Anthropology Commons^™

Soulful Voices: Birds, Language And Prophecy In Amazonia, Harry Walker

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This paper explores the significance of human-bird interactions among Peruvian Urarina, focusing on bird speech and its relation to concepts of voice, power and prophecy. It suggests that while the potential status of birds as subjects remains complex and uncertain, this very ambiguity has stimulated the development and refinement of more abstract ideas of meaning, language, and what it means to be human. The ways in which bird sounds signify is not simply arbitrary, but rather indexical or analogic, leading to the impression of a privileged access to reality and a powerful claim to truth. Together with their vocal transparency …

Amazonian Dark Earths, William Balee

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Review article of Amazonian Dark Earths: Origins, Properties, Management. Johannes Lehmann, Dirse C. Kern, Bruno Glaser, William I. Woods, eds. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003. 505 pp., $279.00 (cloth).

ISBN 978-1-4020-1839-8 [http://www.springer.com/]. Amazonian Dark Earths: Explorations in Space and Time. Bruno Glaser and William I. Woods, eds. Berlin: Springer-Verlag., 2004. 216 pp., $189 (cloth). ISBN 978-3-54000754-8 [http://www.springer.com/].

Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek’s Vision. William I. Woods, Wenceslau G. Teixeira, Johannes Lehmann, Christoph Steiner, Antoinette M.G.A. WinklerPrins, and Lilian Rebellato, eds. New York: Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2009. 502 pp., $249 (cloth). ISBN 978-1-4020-9030-1 [http://www.springer.com/].

Intercultural Communication With Semester At Sea: A Former Student To New Student Guide, Brooke Applegarth

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Microfossil Content Of Dental Calculus From Brazilian Sambaquis, Verônica Wesolowski, Sheila Maria Ferraz Mendonça De Souza, Karl Reinhard, Gregório Ceccantini

Karl Reinhard Publications

To date, limited numbers of dental calculus samples have been analyzed by researchers in diverse parts of the world. The combined analyses of these have provided some general guidelines for the analysis of calculus that is non-destructive to archaeological teeth. There is still a need for a quantitative study of large numbers of calculus samples to establish protocols, assess the level of contamination, evaluate the quantity of microfossils in dental calculus, and to compare analysis results with the literature concerning the biology of calculus formation. We analyzed dental calculus from 53 teeth from four Brazilian sambaquis. Sambaquis are the shellmounds …

Through The Eyes Of A Child: The Archaeology Of Wwii Japanese American Internment At Amache, April Kamp-Whittaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children’s lives in the World War II Japanese American Internment Camp, Amache are investigated using a combination of archaeology, oral history, and archival research. As part of internees’ efforts to create a more hospitable environment both children and adults extensively modified the physical landscape. The importance of landscape and place in Japanese culture and for the internee community is examined using the development of gardens around the elementary school as a case study. Internees also developed a rich social landscape that allowed for the socialization of children within Amache. The socialization of children at Amache was being influenced by the …

Glynn, Luanne Carol (Aylesworth) (Fa 518), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 518. This collection contains tape recorded interviews (28) conducted by Luanne Glynn with Ellis Yeargin Hurt (1900-1994) of Cadiz, Trigg County, Kentucky. The interviews relay Ellis's life history.  The project also includes an interpretive paper, a project proposal and summary as well as tape indexes.  This project was the result of a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Williams, Michael Ann (Fa 512), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 512.  This collection contains an application for an assistance grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the assessment and preservation of the audio recordings in Western Kentucky University’s Folklife Archives.  Also included is the final performance report “Preservation Assessment of Audio Recordings in Western Kentucky University’s Folklore Archives.”

Federal Judge Sets June 28 For Final Disposition Of Case Involving Indian Head Rock, G. Sam Piatt

Indian Head Rock Project

An article in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the federal case involving Indian Head Rock from May 13, 2010.

Reader Offers A Poem About Indian Head Rock, Esther M. Vasser

Indian Head Rock Project

A poem published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the Indian Head Rock from May 11, 2010.

"My One Regret...": The Case For Cultural Immersion In Study Abroad Programs, Kevin Geyer

Honors Scholar Theses

Study abroad has been an established institution in US universities for almost a century, and hundreds of thousands of students travel to all corners of the world every year. While many list some degree of cultural immersion as a main goal, most students have a difficult time achieving this. Drawing from interviews with twenty-five UConn undergraduates that studied abroad, this study attempts to identify factors that hold students back from cultural encounters. The study also discusses the 'success stories' of undergrads that made significant connections abroad, and highlights the factors that can lead to this (e.g., homestays, jobs, internships).

