In this chapter, we introduce our volume and focus on defining the various ways in which the term... more In this chapter, we introduce our volume and focus on defining the various ways in which the term community is used by bioarchaeologists in this volume, especially with respect to the theoretical ideas within the emerging social and theoretical bioarchaeology. We also provide an initial summary concerning each of the chapters and how each author, or set of authors, focuses on community within their research. Our goals are: (1) to discuss the possibilities and limitations of identifying different types of past community or communities; (2) to expand on methods in bioarchaeology that can be used to identify community; and (3) to develop theoretically based bioarchaeological research on community in order to elucidate meaningful relationships that structured past people’s lives. [Theoretical bioarchaeology, Community, Social relationships, Daily life, Agency, Practice approach, Group membership] B ioarchaeology, as a scholarly field, questions how people lived in the past using human s...
PURPOSE/AIM 1. To review Anthropology and what it teaches us about culture. 2. To gain an awarene... more PURPOSE/AIM 1. To review Anthropology and what it teaches us about culture. 2. To gain an awareness of the history of Radiology in Anthropology. 3. To learn optimal methods to evaluate specimens with a focus on computed tomography. 4. To examine case examples of Egyptian mummies, early 20th century forensic cases and a Native American artifact. CONTENT ORGANIZATION 1. Description of Anthropology. 2. History of Radiology in Anthropology. 3. Different methods of radiologic examination including radiography, fluoroscopy, CT and MRI. 4. Optimization of techniques for anthropologic specimens with a focus on CT. 5. Examples including two Egyptian mummies, two skulls from an unsolved early 20th Century homicide investigation and an ancient Native American artifact. SUMMARY This exhibit reviews the history of Radiology in Anthropology. After reviewing the exhibit, the reader will be familiar with the role of Anthropology in the study of human culture and techniques to optimize the radiologi...
<p>While reports of child sacrifice in the ancient Andes are often sensationalized to capti... more <p>While reports of child sacrifice in the ancient Andes are often sensationalized to captivate popular audiences, the study of the practice provides archaeologists with an important means of investigating power and sociopolitical dynamics in antiquity. This chapter discusses the significance of the terms 'child' and 'sacrifice' in the Andes and examines the evidence of child sacrifice from ancient contexts in Andean regions of modern-day Peru and Bolivia. It considers data on sacrificial practices from dives sources, such as descriptions in ethnohistorical documents, representations in architectural design and portable art, and direct evidence found in the archaeological record. Finally, various approaches to the study of these sacrifices and possible avenues for future analyses are outlined.</p>
Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association
The community framework this volume champions is a fruitful addition for anthropological bioarcha... more The community framework this volume champions is a fruitful addition for anthropological bioarchaeologists seeking to understand ancient population dynamics. The breadth illustrates the importance of the concept of community, the difficulty of moving beyond definitions restricted by geography, and particular challenges of bioarchaeological datasets. Population-and spatially-based analyses are critical and generally most appropriate in our discipline; yet, they can inadvertently present pictures of homogeneity that do not accurately characterize the ancient communities we study. We must continue to seek productive ways to appreciate diversity within the ancient communities though contextually based and "multi-subdisciplinary" approaches. We continue asking in what way the patterns in mortuary and other bioarchaeological variables are culturally meaningful from real or ideal culture perspectives, seeking to move beyond geographically bound approaches.
