Archaeological Anthropology Commons^™

Lubiya (El-Khirbeh): A Late Hellenistic, Roman And Early Byzantine Village In Lower Galilee, Yardenna Alexandre, Michal Oren-Paskal, Gil Tsioni

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

A small archaeological excavation carried out in 2005–2007 on a hilltop in the Lavi Forest in Lower Galilee uncovered a small area of the village of Lubiya that was settled in the Late Hellenistic to early Byzantine periods. The earliest exposed building complex was constructed on the bedrock and comprised parts of two residential units with a shared long wall, an internal courtyard and several rooms. An underground complex beneath the units comprised individual basement storage elements that were subsequently joined to form an underground hiding complex, dated by the associated finds to the time of the First Jewish Revolt …

Incarcerated Adolescence: Historical Archaeology And Finding Teenagers In The Japanese American Concentration Camp, Jack Kendall

Student Publications

Through looking at the teenagers of the Granada Relocation Center, commonly called Amache, this research posits a unique framework to understanding and searching for teenagers in the past. This uses a combination of historical sources and oral histories in order to outline what materials to search for. This research also uses an emotional approach, titled an "archaeology of the heart" to understand and work alongside descendants to properly understand the nuance of the forced relocation of 110,000 Japanese Americans through World War II. By combining these different elements, this research shows the ways that teenagers were constructing and reconstructing a …

Skeletons In The Courtyard: Why The Maya Came Back For Their Dead, Kayla R. Tursack

Student Publications

This paper explores Maya secondary burials with a particular focus of the exhumed burial of SubOp Ax at Courtyard B-1, Chan Chich, Belize. Drawing on an array of archaeological sources, it examines a series of case studies throughout the Maya region and beyond of secondary burials, symbolic mortuary practices, and instances of ancestor veneration. The partial exhumation of SubOp Ax, with the crypt only containing a leg bone, is interpreted as a deliberate act of ancestral remembrance during the Terminal Classic collapse. This is done through a comparative analysis of case studies from Caracol, Naachtun, K’axob, Tikal, and Mitla. Understanding …

March 27, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the March 27, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Sostenibilidad Ambiental En Comunidades Mayas: Riesgos Y Desafíos En La Era Del Cambio Climático, Gertrudis Guzmán Noh Dr.

Journal of Maya Heritage

El presente artículo analiza las dinámicas de sostenibilidad ambiental en comunidades mayas del estado de Yucatán, México, enfocándose en los riesgos ambientales y las respuestas adaptativas desarrolladas frente al cambio climático. El trabajo se desarrolló en tres comunidades: Yaxunah, caracterizada por la producción artesanal y la sobreexplotación del árbol de Chaká (Bursera simaruba); Ixil, que enfrenta disputas territoriales e inundaciones recurrentes; y Sotuta, afectada por la contaminación acuífera derivada de una granja porcina en zonas aledañas. Metodológicamente, se implementó un enfoque de investigación acción participativa que integró diálogo de saberes, matrices de análisis de riesgo y estrategias de intervención comunitaria. …

Reimagining Cultural Intersections: A Book Review Of Maya Christian Murals Of Early Modern Yucatán, Texas University Press, 2024., Lilia Fernández Souza Phd, Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda Dr., José Israel Herrera

Journal of Maya Heritage

Colonial mural art in the Yucatán Peninsula represents a cultural intersection where Christian iconography and Maya artistic traditions converged in a complex visual dialogue. Maya Christian Murals of Early Modern Yucatán (Texas University Press, 2024) offers a detailed analysis of these pictorial expressions, exploring how Indigenous artists reinterpreted colonial impositions by preserving ancestral techniques, materials, and symbolism. The book proposes a rereading of the murals in Franciscan convents, highlighting their role not only as tools of evangelization but also as evidence of cultural resistance and adaptation.

This review, titled Reimagining Cultural Intersections: A Book Review of Maya Christian Murals of …

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: The Flint Assemblage, Jacob Vardi

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation at Ras el-‘Amud yielded 599 flint items, all discovered in the Intermediate Bronze Age (IBA) and Middle Bronze Age IIA (MB IIA) strata. These include debris items, debitage items, flake cores and tools, reflecting a non-standardized, flake-based industry. The assemblage shows continuity with Early Bronze Age traditions. It consists mainly of ad hoc tools used for various domestic tasks, with Canaanean sickle blades indicating cereal harvesting and testifying to crop agriculture as part of the site’s subsistence economy. No non-Canaanean sickle blades can be attributed to the MB IIA, possibly reflecting a different economic strategy during this period …

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: Faunal Remains From The Intermediate Bronze And Middle Bronze Age Settlement, Nimrod Marom

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The small faunal assemblage from Ras el-‘Amud provides insights into the economic strategies of a rural settlement during a period of urban growth. A shift from a self-sufficient goat and pig economy to a specialized sheep-focused one is observed, likely driven by urban demand. Analysis of caprine skeletal remains suggests consumption patterns and potential ritualistic practices. The Middle Bronze IIA village exhibits a decrease in butchery waste, possibly due to changes in spatial organization or waste disposal practices. The assemblage offers valuable insights into the economic and social dynamics of rural settlements during the Middle Bronze Age.

