Anthropology Commons^™

Proactive Conversation, 3d Printing, And An Old Nintendo, Tesha C. Ellis

UROP Posters

Abstract

One hundred years from now, it would be a true historical treat to be able to showcase 20th and 21st century digital entertainment by presenting video game consoles in mint condition for interactive, educational, play. Arguably, it would be more enlightening and informative for future audiences to be able to physically engage with the electronic artifacts instead of simply observing them behind glass. With the use of 3D technology, components of video game systems can be preserved, and then printed as needed for repairs. It will help keep them functional for future researchers, educators, and enthusiasts.

A Postscript—Changing Configurations Of Gender And Family In The Philippines: Does Liberation Theology Provide A Cultural Framework For The Study Of The Family?, Kathleen Nadeau

Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rapprochements Between Theology And The Social Sciences: A Round Table Discussion On Women And The Catholic Church, Agnes Brazal, Eleanor Dioniso, Kathleen Nadeau, Emma Porio, Mary Racelis

Anthropology Faculty Publications

This event was convened by Budhi in order to pursue more thoroughly and with greater depth some points of discussion that were raised in the Symposium on the Filipino Family: Catholic and Women’s Perspectives, which was organized by the Department of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), and held on September 13, 2014.

Prior to the round table discussion (RTD), the panelists were given an outline of questions, which were prepared by Dr. Patricia Lambino, Mr. Michael Liberatore, Ms. Rachel Sanchez, members of the Theology Faculty of the Loyola Schools, AdMU, and Dr. Jean Tan, editor of Budhi.

Four of …

"We're All Jock Tamson's Bairns": Scottish Ethnic Identity And Nationalism In America, Avalon Harder

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper explores how Scottish-Americans have contributed to Scottish national dialogues by laying roots for future generations in the form of early ethnic organizations as well as religious and social practices, engaging in discussion about what it means to be both white and ethnic, sustaining forms of traditional culture through Scottish Highland Games, and interpreting their personal experiences with ethnic and national identity as a way of negotiating their relationships with Scottish nationalism. The 2014 referendum on Scottish independence offered historical circumstances that were both relevant and exhilarating to explore these topics under. This exploration incorporates both interview and survey …

Writing About Aj Pop B'Atz': Bruce Grindal And The Transformation Of Ethnographic Writing, Sarah Ashley Kistler

Faculty Publications

The works of Bruce Grindal teach us many things about anthropology’s humanistic tradition. With examples such as Redneck Girl and “Postmodernism as Seen by the Boys at Downhome Auto Repair,” Bruce Grindal demonstrated how we can creatively engage our ethnographic writing to reflect lived experiences. In this article, I examine Bruce’s influence on my ethnographic writing and collaborative research in the Maya community of San Juan Chamelco, Guatemala. Since 2006, I have worked collectively with a group of Chamelqueños to investigate the story of their local hero, Aj Pop B’atz’. In the sixteenth century, Aj Pop B’atz’ welcomed Spanish invaders …

Revisiting The Nelson Site: Recent Archeological Investigations And Material Analysis, Jason Reichel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Nelson Site (21BE24) is situated on a low terrace along the southern boundary of the Blue Earth River, approximately 2 miles west of the city of Mankato, Minnesota (Appendix A, Figures 1 and 2). Initial survey of the site in 1973 identified the site as a single component Terminal Woodland habitation site associated with cultural entities centered in the Mississippi River Valley of Iowa and Wisconsin. However, subsequent analysis and additional archaeological investigations conducted in 2011 and 2013 identified additional components of the site and recognized variations in decorative elements from pottery recovered from previous surveys, which differed from …

Using Isotope Analysis To Understand The Interaction Between Migration And Burial At The Eastern Structure Of Group 1 At Actuncan, A Maya Archaeological Site In Belize, Destiny Micklin

