Anthropology Commons^™

White Horse Village: A Northern Utah Ufo Narrative, Melissa Petersen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In the early 1960's a group of UFO believers, called Christ Brotherhood Inc., established themselves in Smithfield Canyon, UT and called their commune White Horse Village. A main house was built where the leader of the group lived and two or three smaller cabins were erected for the believers. Without running water they used an outhouse among them and built a small church where they would meet for lectures. Their beliefs centered around the popular movement of New Age spirituality of the time, which included scientific explanations for Christian beliefs including a belief in benevolent aliens as modern angels. Their …

Living With Dementia In Kenya: Pathways To Care, Diagnosis And Management, Edna Bosire

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing a sharp rise in the size of theolder population; consequently, the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer’s DiseaseRelated Dementias (AD/ADRD) is also expected to rise. There is limited research onAD/ADRD lived experiences have been conducted in SSA including Kenya. Our projectaimed to explore patient’s and caregivers lived experiences with Alzheimer’s disease inKenya.

Methods: This ethnographic study was conducted at the Aga Khan University hospital(AKUH), involving in-depth interviews with 21 health care providers, 26 patientswith mild cognitive impairment and 36 caregivers. We also conducted 10 homevisits and observations. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.In what …

Understanding And Willingness To Participate In Dementia Clinical Trials In Kenya: An Ethnographic Study, Edna Bosire, Lucy Kamau, Chinedu Momoh, Jasmit Shah, Karen Blackmon, Caroline Kiio, Irene Meier, Vaibhav Narayan, Olivera Nesic Taylor,, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Advancements in dementia research are in part contingent on participation in clinical research. Clinical trials can help researchers determine if new drugs, devices, or diagnostic procedures for dementia are safe and effective. However, little is known about clinical trials for dementia in resource constrained settings such as Kenya. The aim of our research was to explore people’s understanding of dementia clinical trials, their attitudes and perceptions towards dementia clinical trials and what can be done to enhance enrollments on such clinical trials.

Method: This was an ethnographic study involving 8 focused group discussions (FGDs; age and gender stratified; n=81) …

A Story Of Life Through Death: An Osteobiography Of Two Individuals From The Late Saxon Period, Isabella Ragazzi

Honors Theses

The Anglo-Saxons were the most influential inhabitants of the British Isles in the years AD 450-1066, reigning during a time marked by much warfare, pestilence, and famine. Their impact on British history is still seen through archival materials as well as the archeological and bioarchaeological records. A recent development in the field of bioarchaeology is the osteobiography, which places skeletal analysis in context of the overall culture to create the most complete interpretation of the individual and their life history. Involving both traditional bioarchaeological evaluation and isotopic analysis, this method was applied to two Anglo-Saxon skulls donated to the University …

Embodied Overcrowding And Sensory Tensions: A Carceral Autoethnography Of Philippine Jails, Dwayne Antojado

Ateneo School of Government Publications

In this paper, I undertake a sensorially oriented autoethnography of two Philippine jails, illuminating the visceral textures of carceral life that conventional sociological or criminological discourses often overlook. Drawing inspiration from Jewkes and Young's (2021) examination of Kyoto Prison, I foreground the overlapping realms of sight, sound, smell, and touch, arguing that incarceration is inherently a profoundly embodied phenomenon. By weaving personal reflections, field observations, and broader scholarly insights, I reveal how overcrowded dormitories, suffocating heat, and lingering bodily odours converge to redefine detainees' spatial, temporal, and psychosocial realities in ways rarely captured by quantitative metrics. While mindful of Nelken's …

Undergraduate Awareness Of Sexual Harassment Law In Tanzania's Higher Learning Institutions: Case Studies Of Two Universities, Salma Ramadhan Fundi Phd Candidate

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

This study examines undergraduate students' awareness of legal provisions and guidelines concerning sexual harassment in Tanzanian higher education, focusing on the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) as case studies. Sexual harassment significantly impacts students’ well-being, safety, and academic success. Despite the existence of legal frameworks, students' knowledge of these provisions is often limited. The study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological research design to explore students’ experiences and perceptions of harassment policies. This design allowed participants to share the meanings they attach to their experiences and how such policies are understood …

