental game theory and semiotic approaches. The article demonstrates the complementarity of these two methodologies in order to more fully understand how sharing is promoted over individual self-aggrandizement in a communal-resource property regime. Any theory of social norms should be of some practical benefit for solving current environmental dilemmas, as well as for increasing understanding of the factors lending sustainability to human-environment relationships. With that goal in mind, the article presents results of experimental games conducted in the Taimyr Autonomous Region …

Mapping Indigenous Self-Determination In Highland Guatemala, Patricia A. Mcanany, Sarah M. Rowe, Israel Quic Cholotio, Evelyn Caniz Menchu, Jose Mendoza Quic

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The challenges of building research partnerships around community mapping are critically reviewed in reference to the politics of heritage and identity among Indigenous Maya communities in highland Guatemala. This paper discusses how the goals and interests of archaeologists meshed with those of indigenous mappers in five communities that chose to participate in the mapping program. Based on responses to a survey about the mapping project, participants report joining in order to enhance self-determination, gain cartographic literacy, and improve life opportunities. Community authority over the project and a broad base of participation (including young and old, male and female) proved essential …

Environmental Justice And Community-Based Participatory Research In Texas Borderland Colonias, Adelita G. Cantu, Margaret A. Graham, Ann V. Millard, Isidore Flores, Meaghan K. Mugleston, Iris Y. Reyes, Ester C. Carbajal

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

An innovative academic-community partnership studied daily decisions in communities of mostly Spanish-speaking, low-income residents of colonias in Hidalgo County, TX, about risk of exposure to fish contaminated by PCBs at an Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site.

Design and Sample

The team used focus group interviews with colonia residents and content analysis to assess knowledge of risk related to the Superfund site, the Donna Reservoir and Canal System.

Results

(1) many lacked knowledge of the Superfund site contamination; (2) a few participants fished at the lake, knew people who did so, and consumed the catch, but most participants feared …

Conceptualizing Risk And Effectiveness: A Qualitative Study Of Women’S And Providers’ Perceptions Of Nonsurgical Female Permanent Contraception, Elizabeth K. Harrington, Diane Gordon, Isabel Osgood-Roach, Jeffrey T. Jensen, Jennifer Aengst

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: Novel approaches to nonsurgical permanent contraception (NSPC) for women that are low cost and require no incision or hysteroscope/surgical equipment could improve access to, and the acceptability of permanent contraception (PC). To better understand opportunities and limitations for NSPC approaches, we examined women's and OB/GYN providers' perceptions of NSPC in Portland, OR.

Study Design: Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 women recruited from outpatient clinics with purposive sampling, and a focus group was conducted with 9 OB/GYNs in academic and community practice. Transcripts were coded and inductively analyzed with a grounded theory approach.

Results: The majority of women …

Grandparental Help In Indonesia Is Directed Preferentially Towards Needier Descendants: A Potential Confounder When Exploring Grandparental Influences On Child Health, Kristin Snopkowski, Rebecca Sear

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A considerable body of evidence has now demonstrated positive correlations between grandparental presence and child health outcomes. It is typically assumed that such correlations exist because grandparental investment in their grandchildren improves child health and wellbeing. However, less is known about how grandparents allocate help to adult children and grandchildren, particularly in lower income contexts. Here we use detailed quantitative data from the longitudinal Indonesia Family Life Survey (data collected in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2007; n = 16,250) to examine grandparental help in a society transitioning both demographically and economically. We test the hypothesis that grandparents direct help preferentially towards …

Interest In Nonsurgical Female Permanent Contraception Among Men In Portland, Oregon And Eastern Maharashtra, India, Elizabeth K. Harrington, Diane Gordon, Pramod Bahulekar, B.S. Garg, Isabel Osgood-Roach, Jeffrey T. Jensen, Jennifer Aengst

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: We examined the men’s attitudes and perceptions toward the concept of nonsurgical female permanent contraception (NSPC), or novel approaches to permanent contraception (PC) that do not require incisions or surgical equipment/hysteroscope.

Study design: Cross-sectional survey of married/partnered men in Portland, OR and rural eastern Maharashtra, India. Descriptive analysis was performed.

Results: In India (N=150), most men (80%) anticipated their partners would undergo PC in the future, compared to 30% in Portland (N=170). About a third (39.6% in India, 82% in Portland) reported being uncomfortable with PC for partners due to the need for surgery. Most men …

Pressure Test Results Regarding Convolute Elbow Segments And Biomedical Monitoring, Cameron M. Smith

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Pacific Spaceflight’s Mark II / III pressure garment (model Gagarin with one newly-built elbow segment on the left arm) was pressurized to evaluate the mobility allowed by the newly-installed convolute arm compared to the right arm’s older convolute elbow segment. Additionally a new helmet hold-down cable system was tested, as well as the C02 scrubbing system and heart rate, Sp02, suit’s exhausted gas C02 levels and a new communication system. At pressures of 2.3psi – 2.5psi the helmet hold-down cable came free of the new hardware (a sailboat’s one-way cleat system), raising the helmet ring explosively. This resulted from the …

Stable Isotope And Ancient Dna Analysis Of Dog Remains From Cathlapotle (45cl1), A Contact-Era Site On The Lower Columbia River, Kenneth M. Ames, Michael P. Richards, Camilla F. Speller, Dongya Y. Yang, R. Lee Lyman, Virginia L. Butler