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

Strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios for seven individuals buried at the eastern shrine of Group 1 at Actuncan were analyzed in an attempt to elucidate the relationship between natal origin, burial location, and mortuary patterns. These data were correlated with archaeological evidence of burial practices to better understand who was interred at this ritually significant space. Results indicate that none of the individuals sampled could be identified as originating outside the Belize River Valley. Burials 7-1 and 9-1 had strontium and oxygen isotope ratios closest to expected values for the area surrounding Actuncan and the Upper Belize River Valley. …

Rebound Hardness Results For Raw Material Located Near Pinnacle Point, South Africa And The Implications Thereof, Christopher M. Shelton

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

The focus of this study is to test our ability to glean ancient human behavioral ecology data through a specific form of raw material mechanical properties testing. Through the quantitative analysis of raw material in regards to knapping quality (hereafter referred to as knappability), collection processes and choice patterns of a study group can be inferred. More precisely, this study serves to test the viability of the use of the Schmidt hammer as a means of determining knappability, with the area in and around Pinnacle Point (Western Cape, South Africa) as the focus area and silcrete and quartzite as the …

Wickiup Site Structure: A Comparison Of Aboriginal Wooden Features From The Great Basin And Colorado Plateau, Brandi Jensen Allred

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Throughout all of human history, people have built shelters for themselves whenever they stop for more than a few minutes. Many of these structures, built from wood and brush, are today colloquially known as wickiups. Wickiups are temporary housing structures, but were sometimes used for longer duration or even winter stays. In the Great Basin and surrounding montane West, we have a surprising amount of still standing wickiups. These have yet to fall to time's ravages and were initially built within the last several hundred years. Older sites, those around the world and deep into time, no longer have the …

Regional Affiliation: An Examination Of Rio Viejo Middens As Evidence For Scaled-Up Practice At Surrounding Sites., Carlo Lucido

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project analyzes 5 middens from the Lower Rio Verde valley sites of Río Viejo and Yugüe, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Terminal Formative period (150 BC to AD 250). The middens are analyzed to further our understanding of socio-political events in public spaces at both sites during this time. The study suggests a greater distinction in use of public spaces between the two sites than within Río Viejo. Frameworks established by Dietler and Hayden for the analysis of feasts do not seem to apply well to the middens analyzed here. Although I argue that evidence from Rio Viejo's middens …

"Dark And Wicked Things": Slender Man, The Folkloresque, And The Implications Of Belief, Jeffrey A. Tolbert

Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper I examine the media discourses surrounding the May 2014 stabbing of a 12-year-old girl in Waukesha, Wisconsin by two of her friends, supposedly to please the online legendary monster Slender Man, and several subsequent events which media outlets also attempted to link to the horror meme. I consider the implications of folkloric believability, by which I mean the interplay of belief about a tradition’s status as folklore, which in turn has important implications for the believability of the tradition’s content. I argue that an understanding of the processes through which individuals interact with and shape emergent traditions …

Personal Space At Parkland College, Latianna Dumas

A with Honors Projects

Through three observations of social cues of students in a community college lounge area, the author concludes that personal space is not mutually exclusive with rudeness. Rather, allowing others their personal space is a way of showing respect.

Arthur: Where Did He Go?, Siddarth Palaniappan

A with Honors Projects

This essay discusses the historical and mythological origins of King Arthur. Concludes that, while there is enough evidence to identify individuals in history that correlate with the legend of Arthur, a preference toward romanticized Aurthurian tales was created through repeated use in both Christian institutions and British politics to promote financial and political agendas.

Controversy In Skeletal Biology: The Use Of Pathological And Osteological Markers As Evidence For Activity Patterns, Anna Alioto

The Hilltop Review

One of the most pressing controversies today within a multitude of disciplines in biological anthropology including bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology and especially skeletal biology is whether or not physical activity patterns of individuals can be inferred from skeletal material and what types of activities can be reconstructed from that data (Jurmain et al., 2011). While many authors have published articles that incorporated the use of pathological and osteological markers as evidence for activity patterns, there is still much dispute within the skeletal biological community on the validity and the accuracy of the techniques used. This paper will discuss what types of markers …

Maya Construction History: Explorations Through Buildings Archaeology And Conservation, Leah M. Mccurdy

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications - Archive

No abstract provided.