Bundled For The Beyond: Material Analysis Of A Canine Mummy Bundle For Contextualizing And Conserving Legacy Objects, Sascha Anna-Rose Baldauf

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Legacy collections¹ and objects with little context are often untapped opportunities for both museums and museum studies students. The purpose of this study is to display how students can utilize object research to engage in experiential learning and develop their skillset in scientific methodologies and disseminating findings, while also offering museums the opportunity to develop relationships with research facilities and benefit from student research findings. This study demonstrates the utility of student research by investigating an Egyptian canid mummy bundle, dating to the Late Period² or early Ptolemaic Period³, received by the Museum of Anthropology at …

Applicability Of Cementochronology To Estimate Season-Of-Death In Humans: Insights From Modern Documented Collections, Olga Ibarra-Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Dental cementum is characterized by lifelong deposition of alternating opaque annuli in fall/winter and translucent bands in spring/summer. This study aims to test the applicability of cementochronology to estimate season-of-death, by observing the properties of the last layer, with direct implications for forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology. The sample includes canine teeth from 146 adults (84 males, 62 females), age-at-death ranging from 20-97 years (mean=61.7 years, SD=18.6 years), from two contemporary skeletal collections. Of these individuals, 78 (53.4%) died in spring/summer and 68 (46.6%) died in fall/winter. Overall accuracy was low at 64.4% (94/146). Accuracy was higher for spring/summer deaths 100.0% …

Work-Related Pathology At Tell El-Amarna: The Physical Cost Of Building A New Capital City In The New Kingdom, Egypt, Heidi Suzanne Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines patterns of work-related indicators of physical stress in a skeletal sample from the non-elite adult population of the South Tombs Cemetery (STC) of Amarna, Egypt. Assessing work-related pathology using an integrative model of physical stress, this study considers the interactions of demographic parameters of age, sex, and injury recurrence, along with archaeological and documentary data to provide a biocultural contextual approach to physical stress in this population. The STC sample is compared to other samples from Egyptian and Nubian sites as well as historical samples believed to be under high physical demands and stressful conditions. The STC …

Material Differentiation On The Yellow Point Ridge Lithic Landscape, Gabriel Boghosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper identified material use differences on the Yellow Point Ridge Lithic Landscape, utilizing flake morphology to identify use stages of materials found on site. This research confirmed the viability of methods like PXRF in conjunction with Infield material identifications and geologist identifications, as well as expanded the understanding of South-west Wyoming land use by hunter-gatherers.

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

“Festivity Without Feast”: Autonomy, Prosperity, Mutuality And Inequality In A Mentawai Village, Darmanto Darmanto

Antropologi Indonesia

Among the Mentawai, autonomy, prosperity, and mutuality are core values that foster their egalitarian ethos. In the last few decades, they have reconfigured these values in their quest for equality with outsiders who have consistently looked down upon them. The state encourages and facilitates their pursuit by establishing a centralised village, implementing development projects, and promoting engagement in commodity production. These processes direct productive work results towards household livelihoods, legitimising wealth accumulation and sidelining sharing practices. In seeking equality with outsiders, the realisation of autonomy and productivity increasingly leads to internal inequality, which is the antithesis of their egalitarian quest …

Accepting Film: A Study On Tradition, Values Change And Continuity In Tebuireng Pesantren, Jombang, Nurman Hakim

Antropologi Indonesia

The pesantren tradition contains values that become a guide for life and become a source for the actions of santri and kiai. The values in the pesantren tradition in the form of akhlak (morals), ibadah (worship) and barokah (blessings) become an anchor for kiai and santri in responding to films that are considered products of modernity emerging from the west. In the past the act of watching and making films was rejected and considered contrary to the pesantren tradition, but slowly now films are used by pesantren to preserve the tradition itself. This article explores how values in the …

Valorisasi Wayang Kulit: Tambal Sulam Pengalaman Pengrajin Wayang Kulit Dan Liyan Di Desa Wisata Wayang Sidowarno, Yayuk Windarti