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study reports ancient DNA (aDNA) and stable isotope analyses of eight dog skeletal elements from the Cathlapotle site on the Lower Columbia River of the western United States. The aDNA analysis confirmed the elements as dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Two haplotypes were found, both of which group within dog Clade A, and have patchy distributions to the north in British Columbia and as far south as Teotihuacan (Mexico). The isotopic analysis showed that the dogs’ dietary protein was derived almost exclusively from marine sources. Lower Columbia River ethnohistoric accounts and Cathlapotle zooarchaeological records indicate that while marine fish were …

Archéologie Du Cap Espenberg Où La Question Du Birnirk Et De L’Origine Du Thulé Dans Le Nord‐Ouest De L’Alaska, Claire Alix, Owen K. Mason, Nancy H. Bigelow, Shelby L. Anderson, Jeffrey Rasic, John F. Hoffecker

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Résumé en français

Le cap Espenberg est une flèche littorale au large de la mer des Tchouktches dans le nord‐ouest de l’Alaska contenant les vestiges de 4000 ans d’occupations humaines et de changements climatiques. Les recherches archéologiques et paléoenvironnementales qui sont menées depuis 2009 dans le cadre d’un projet pluridisciplinaire apportent des informations nouvelles sur la chronologie des occupations du dernier millénaire et documente l’émergence de la culture thuléenne directement antérieure et ancestrale aux Inuit/Inupiat d’aujourd’hui, dans un contexte d’intensification des conditions cycloniques contemporain du petit âge glaciaire. Parallèlement, ces recherches posent la question de la nature de l’occupation Birnirk …

Metal And Prestige In The Greater Lower Columbia River Region, Northwestern North America, H. Kory Cooper, Kenneth Ames, Loren G. Davis

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Excavations at the late prehistoric-early historic Chinookan sites of Meier and Cathlapotle in the Greater Lower Columbia Region recovered several hundred metal artifacts. Portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used initially to quickly determine metal type. Then a sample of copper artifacts was subjected to another round of XRF analysis to identify the presence of native copper and, or, chronologically sensitive copper metals. No native copper artifacts were identified and the lack of Muntz metal, a specific type of brass patented in the 1830s, corroborates the dating of material from both sites as no later than the early historic period. Meier …

The Bear Creek Site (45ki839), A Late Pleistocene–Holocene Transition Occupation In The Puget Sound Lowland, King County, Washington, Robert E. Kopperl, Amanda K. Taylor, Christian J. Miss, Kenneth M. Ames, Charles M. Hodges

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Bear Creek site in Redmond, Washington, yields important information about settlement, subsistence, and technology in the Puget Lowland during the late Pleistocene–Holocene transition. The lithic assemblage is dominated by expedient flake technology, but also contains bifaces and retouched tools. Ongoing analyses focus on site formation, procurement strategies of lithic raw materials, production of flake tools, and technological comparisons of Bear Creek stemmed and concave-base points with other Paleoarchaic technologies of western North America

Holocene Settlement History Of The Dundas Islands Archipelago, Northern British Columbia, Bryn Letham, Andrew Martindale, Duncan Mclaren, Thomas Brown, Kenneth M. Ames, David J.W. Archer, Susan Marsden

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As this article demonstrates, the Dundas Islands have been home to humans for at least eleven thousand years. This occupation was at times very extensive; this relatively small group of islands was likely home to a population of several thousand people by about two thousand years ago. While geographically on the “outer shores” of Northern Tsimshian traditional territory, these islands were in no way marginal as locations for settlement. We outline the settlement history of the archipelago by presenting the results of the Dundas Islands Archaeological Project, including the radiocarbon dating program results combined with data from three previous small-scale …

Re-Visiting The Field: Collaborative Archaeology As Paradigm Shift, Patricia A. Mcanany, Sarah M. Rowe

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The emphasis of the JFA on field methods resonates strongly with current disciplinary interest in multivocality and participatory research. In this new epistemology of inclusiveness, communities play an active role in the production of archaeological knowledge as well as in the conservation of cultural heritage. From the perspective of archaeologists trained in the U.S. who conduct research in Latin America, we historicize changes in the triadic relationship among archaeologists, contemporary communities, and things of the past. This examination focuses on the evolving social context of archaeological practice. The social milieu within which archaeology is conducted is explored further by reference …

Yakutat Tlingit And Wrangell-St. Elias National Park And Preserve: An Ethnographic Overview And Assessment, Douglas Deur, Thomas Thornton, Rachel Lahoff, Jamie Hebert

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The National Park Service initiated a series of studies, working in collaboration with park-associated Native communities, to provide basic documentation of the nature of Alaska Native ties to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The current study represents one of a series of baseline reports on Alaska Native ties to the park. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve includes parts of the traditional territories of three general Alaska Native groups—the Upper Tanana and Ahtna Athabascans and the Yakutat Tlingit. Prior to the current effort, the park completed ethnographic overviews and assessments in the upper Tanana and Ahtna regions, which are …

Neoliberalism, Interrupted. Edited By Mark Goodale And Nancy Postero. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2013. Pp. 317, Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Neoliberalism, Interrupted presents Latin America as a global laboratory for new forms of governance, economic structures, and social mobilization. The volume’s title signals a repeated theme throughout the chapters: in Latin America, neoliberalism is simultaneously being challenged and naturalized. At present, Latin America is a site of social, political, and economic experimentation on the one hand and intractable structural vulnerability, violent resistance, and retrenchment on the other. New forms of contestation render other potential ideologies for radical social change unthinkable.