by: Jane Eva Baxter, Shauna Vey, Erin Halstad McGuire, Suzanne Conway, and Deborah Blom. CHILDHOO... more by: Jane Eva Baxter, Shauna Vey, Erin Halstad McGuire, Suzanne Conway, and Deborah Blom. CHILDHOOD IN THE PAST, V. 10, No. 1 (2017)
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 0043824042000192623, Jun 4, 2010
The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social con... more The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social context in which they are deposited. At the site of Tiwanaku, political and ceremonial center of a prehispanic state that influenced much of the South American Andes for several centuries (AD 500-1150), human dedications shaped the significance of built ritual environments. We compare the treatment and deposition of human remains in two ritual contexts at Tiwanaku: Akapana and Akapana East. In Akapana, some human remains took on the significance of human sacrifices and, in Akapana East, they appear to have been carefully curated ancestors. In the one, they represented élite bids for power and the encompassing identity of the emerging Tiwanaku community and, in the other, they embodied the common identity of a local residential group. Through human dedications, architectural constructions came to embody the identity of scaled social communities, ultimately uniting the diverse groups, élite and commoner, who inhabited and worshipped in the center of the emerging civilization.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 0043824042000192623, Jun 4, 2010
The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social con... more The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social context in which they are deposited. At the site of Tiwanaku, political and ceremonial center of a prehispanic state that influenced much of the South American Andes for several centuries (AD 500-1150), human dedications shaped the significance of built ritual environments. We compare the treatment and deposition of human remains in two ritual contexts at Tiwanaku: Akapana and Akapana East. In Akapana, some human remains took on the significance of human sacrifices and, in Akapana East, they appear to have been carefully curated ancestors. In the one, they represented élite bids for power and the encompassing identity of the emerging Tiwanaku community and, in the other, they embodied the common identity of a local residential group. Through human dedications, architectural constructions came to embody the identity of scaled social communities, ultimately uniting the diverse groups, élite and commoner, who inhabited and worshipped in the center of the emerging civilization.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 0043824042000192623, Jun 4, 2010
The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social con... more The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social context in which they are deposited. At the site of Tiwanaku, political and ceremonial center of a prehispanic state that influenced much of the South American Andes for several centuries (AD 500-1150), human dedications shaped the significance of built ritual environments. We compare the treatment and deposition of human remains in two ritual contexts at Tiwanaku: Akapana and Akapana East. In Akapana, some human remains took on the significance of human sacrifices and, in Akapana East, they appear to have been carefully curated ancestors. In the one, they represented élite bids for power and the encompassing identity of the emerging Tiwanaku community and, in the other, they embodied the common identity of a local residential group. Through human dedications, architectural constructions came to embody the identity of scaled social communities, ultimately uniting the diverse groups, élite and commoner, who inhabited and worshipped in the center of the emerging civilization.
Based on an analysis of nonmetric trait databases from several large skeletal series in Northern ... more Based on an analysis of nonmetric trait databases from several large skeletal series in Northern Europe and South America, representing 27 bilateral traits, we report a predictable relationship between the frequency of nonmetric traits and the probability that they are expressed bilaterally. In a wider sampling of traits and populations, this study thus confirms the findings of an earlier study by Ossenberg ([1981] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 54:471-479), which reported the same relationship for two mandibular traits. This trend was previously explained by extending the multifactorial threshold model for discontinuous traits to incorporate either separate thresholds for unilateral or bilateral expression, or by a fuzzy threshold in which the probability of bilateral expression increases away from the median threshold value. We show that the trend is produced under the standard multifactorial threshold model
In this chapter, we introduce our volume and focus on defining the various ways in which the term... more In this chapter, we introduce our volume and focus on defining the various ways in which the term community is used by bioarchaeologists in this volume, especially with respect to the theoretical ideas within the emerging social and theoretical bioarchaeology. We also provide an initial summary concerning each of the chapters and how each author, or set of authors, focuses on community within their research. Our goals are: (1) to discuss the possibilities and limitations of identifying different types of past community or communities; (2) to expand on methods in bioarchaeology that can be used to identify community; and (3) to develop theoretically based bioarchaeological research on community in order to elucidate meaningful relationships that structured past people’s lives. [Theoretical bioarchaeology, Community, Social relationships, Daily life, Agency, Practice approach, Group membership] B ioarchaeology, as a scholarly field, questions how people lived in the past using human s...
PURPOSE/AIM 1. To review Anthropology and what it teaches us about culture. 2. To gain an awarene... more PURPOSE/AIM 1. To review Anthropology and what it teaches us about culture. 2. To gain an awareness of the history of Radiology in Anthropology. 3. To learn optimal methods to evaluate specimens with a focus on computed tomography. 4. To examine case examples of Egyptian mummies, early 20th century forensic cases and a Native American artifact. CONTENT ORGANIZATION 1. Description of Anthropology. 2. History of Radiology in Anthropology. 3. Different methods of radiologic examination including radiography, fluoroscopy, CT and MRI. 4. Optimization of techniques for anthropologic specimens with a focus on CT. 5. Examples including two Egyptian mummies, two skulls from an unsolved early 20th Century homicide investigation and an ancient Native American artifact. SUMMARY This exhibit reviews the history of Radiology in Anthropology. After reviewing the exhibit, the reader will be familiar with the role of Anthropology in the study of human culture and techniques to optimize the radiologi...