Antropologi Indonesia

The emergence of Sidowarno Wayang Tourism Village indicates a significant transformation in the traditional art of wayang kulit (shadow puppetry). Wayang artisans in Sidowarno offer wayang kulit as an educational process packaged within a tourism village. However, as they adapt to the needs of others, the values embedded in wayang kulit undergo changes. This article addresses several questions, including: how do the roles of wayang kulit artisans in Butuh Village, Sidowarno contribute to the development of the wayang tourism village? How does the presence of other actors shape and transform the values of wayang kulit? Furthermore, how does …

When Two Worlds Collide: Caring In The Midst Of Bureaucratization Of Healthcare In Malinau, North Kalimantan, Anwar Arifin

Antropologi Indonesia

The issue of healthcare under neoliberalism has been a topic under scrutiny for anthropologists. With the rise of financial capitalism, the state is reconfigured to create a life where the logic of the market triumphs over all other aspects of life. This reconfiguration includes the healthcare sector, where new paradigms of neoliberal governance are incorporated into the fabric of healthcare. In continuing this analysis, I want to address a more specific approach regarding how neoliberal mechanisms work to disrupt caring practices, particularly through the use of bureaucracies. Drawing from various literature and my own ethnographic experiences in Malinau, this article …

Atheist Values And The Religious Other: Negotiating Morality In Indonesia, Malaysia, And The Philippines, Timo Duile, Prince Kennex R. Aldama

Antropologi Indonesia

As being religious is often seen in religious societies as a precondition for having values, atheists often face prejudice as they are seen as people without values. However, as they conceptualize and construct their values with and against the religious other, they are part of society as an arena in which what counts as values is constantly negotiated. Drawing on David Graeber’s concept of society as an arena for the realization of value production, this article sheds light on the values of atheists in religious plural societies in Southeast Asia, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It analyzes how atheism …

Defending The Homeland: An Archaeoethnodemographic (Aed) Analysis Of Population Dynamics And Settlement Patterns In The Navajo Dinétah, Ad 1720–1745, Kurt Mantonya

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation presents an innovative archaeoethnodemographic (AED) analysis of Navajo population dynamics during the Middle Period (AD 1720−1745) of the Gobernador Phase in the Dinétah, the ancestral Navajo homeland in northwest New Mexico. During this critical quarter-century, intensified Ute and Comanche slave-raiding and Spanish military expeditions forced the Diné to abandon traditional dispersed settlement patterns in favor of defensive aggregation around fortified pueblitos—small masonry defensive structures built on boulder-tops and mesa-rims throughout the region.

The study employs an AED framework that systematically integrates archaeological site analysis, ethnographic household organization data, historical documentation, and demographic modeling to reconstruct population dynamics during …

Ädeeja: Origem Dos Alimentos Cultivados E Práticas Alimentares Ye’Kwana, Viviane Cajusuanaima Rocha (Povo Ye’Kwana)

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

O artigo explora a ligação entre a cosmologia do povo Ye’kwana e suas práticas alimentares tradicionais, com base no conceito central de ädeeja, que representa os alimentos cultivados. Esse termo abrange mais do que a ideia de comida — ele carrega uma dimensão cosmológica e relacional, conectando humanos, espíritos, plantas e o território. Está ligado a uma rede de relações entre humanos, espíritos vegetais e saberes ancestrais. Representa a comida como elo com o cosmos, reforçando a interdependência entre os seres. Minha análise mostra que, para os Ye’kwana, alimentar-se é um ato cósmico, enraizado em narrativas, cantos e relações …

Prosperando Con Otros: Paisajes Multiespecie Y Producción De Alimentos En El Caribe Colombiano, América Larraín

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

Este artículo es resultado de un proyecto de investigación asociado a la producción de alimentos en una comunidad arhuaca en las tierras bajas de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Se describen algunas experiencias de la implementación del proyecto, destacando los aspectos relacionados con la articulación entre las técnicas derivadas de la agroacuicultura integrada y la cosmovisión arhuaca. Con este artículo, se espera contribuir a la reflexión sobre cómo las cosmologías indígenas se materializan en prácticas concretas, que en este caso específico podrían pensarse en el marco de lo que se ha llamado el Buen Vivir.