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: A Hebrew Inscription Engraved On A Jar Handle, Daniel Vainstub

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at Ras el-‘Amud yielded a partially preserved Hebrew inscription engraved on the handle of a storage jar before firing. The surviving part of the inscription reads: נחם ⸱ [ל ] ר̇̇ם—“(belongs) [to ]rm (son of) Nḥm.” All the letters of the inscription are paleographically consistent with the Hebrew script of the eighth–seventh centuries BCE. A short, semi-oblique stroke descending from upper-left to lower-right was used to divide the words. Personal names constructed on the root nḥm (“console”, “comfort”) are very common in the Hebrew onomasticon, as well as in other West Semitic languages. The suffix רם …

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: The Groundstone Tool Assemblage, Aaron Greener

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at Ras el-‘Amud yielded 71 identified groundstone tools, 55 of which were discovered in the Intermediate Bronze Age (IBA) strata, with the remaining 16 found in the Iron Age and Roman/Byzantine strata and in unclear contexts. These tools mainly comprise hammerstones, likely associated with the production of flint tools at the site, as well as perforated stones, mortars, bowlets, rubbing stones, a grinding stone, a pestle and some other tools. The identified groundstone tools suggest activities related to the processing of cereals, grains and other agricultural produce, as well as possible animal fiber processing and various domestic tasks …

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: A Scarab And Two Pithos Handle Impressions, Baruch Brandl

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavations at Ras el-‘Amud yielded a scarab and two stamped pithos handles, all recovered from Stratum III and dated to the Middle Bronze IIC. The scarab, attributed to the group of Late Middle Bronze Age Canaanite Scarabs, has only one published parallel from a Canaanite site. The two stamped pithos handles likely originated from a single pithos. Variations in the size and outline of their impressions, as well as in the location and size of the hieroglyphic signs, suggest they were made either from different plaques or from opposite faces of the same bifacial plaque. Both impressions have only …

Ras El-‘Amud, Jerusalem: Pottery From The Iron Age And The Persian Period, Liora Freud

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

This article presents Iron IIB pottery sherds, along with some Persian-period sherds, from the excavation at Ras el-‘Amud. The sherds were retrieved from accumulations around the Iron Age terrace walls and their foundations. The dating of the sherds, along with the results of previous excavations on the ridge of the site, suggests a small occupation at Ras el-‘Amud, primarily during the Iron IIB–C.

Glotopolítica, Identidad Y Lenguas En México En El Siglo Xxi, Marilyn S. Avalos Huesca

Journal of Maya Heritage

Languages, like human beings, have been adapting to the changes produced worldwide, and with this they have grown in number of speakers or disappeared forever from society. These changes are not given arbitrarily, but are conceived from politics and the State, where what should be the best for the speakers, nationalism and society permeates according to the statutes established by those in power. All this from an ethnocentric point of view, which denigrates what is different, what we do not understand, and therefore, we reject. This article analyzes the presence of languages in Mexico from a point of view related …

The Dw2 Shipwreck: The Tobacco Pipe Finds / ספינה טרופה: ממצא המקטרות, Ofra Barkai, Anna De Vincenz, Idit Yovel Even-Zur, Jacob Sharvit

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation of the DW2 shipwreck uncovered 13 ceramic tobacco pipes. Most of the pipes are of the cup type, with a few examples of the bowl or disk-base types. All the pipes are decorated with geometric patterns; two are also adorned with floral motifs, and one bears a maker’s stamp. The pipes date from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century CE, with most attributed to the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. Parallels were identified at several sites, including the ‘Akko 1 and Kitten shipwrecks. Petrographic analysis of eight pipes indicates they were manufactured in the geographic …

The Dw2 Shipwreck: The Carpenters’ Work / ספינה טרופה: עבודת הנגרים, Avner Hillman, Idit Yovel Even-Zur, Ofra Barkai

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation of the DW2 shipwreck revealed that the vessel was primarily constructed from Cypriot pine (Pinus brutia), with wooden nails made from Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) and Turkey oak (Quercus cerris). Analysis of the heartwood, knots and annual rings in the ship’s wooden components indicates that the pines were old and of low quality. The ship’s construction demonstrates efficient utilization of the trees, including small wood pieces and branches. The carpenters sawed the wood in a pre-planned manner, prioritizing function over aesthetics. Tool marks on the wood suggest the use of a saw, …