Architecture In Archaeology: An Examination Of Domestic Space In Bronze Age Mesopotamia, Megan E. Drennan

Honors Scholar Theses

The study of architecture within archaeology has not had a direct, well-defined history nor a singular academic pursuit. Yet over time, four branches have developed; they examine: 1) the object itself; structures as artifacts, 2) activity areas within a structure, 3) the specific way in which a building confines space, and 4) the relationship between human behavior and architecture.

This investigation surveys domestic space in the Bronze Age Mesopotamian urban centers of Tell Asmar, Nippur, and Ur. The analysis uses methods from the study of space, such as space syntax, access analysis, and visibility angles, to demonstrate the probability of …

A Ditch By Any Other Name Is Still A Ditch: An Archaeological Assessment Of Ditch Earthworks On The Middle Missouri In The Dakotas, Albert M. Lebeau

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

A Ditch by any other Names is Still a Ditch: An Archaeological Assessment of Ditch Earthworks on the Middle Missouri of South Dakota Albert M. LeBeau III, M.A. University of Nebraska , 2010 Advisor: Peter Bleed Abstract: This thesis is an archaeological assessment of ditch earth works on the Middle Missouri sub-area in North and South Dakota. This master’s thesis considers previously publically published materials from fifteen archaeological sites along the northern tier of Missouri River in the Dakotas. The paper questions the use of the terms “fortified” and “fortification” when describing ditch earthworks that surround some Plains Village archaeological …

The Economic Importance Of Draught Oxen On Small Farms In Namibia's Eastern Caprivi Region, Andrew B. Conroy, Mogos Yakob Teweldmehidin

Natural Resources & the Environment

The main aim of this study was to analyse and document the value of smallholder farmers’ use of Draught Animal Power (DAP) systems in the Eastern Caprivi Region and to test the economic viability of DAP usage versus using tractors. This study applied Rapid Rural Appraisal techniques (RRA), including a survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 312 farmers at their farms and data was gathered on the use of and economics related to the draught animal power system. Crop enterprise budgets, project reports, expert opinions and group discussions were analysed. The research found that the use of animal power performs …

The Places Of Birth: Navigating Risk, Control, And Choice, Hannah E. Emple

Geography Honors Projects

Through qualitative research in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and a literature review grounded in health and feminist geography, this paper analyzes how women, their families, and health care providers view and navigate places of birth. Over four million births occur annually in the United States, making birth the most common reason for hospitalization of women. Although 99% of women in the U.S. give birth in hospitals, a small but vocal minority seek alternative places to birth – primarily at home. Where to give birth is a contested subject infused with social and political significance. I suggest that place is highly …

Kentucky To Display Indian Head Rock, G. Sam Piatt

Indian Head Rock Project

An article in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the Indian Head Rock from May 1, 2010.

Trade Liberalization, Corn Prices And A Rural Community In Guatemala, José N. Cabrera-Schneider

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Trade liberalization policies in Guatemala have impacted agricultural production. This thesis focuses on how trade liberalization has happened, what have been the impacts at a national level and describes how a community has adapted to the implementation of these policies. The implementation of trade was influenced by several, international and national institutions. Among the international institutions are the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and the United States Agency for International Development. At the national level the institutions that have partaken in shaping the trade policies are the military and the owners of capital and labor. The implementation of trade …

Taxonomic Implications Of Basicranial Variation In Australopithecus Africanus, Timothy R. Petersen

Anthropology ETDs

Although it was discovered 85 years ago, Australopithecus africanus remains a source of contention among paleoanthropologists. Uncertainty about the fossils taxonomic unity has resulted in controversy about their place in hominin phylogeny. This work addresses their taxonomy through application of three-dimensional morphometrics followed by analysis of their patterns of variation in traditional morphological characters. This sequential approach lends more support to the conclusions than would either technique alone. The cranial base was selected as the focus of the analyses because it preserves well and is likely to capture taxonomically-important variation. This inference is supported by the finding herein that the …