As Donas Do Fogo: Parentesco, Práticas Alimentares E Luta Pela Terra Entre Os Kaiowa E Guarani, Lauriene Seraguza Olegário E Souza

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

Os Guarani e Kaiowa apresentam uma relação sofisticada entre as práticas alimentares e a recuperação de territórios tradicionais em Mato Grosso do Sul (Brasil), protagonizada cotidianamente por mulheres indígenas. As mulheres guarani e kaiowa consideram o fogo como uma referência da casa de residência de um núcleo familiar e a palavra se apresenta como potência em seu fazer político. Elas são as “donas do fogo”. Compartilhando suas próprias substâncias corporais e acumulando aprendizados adquiridos no cuidado com pessoas mais velhas da parentela, as mulheres reúnem um conjunto próprio de conhecimentos e ocupam posição de reconhecido destaque no parentesco guarani, habilitando-as …

The Two Hungers: Food Security, Morality, And Cash Transfer Policies For Canela Apanjekra People In Indigenous Central Brazil, Bruno Nogueira Guimarães

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

This article examines how the Canela Apanjekra (Porquinhos Indigenous Land, Maranhão, Brazil) engage with conditional cash transfer policies aimed at combating hunger—especially the Bolsa Família Program—and how these policies are interpreted through Indigenous moral economy. Drawing on long-term ethnographic research (2011–2019) and a household survey conducted in 2019, it argues that “hunger” is not a unitary condition measurable solely through individual consumption, but a relational and ecological experience shaped by obligations to share, by shame/respect (paham), and by shifting conditions of subsistence. The analysis develops the notion of “two hungers”: in the village, hunger is commonly articulated as …

Aprendiendo A Poner Gusto O Sobre Una Gastropolítica Urarina, Juana Lucía Cabrera Prieto, Harry Walker

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

El artículo analiza cómo la comida se ha convertido en un eje central para comprender las transformaciones morales, corporales y políticas entre los urarina de la Amazonía peruana. La introducción de alimentos industrializados —especialmente los condimentos—, impulsada por escuelas, programas estatales, ONG y comerciantes, genera desconfianza corporal y tensiones éticas, al tiempo que habilita nuevas formas de convivencia. Las prácticas de gastrodiplomacia, entrelazadas con procesos de aprendizaje, revelan alianzas, jerarquías y conflictos mediante los cuales los urarina negocian sus relaciones con el Estado, el mercado y otros actores externos, sin dejar de afirmar su modo propio de ser. En este …

The Matter Of Production And Forms Of Sharing: Transformations Of Food Economies In Lowland South America, Clarice Cohn, Diego Madi Dias, Adriana Athila

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

This special issue of Tipití presents a critical examination of ‘food economies’ and their transformations within Indigenous communities in Lowland South America. Stemming from seminal ideas in its Anthropology that directly or indirectly discuss ‘food’ (and much of what goes along with it), this edited volume focuses on the materiality of relations as a strategic lens for understanding contemporary Indigenous lives and their transformations, according to how they are perceived by Indigenous peoples themselves and others such as health care professionals and the state. The articles explore how Indigenous foodways—from acquisition to consumption, including sharing and distribution—reveal key aspects …

Fermentative Processes Of The Agricultural Food System In The Upper Rio Negro: Ethnographic Notes On Feminine Knowledge, Intention, And Agency In The Production Of Fermented Beverages, Lorena França

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

This article examines the fermentative processes at the core of the agricultural food system of the Upper Rio Negro, northwestern Amazon, highlighting women’s technical and social agency in the production of fermented beverages such as caxiri. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted among Baniwa and Tukano families between 2018 and 2019, the study explores how fermentation constitutes not merely a biochemical transformation of matter but a sociotechnical language through which women express intention, alliance, and distinction. The paper analyzes in detail two cases of caxiri preparation, showing how women’s manipulation of manioc, tubers, saliva, and utensils configures embodied knowledge transmitted …