The Dw2 Shipwreck: Evidence Of Trade With Small Vessels (Coasters) In Southern Syria And The Land Of Israel During The Late Ottoman Period /ספינה טרופה: עדות לסחר בכלי שיט קטנים בדרום סוריה ובארץ ישראל בשלהי התקופה העות'מאנית, Idit Yovel Even-Zur, Jacob Sharvit, Ofra Barkai

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

Three excavation seasons conducted in the southern lagoon of Dor uncovered the remains of the Dor Wreck 2 (DW2) shipwreck—a 15.5 m-long trading coaster built from poor-quality but well-preserved wood. The ship was constructed using techniques characteristic of the Mediterranean shipbuilding tradition. The hull of the ship was well-preserved, indicating it could carry up to 20 tons of cargo. However, due to the scarcity of finds, it is not possible to determine the ship’s cargo. The identified wood species suggest that the ship was constructed in western Turkey or southwestern Syria. Carbon-14 dating, combined with electrochemical analysis of the corrosion …

February 27, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the February 27, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

January 30, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

Minutes from the January 30, 2025 meeting of Western Kentucky University's NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee. The meeting was conducted via Zoom.

Cerrando La Brecha: Difusión Virtual De La Cultura Maya Para La Conciencia Pública Y La Preservación, Ana María Vera Arias, Dr. Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda, Brenda Marin, José Montesino

Journal of Maya Heritage

En este artículo se aborda el origen, los métodos y el resultado del ciclo de conferencias de divulgación virtual organizado por el Centro del Patrimonio Maya en colaboración con Arqueólogos sin Fronteras del Mundo Maya, esto con el objetivo de compartir conocimientos y generar conciencia sobre diversas facetas de la cultura maya. La pregunta central gira en torno a cómo se pueden comunicar efectivamente las complejidades y la rica herencia de la cultura maya a una audiencia no especializada. Como resultado, encontró que las conferencias de divulgación virtual fueron un método adecuado para ampliar el interés sobre la cultura maya …

Urban Security And The Crisis Of Values In A Risk Society: Elements For Reflection And Research, Bahamou Abdelilah, Abdelghani Chafik

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract: Urban security has become one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century, shaped by the complexities of modern urban life. As cities grow and evolve, they face unprecedented security challenges that transcend traditional notions of crime prevention. These challenges encompass social, cultural, economic, and psychological dimensions, deeply intertwined with societal transformations.

In the context of what sociologist Ulrich Beck refers to as the "risk society," rapid globalization, technological advancement, and cultural diffusion have disrupted traditional social values. This disruption has created environments of uncertainty and fear, where mutual trust and social cohesion are eroded. As Émile Durkheim …

Should Human Remains Be On Display In Museums?, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

The debate of should human remains be displayed in museums, exhibits, classrooms, and other public areas has been a topic of discussion in recent years. This article aims to explore the positives and negatives of displaying remains through scientific racism, decolonization, ethics, and forensic anthropology. Although these characteristics may not always be present in a collection, they are common concerns, and they are also not the only concerns for displaying remains. The objective of examining this issue from multiple perspectives is to propose viable solutions for the ethical and appropriate display of human remains. This research will be geared more …

Unveiling Legacies: Exploring And Analyzing Cultural Artifacts In The Higbee Collection, Samantha Staller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anthropology and the Cummings Center to find ways to properly analyze an archaeological collection's artifacts to understand the overall significance of everything better. Before starting my research, I came up with the following questions: Can any artifacts be considered culturally affiliated? Is everything in the collection authentic? What is the overall background of the collection? Does this collection have any connection to Ohio history? Can anything in the collection be dated? Throughout the research, I will create an Excel inventory list to include qualitative and quantitative data from the artifacts to give insight into what is included in the Higbee …

Heritage And Archaeological Knowledge Dissemination Strategies: A Kurd Qaburstan Case Study, Myli R. Sangria

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis addresses the long-standing absence of community archaeology initiatives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by designing and implementing a pilot public archaeology program at the site of Kurd Qaburstan, a large Middle Bronze Age city (ca. 1800 BCE) located on the Erbil Plain. In summer 2024, the author implemented a community archaeology activity designed as a first step toward sustained engagement with the village that partially overlaps the site. The program—a hands-on lesson in archaeological stratigraphy for K–5 students, followed by a guided site visit—was intentionally simple, affordable, and easy to carry out alongside ongoing fieldwork. The activity …

Workable Seams, Jackson Mills Smith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In Jackson Mills Smith’s Workable Seams, readers encounter the stories, landscapes, and lives of rural Knox County, Indiana, from the oscillating vantage of a Hoosier boy raised with a Cajun sensibility. After relocating from Louisiana to the river bottoms of the crossroad state at a young age, the speaker gradually uncovers a local history only previously understood in fragmentary shards and fading glimpses.