Houses In A Landscape: Memory And Everyday Life In Mesoamerica, Julia A. Hendon

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

In Houses in a Landscape, Julia A. Hendon examines the connections between social identity and social memory using archaeological research on indigenous societies that existed more than one thousand years ago in what is now Honduras. While these societies left behind monumental buildings, the remains of their dead, remnants of their daily life, intricate works of art, and fine examples of craftsmanship such as pottery and stone tools, they left only a small body of written records. Despite this paucity of written information, Hendon contends that an archaeological study of memory in such societies is possible and worthwhile. It …

Hanseatic Cogs And Baltic Trade: Interrelations Between Trade Technology And Ecology, Jillian R. Smith

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

The Hanseatic League was the major commercial power in northern Europe from the twelfth through the fifteenth centuries. During this time, it grew to encompass the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas and maintained economic influence over key areas on the European continent. From the inception of the Hanseatic League until the midfifteenth century, one ship type dominated the inland and overseas trade: the Cog. Cog design remained fairly constant throughout the period in spite of the great geographical variation present within the Hanseatic League. Cogs became increasingly larger throughout the period, requiring a greater amount of oak timber …

Cerro Chepen And The Late Moche Collapse In The Jequetepeque Valley, North Coast Of Peru, Marco Rosas Rintel

Anthropology ETDs

In this dissertation, I investigate the socio-political processes that led to the collapse of the Late Moche political communities located in the Lower Jequetepeque Valley, North Coast of Peru. During the Late Moche phase (AD 600 to 850), the human populations of this valley evidenced an interesting case of political fragmentation and internal conflict. The Moche collapse in the Jequetepeque Valley is approached from the perspective of one of the largest power centers of the region: the fortified site of Cerro Chepén. This site occupies the upper and eastern slopes of a hill, located in a relatively central position within …

The Role Of Standardization In Specialization Of Ceramic Production At San Marcos Pueblo, New Mexico, Kari Lynn Schleher

Anthropology ETDs

In my dissertation research, I examine decorated pottery production at San Marcos Pueblo, in the Galisteo Basin of north central New Mexico. San Marcos Pueblo was occupied from A.D. 1250 until the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish in 1680. In previous research, San Marcos Pueblo was suggested to be a production center for Northern Rio Grande Glaze Wares (Glaze Ware) (Warren 1976, 1979). I evaluate this claim by examining over 700 pottery sherds and whole vessels from the site and surrounding region. In addition, I examine how pottery production at San Marcos was organized and how this structure changed through …

Chanka Settlement Ecology: Hilltop Sites, Land Use And Warfare In Late Prehispanic Andahuaylas, Peru, Lucas C. Kellett

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation investigates Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000-1400) hilltop settlements of the central Andean highlands. Rather than a traditional warfare-centered political perspective, the research employs primarily an ecological model in which to evaluate the widespread settlement shift to high altitude ridge tops beginning ca. AD 1000. More specifically, the research investigates the multi-faceted role that climate change may have played in the establishment of LIP hilltop settlements. I examine the concomitant shifts in the local ecology and the economic organization of hilltop communities. Using a multi-scalar and methodologically diverse research design, incorporating ethnohistory, field survey, excavation and GIS, I examine …

Exploring Social Interaction At The Ancient Maya City Of Copan, Honduras: A Multi-Scalar Geographic Information Systems (Gis) Analysis Of Access And Visibility, Heather M. Richards-Rissetto

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation investigates late eighth and early ninth century social interaction at the archaeological site of Copán, Honduras. Two main research questions are addressed: (1) Did people of different social classes experience different degrees of social connectivity? and (2) Did people living in different parts of the city experience different degrees of social connectivity? A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to quantify social connectivity, that is, degree of social integration or social segregation, using access and visibility as proxy measures for social interaction, and to examine whether Copáns inhabitants influenced social interaction by configuring their city to facilitate or …

Documentary Research And Archaeological Investigations At The Waite-Kirby-Potter Site, Westport, Massachusetts, Katharine M. Johnson, Christa M. Beranek, Kathryn A. Catlin, Laura W. Ng

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

Research on the Waite-Kirby-Potter house in Westport, Massachusetts, included mapping historical resources visible on the surface and excavating 25 test pits and units near the house foundations in the fall of 2009. Field investigations were complemented by extensive documentary research including a complete chain of title and genealogical research on the three families who have owned the property between the late 17th century and the present. The visible historical features include elements associated with the former stone ender (the standing stone end and chimney, an adjacent brick chimney, and a stone-lined cellar hole), stone walls, a 19th-century barn foundation, a …