El Sistema Nainu De Agricultura Familiar: Semillas De La Memoria Social Y De La Autonomía Alimentaria En Gunayala (Panamá), Lenín Alfonso Morales, Geodisio Castillo, Diego Madi Dias

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

La presente investigación examina el sistema agroforestal familiar (nainu) del pueblo gunadule como un tejido de resistencia social, espiritual y ecológica frente a los procesos históricos y actuales de desposesión territorial y colapso climático. A partir de un enfoque etnográfico basado en métodos participativos y epistemologías indígenas, se analizan las prácticas, conocimientos y relaciones que sostienen la autonomía alimentaria y la regeneración del territorio en Gunayala. El estudio documenta los impactos de la transferencia tecnológica, la expansión de semillas híbridas y transgénicas, identificados como amenazas centrales para la continuidad de los cultivos tradicionales y la salvaguardia de semillas …

Sociedade Sob Risco: Monetarização, Beleza E A Economia Íntima Do Dom Entre Os Rikbaktsa Da Amazônia Brasileira, Adriana Athila

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

Na virada do século XXI, salários, programas e políticas previdenciárias com aporte renda, voltados ao bem-estar social, começam a atingir povos indígenas brasileiros. Os poucos estudos etnográficos acerca da monetarização concordam sobre possíveis efeitos (deletérios) do dinheiro nas economias alimentares indígenas e relações entre parentes, sem enfatizá-los analiticamente, discussão central neste artigo. Minha análise parte do ano de 2000, quando o dinheiro timidamente adentrava a vida dos Rikbaktsa (Marco-Jê) do sudoeste amazônico, chegando à circulação contemporânea de quantias consideráveis no cotidiano de suas aldeias. A metodologia etnográfica se soma a um survey para estimar a dispersão do dinheiro, em contraste …

Comer Como O Inimigo: Violência, Transformações E Persistências Na Economia Alimentar Wari’ (Amazônia Ocidental), Maurício Soares Leite

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

Examinam-se aspectos e percursos do sistema alimentar dos Wari’, povo indígena da Amazônia Ocidental, em um intervalo de duas décadas, mas também contemporaneamente. Trata-se de um cenário marcado por transformações, com dinâmicas que incluem a monetarização de sua economia alimentar e uma crescente articulação com o mercado regional, cujo pano de fundo é uma trajetória histórica de relações com não indígenas e com o Estado brasileiro, marcada por modalidades diversas de violência, que se atualizam permanentemente. Apontam-se os impactos dessas transformações no repertório alimentar wari’, nos modos de uso da terra e de outros recursos e na reciprocidade alimentar, entre …

November 25, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

November 25, 2025 minutes for the WKU NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee meeting. Meeting conducted via Zoom.

Archaeology As Alternative Prison Education, Jayne Price Dr, Caroline Pudney Dr

Journal of Prison Education Research

This paper presents the educational focused outcomes of a set of workshops entitled 'Introduction to Archaeology’ that were delivered within a prison. The workshops were delivered as part of a project that seeks to explore the pro-social benefits and social capital (i.e. social and structural aspects that support positive identity formation) that could be developed through engagement with archaeology, specifically for those within the criminal justice system. The workshops offered a bespoke, alternative, educational offering within an adult male prison in Wales. It was designed and delivered by an archaeologist who has an established background in the field, especially in …

Shepherding In France: The Ambiguities Of Caring For Nonhuman Animals In The Roya Valley, France, Daina Pupkevičiūtė

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

F

For over half a century, wolves in France were extinct. In the absence of predators, the shepherds became accustomed to leaving the sheep roaming freely in the mountains in relative safety. However, at the end of the 1980s, wolves returned, resulting in many victims, conflicts, and a stark division between those either for or against the wolf or otherwise sometimes framed as those against or for the survival of the mountain pastoralism tradition. This text looks at the caring relationships humans, such as shepherds, villagers, and others, have towards sheep, wolves, and the landscape in the Roya Valley in …