Multilevel Modeling Analysis Of Dyadic Network Data With An Application To Ye’Kwana Food Sharing, Jeremy Koster, George Leckie, Andrew Miller, Raymond B. Hames

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Behavioral ecologists have recently begun using multilevel modeling for the analysis of social behavior. We present a multilevel modeling formulation of the Social Relations Model that is well suited for the analysis of dyadic network data. This model, which we adapt for count data and small datasets, can be fitted using standard multilevel modeling software packages. We illustrate this model with an analysis of meal sharing among Ye’kwana horticulturalists in Venezuela. In this setting, meal sharing among households is predicted by an association index, which reflects the amount of time that members of the households are interacting. This result replicates …

The Relevance Of Maize Pollen For Assessing The Extent Of Maize Production In Chaco Canyon, Carrie C. Heitman, Phil R. Geib

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Opinion is hardly unanimous, but many authors endorse the idea that Chaco Canyon is and was a marginal place for growing corn (Zea mays), a chief source of food energy for Puebloan groups in the Southwest. Poor soils with “toxic” levels of salts, inadequate and unpredictable precipitation, and a short growing season have all been identified as contributing to the agricultural marginality of the place (Benson 2011a; Bryan 1954; Force et al. 2002; Judd 1954:59–61). Benson has been the most vocal proponent of this view of late, and his research has culminated in the conclusion that “the San Juan Basin, …

Procedural Modeling For Ancient Maya Cityscapes: Initial Methodological Challenges And Solutions, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Rachel Plessing

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Digital reconstruction of 3D cityscapes is expensive, time-consuming, and requires significant expertise. We need a 3D modeling approach that streamlines the integration of multiple data types in a time-efficient and low-cost manner. Procedural modeling—rapid proto-typing of 3D models from a set of rules— offers a potential solution to this problem because it allows scholars to create digital reconstructions that can be quickly updated and used to test and formulate alternative hypotheses that are derived from and linked to underlying archaeological data. While procedural modeling is being used to visualize ancient Roman, Etruscan, and Greek cities, in the Maya region the …

Population Genetic Structure Of Asclepias Tuberosa In Northwest Iowa: A Comparison Within And Between Remnant Prairies And Commercially Available Seed, Jeffrey T. Ploegstra, Brittany De Ruyter, Tony Jelsma

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Isolated in scattered remnants, less than 0.1% of Iowa’s original tallgrass prairie remains. The small populations remaining are at risk for reduced genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, and outbreeding depression. In light of these concerns, we used microsatellite analysis to assess the genetic structure of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) populations on prairie remnants in northwest Iowa. We compared remnant populations with a restoration population at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, and with an Oklahoma seed source. Microsatellites identified for use in common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) had sufficient polymorphism information content (PIC) across the butterfly milkweed ( …

Strategic Deployments Of "Sisterhood" And Questions Of Solidarity At A Women's Development Project In Janakpur, Nepal, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

The Indigenous In Peruvian National Identity, Danielle Bartels

Undergraduate Research Journal

Indigenous peoples populate countries across the globe. In every country, issues of the national identity of the indigenous are important. With the aid of case studies, we can better comprehend the depth of these problems. Focusing on the intellectual history in a case study of Peru, I aim to understand the antagonistic behaviors against indigenous cultures and how the nation state chose to handle their indigenous population over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Translingual Identity And Art: Marc Chagall's Stride Through The Gate Of Janus, Natasha Lvovich

Publications and Research

This hybrid piece, combining scholarly inquiry in several disciplines (from bilingualism and literary theory to visual art, cultural anthropology, and psychoanalysis) with the genre of personal essay, explores the concept of multilingual identity and creativity in visual art. Establishing the parallel with the phenomenon of 'literary translingualism' and exemplifying most salient identity features of several translingual writers, I coin the concept of 'artistic translingualism.' The essay is focused on multilingual life and art of an immigrant artist, Marc Chagall, and analyzes his several paintings within the framework of three translingual constructs: duality, ambivalence, and liminality. The complexity of translingual identity, …

Validity Of Landmark Selection Given Different 3d Scan Processing Parameters: Landmark Location On 3d Models Of Yacchi Crania, Mary-Margaret Murphy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This project tests the validity of the use of models generated with 3-D technology for the purposes of advancing craniometric methods in anthropology. The literature describing this technology as it is being incorporated and applied is focused on the classification of crania within population structure and evolutionary development. 3-D modeling methods create data that are static over time - as long as the collection and processing has a statistically insignificant impact on deviation from the original "true" sample.