Alternating between semi-lyrical embodied experiences and memories, documentary pieces in conversation with the state’s historical archive, and the retelling of exaggerated local yarns, poetry is a means of inquiry in Workable Seams. Topics range from …

Symbolic Cultural Value: Creativity And Counterproductivity In Citayam Fashion Week 2022 In Indonesia, Fuad Noorzeha, Agus Sutono, John Abraham Ziswan Suryosumunar

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The phenomenon of Citayam Fashion Week has symbolically influenced the way lower-class youth dress in central Jakarta. What was once an urban area in Sudirman has transformed into a fashion arena after videos of young people sporting distinctive clothing styles went viral. More than just a social gathering, this occurrence has attracted significant attention on social media, showcasing unique fashion expressions. However, this spontaneous and instantaneous trend has sparked a wide range of responses, with opinions varying from viewing it as a creative expression to considering it counterproductive. This study employs Jean Baudrillard’s theory as its formal framework in qualitative …

The Semiotic Construction Of Meaning And Value: Canthik Kiai Rajamala As A Symbol In The Contemporary Social Perspectives, Rosa Bila Putri Dewi, Hutomo Putra, Rochtri Agung Bawono, I Nyoman Wardi

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Canthik Kiai Rajamala is one of the heirlooms owned by the Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta. There are two Canthik Kiai Rajamala, each stored in the Keraton Surakarta Museum and the Radya Pustaka Museum. Surakarta is the only region traversed by the Bengawan Solo River that possesses a canthik, making it a distinctive and unique cultural heritage for the people of Surakarta. This research addresses the issue of how the meaning and value construction of Canthik Kiai Rajamala can be interpreted through Pierce's semiotic triangle theory. Additionally, this study examines how contemporary Surakarta society perceives the Canthik Kiai Rajamala. The objective …

Preface Vol. 14 No. 3 (Desember), Rahayu Surtiati

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

In the December 2024 edition, Paradigma presents ten articles covering four regions: Surakarta, Southeast Sulawesi, Minangkabau, Ponorogo; and also areas: cinema, dance, language, fashion, and education. All research are about cultures in Indonesia and written by Indonesian researchers.

This open journal is read by the international public, so we hope that humanities researchers in various regions of the world will participate with their writing, not only reporting research in Indonesia, but also research in other regions of the world. Paradigma is preparing to become an international journal and in time its triannual publications will be in English so that more …

The Voice Of The Voiceless: Countering The Festival And Elevating Reyog Obyokan As Cultural Capital, Albert Tallapessy, Ikwan Setiawan

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article examines two performance models of Reyog Ponorogo: the festival model and the obyokan model. These two competing models represent differing perspectives on one side, the interests of the artists and the community, and on the other, the interests of the state. By applying cultural studies theories, particularly those of representation and hegemony, this study analyzes data collected through observations of Reyog performances at both festival and obyokan events, as well as interviews with artists and community members. The findings reveal that the obyokan model emphasizes an egalitarian spirit, allowing artists greater aesthetic freedom and providing the community with …

Impacto De La Pandemia De La Covid-19 En Las Familias De Los Jóvenes Universitarios De Las Poblaciones Rurales Mayas Del Estado De Yucatán, Jorge Atocha Pacheco Castro

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract. This study examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the families of university students from rural Maya communities in Yucatán, Mexico. Utilizing an anthropological framework, the research highlights the interplay of structural vulnerabilities and cultural resilience. It explores how families navigated economic challenges, social interactions, and cultural practices amid the crisis. Key findings include the reliance on traditional subsistence practices such as small-scale agriculture and backyard farming, which provided a safety net during economic downturns. Socially, rural families reported lower stress levels and stronger communal bonds compared to their urban counterparts, owing to expansive living spaces and outdoor …

Tiberias: Remains Of An Early Islamic Buff Ware Pottery Workshop, Yardenna Alexandre

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

A small four-square excavation carried out in an area outside the Ottoman city wall of Tiberias exposed the remains of an Early Islamic pottery workshop, built over earlier Byzantine-period walls. The building remains included parts of small rooms, pits and a tiled-floor installation. The overlying accumulations and thick ashy layers contained numerous sherds of Buff Ware vessels, including glazed bowls, partially fired plain vessels, decorated sherds, clay molds, kiln bars and basalt polishing tools. All these finds indicate that the site was an Abbasid–Fatimid period Buff Ware pottery workshop.