The Effects Of Cellular Theta Breathing Meditation On Cell Mediated Immune Response: A Controlled, Randomized Investigation Of Altered Consciousness And Health, Marjorie D. Hardgrave

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Medical anthropology is well positioned to make contributions to consciousness research based on biocultural approaches that integrate methodologies from the biological, behavioral and social sciences to explore aspects of human health. The ubiquity and perseverance of health related activities involving altered states of consciousness (ASC) across cultures past and present suggest that these potentials are deeply rooted in human sociocultural evolution. Analyzing the relationship between immune function and meditative ASC represents an effort to empirically investigate the adaptive value of these human potentials.

A controlled, randomized investigation of two meditation practices was conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas …

Use Of An Animal Model To Explore Prenatal Predictors Of Insulin And Glucose Metabolism In Southwestern Alaskan Yupiit, Julie Jo Kachinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Compared to other North American indigenous populations, Southwest Alaskan Yupiit exhibit very low rates of type 2 diabetes despite the occurrence of common risk factors. Contemporary Yupiit obtain a substantial portion of their calories from traditional foods, which contain high amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Epidemiological and experimental animal research has linked glucose and insulin homeostasis with a diet high in omega-3s. This study used an experimental animal model to explore potential diabetes protective effects (for adult offspring) of prenatal maternal nutrition modeled on traditional locally-obtained Yupiit diets. The results of this study showed that the adult offspring whose …

Health Status Of Infants And Children From The Bronze Age Tomb At Tell Abraq, United Arab Emirates, Kathryn Mary Baustian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tell Abraq is significant because it is the largest prehistoric site on the southern coast of the Arabian Gulf. It was strategically important as an ancient port, regionally surrounded by large political centers. Commingled remains were located in a small tomb (6 m) used for a 200 year period (2200-2000 BC). The site was continually occupied from the 3rd millennium BC up to the 1st century AD. In the tomb were minimally 286 adults and 127 subadults. What is extraordinary is the number of pre-term (3rd trimester) infants (n=28, 22%), neonates (n=12, 9%), and infants under 2 years (n=46, 36%). …

Impacts On Maternal Diet In A Transitional Community In Rural Costa Rica: Potential Implications For The Developmental Origins Of Obesity-Related Disorders, Allison Cantor

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines maternal diet in a rural, transitional community in Costa Rica. Using cross-cultural categories recognized in the ethnographic literature (i.e. dietary taboos, dietary prescriptions, food cravings and the acknowledgment of a special post-partum period diet), maternal dietary practices were identified in the local community through surveys (n=45) and participant-observation (n=5), and to reflect the actual consumption patterns of pregnant and nursing women in the area, 24-hour diet recalls were administered to 5 pregnant or nursing women. In light of the recent changes that increased tourism has brought to the Monteverde Zone, focus groups were employed to determine impacts …

Why Conical Pots? An Examination Of The Relationship Among Vessel Shape, Subsistence, And Mobility, Claire Kathleen Helton-Croll

Anthropology ETDs

This study examines the functional relationship between ceramic cooking vessel shape and subsistence and mobility using vessels from Navajo and Towa-speaking Puebloan groups from the Protohistoric period (A.D. 1450-1700) in the southwestern United States. Conical shape vessels are found in association with mobile foragers throughout the past. Navajo peoples produced Dinetah and Navajo Gray wares, both of which have conical bases. Towa-speaking Puebloan peoples from the Jemez and Pecos areas produced rounded-base cooking vessels. The Navajo and Towa-speaking Puebloans practice different subsistence and mobility strategies. The primary goal of this research was to determine if variation in cooking vessel form …

Colono Wares In The Western Spanish Borderlands: A Ceramic Technological Study, Jennifer Boyd Dyer

Anthropology ETDs

The appearance of hybrid ceramics, also known as colono wares, signals Spanish contact across the Empire and materially represents syncretism between Native American and European traditions. Because colono wares are low-fired, locally produced ceramics that take on European shapes, they are used in this study to investigate how Pueblo groups in New Mexico responded to Spanish contact during the early colonial period, defined as initial contact to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. I build a model that compares colono wares to traditional forms using technological variables to determine if cultural resilience, disruption, or innovation best characterize early colonial period interactions …