This thesis is interested in the questions of data collection given variations between processing and metadata of 3-D models and uses data …

Engendering The Past: An Archaeological Examination Of The Precontact Lifeways Of Women At Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Cathy J. Beecher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines three lines of evidence within the precontact archaeological record around Yellowstone Lake, focusing on elucidating female-specific lifeways. This work is undertaken as a means to explore concepts of gender within precontact archaeological contexts. This aim is accomplished using statistical analysis of lithic tool distribution patterns, ethnohistoric information on plants found through archaeobotanical assays and the microspatial examination of cultural fire features.

Variation in the use of obsidian and chert for unifacial tool manufacture indicates potential restrictions on the manufacture of gender specific tools as these stone resources become less available. In addition, a frame-of-reference is built by …

Into The Wild: A Case Study Of The Intersection Of Archaeology And Federal Wilderness Policy, Erika S. Blecha

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Cultural resource specialists working with and for Federal land management agencies have voiced their concern about the perception of cultural sites within federally recognized wilderness areas. However, as a whole, professionals working within the discipline of archaeology have remained relatively absent in the debates on wilderness with regards to human occupation in these designated areas. This thesis introduces the concept of wilderness, its history, perceptions, management, laws, and issues relevant to archaeology. It also draws attention to the paucity of archaeological research and the relaxed nature of cultural resource compliance mandates [National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Sections 106 and 110] …

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

Anthropology Faculty Publications

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 …

Beyond Masculine And Feminine: Gender Non-Conformity And The Evolution Of Gender-Appropriate Clothing, Jose Flores

Whittier Scholars Program

From the moment we are born, we are put into categories of gender. Throughout our lives we are expected to perform these genders appropriately, according to what society has established as normal. Because of this, inappropriate displays of gender are often seen as abnormal and deviant, especially when done by males. This paper explores the notions of gender fluidity and gender non-conformity, and how they are perceived by our society. Through informal interviews and surveys conducted at Whittier College, and by drawing on their own experience as a person who often disobeys traditional gender norms, the Scholar gathered information about …

Explorations In Viejo Period Archaeology At The Vista Del Valle Site In Chihuahua, Mexico, Michael T. Searcy, Todd Pitezel

Faculty Publications

Since Charles Di Peso’s excavations from 1958 to 1961, there has been little research on the Viejo period (700–1200 A.D.) in the northern Casas Grandes area. As director of the Proyecto Arqueológico Chihuahua, Jane Kelley and her colleagues have added significantly to our knowledge of this time period in the southern area where this cultural tradition also flourished. Following her lead, we recently embarked to better understand the Viejo period in the north by excavating at a site along the Palanganas River, just south of the Casas Grandes River valley. This paper reports the initial results of our 2015 excavations …

Narrative Fortresses: Crisis Narratives And Conflict In The Conservation Of Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique, Christy Schuetze

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Works

A single narrative about the Gorongosa Restoration Project (GRP) in Mozambique circulates widely in the popular media. This story characterises the project as an innovative intervention into an ecological crisis situation. The narrative hails the project's aim to use profits from tourism to address the goals of both human development and conservation of biodiversity, and portrays the park project as widely embraced by long-term residents. This representation helps the project attract broad acclaim, donor funding, and socially conscious visitors, yet it obscures the early emergence of unified opposition to the project's interventions among long-term residents of Gorongosa Mountain. This article …

African Cowboys On The Argentine Pampas: Their Disappearance From The Historical Record, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.