<p>While reports of child sacrifice in the ancient Andes are often sensationalized to capti... more <p>While reports of child sacrifice in the ancient Andes are often sensationalized to captivate popular audiences, the study of the practice provides archaeologists with an important means of investigating power and sociopolitical dynamics in antiquity. This chapter discusses the significance of the terms 'child' and 'sacrifice' in the Andes and examines the evidence of child sacrifice from ancient contexts in Andean regions of modern-day Peru and Bolivia. It considers data on sacrificial practices from dives sources, such as descriptions in ethnohistorical documents, representations in architectural design and portable art, and direct evidence found in the archaeological record. Finally, various approaches to the study of these sacrifices and possible avenues for future analyses are outlined.</p>
Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association
The community framework this volume champions is a fruitful addition for anthropological bioarcha... more The community framework this volume champions is a fruitful addition for anthropological bioarchaeologists seeking to understand ancient population dynamics. The breadth illustrates the importance of the concept of community, the difficulty of moving beyond definitions restricted by geography, and particular challenges of bioarchaeological datasets. Population-and spatially-based analyses are critical and generally most appropriate in our discipline; yet, they can inadvertently present pictures of homogeneity that do not accurately characterize the ancient communities we study. We must continue to seek productive ways to appreciate diversity within the ancient communities though contextually based and "multi-subdisciplinary" approaches. We continue asking in what way the patterns in mortuary and other bioarchaeological variables are culturally meaningful from real or ideal culture perspectives, seeking to move beyond geographically bound approaches.
by: Jane Eva Baxter, Shauna Vey, Erin Halstad McGuire, Suzanne Conway, and Deborah Blom. CHILDHOO... more by: Jane Eva Baxter, Shauna Vey, Erin Halstad McGuire, Suzanne Conway, and Deborah Blom. CHILDHOOD IN THE PAST, V. 10, No. 1 (2017)
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 0043824042000192623, Jun 4, 2010
The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social con... more The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social context in which they are deposited. At the site of Tiwanaku, political and ceremonial center of a prehispanic state that influenced much of the South American Andes for several centuries (AD 500-1150), human dedications shaped the significance of built ritual environments. We compare the treatment and deposition of human remains in two ritual contexts at Tiwanaku: Akapana and Akapana East. In Akapana, some human remains took on the significance of human sacrifices and, in Akapana East, they appear to have been carefully curated ancestors. In the one, they represented élite bids for power and the encompassing identity of the emerging Tiwanaku community and, in the other, they embodied the common identity of a local residential group. Through human dedications, architectural constructions came to embody the identity of scaled social communities, ultimately uniting the diverse groups, élite and commoner, who inhabited and worshipped in the center of the emerging civilization.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 0043824042000192623, Jun 4, 2010
The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social con... more The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social context in which they are deposited. At the site of Tiwanaku, political and ceremonial center of a prehispanic state that influenced much of the South American Andes for several centuries (AD 500-1150), human dedications shaped the significance of built ritual environments. We compare the treatment and deposition of human remains in two ritual contexts at Tiwanaku: Akapana and Akapana East. In Akapana, some human remains took on the significance of human sacrifices and, in Akapana East, they appear to have been carefully curated ancestors. In the one, they represented élite bids for power and the encompassing identity of the emerging Tiwanaku community and, in the other, they embodied the common identity of a local residential group. Through human dedications, architectural constructions came to embody the identity of scaled social communities, ultimately uniting the diverse groups, élite and commoner, who inhabited and worshipped in the center of the emerging civilization.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 0043824042000192623, Jun 4, 2010
The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social con... more The character of dedication assemblages is frequently linked to the specific place and social context in which they are deposited. At the site of Tiwanaku, political and ceremonial center of a prehispanic state that influenced much of the South American Andes for several centuries (AD 500-1150), human dedications shaped the significance of built ritual environments. We compare the treatment and deposition of human remains in two ritual contexts at Tiwanaku: Akapana and Akapana East. In Akapana, some human remains took on the significance of human sacrifices and, in Akapana East, they appear to have been carefully curated ancestors. In the one, they represented élite bids for power and the encompassing identity of the emerging Tiwanaku community and, in the other, they embodied the common identity of a local residential group. Through human dedications, architectural constructions came to embody the identity of scaled social communities, ultimately uniting the diverse groups, élite and commoner, who inhabited and worshipped in the center of the emerging civilization.
Based on an analysis of nonmetric trait databases from several large skeletal series in Northern ... more Based on an analysis of nonmetric trait databases from several large skeletal series in Northern Europe and South America, representing 27 bilateral traits, we report a predictable relationship between the frequency of nonmetric traits and the probability that they are expressed bilaterally. In a wider sampling of traits and populations, this study thus confirms the findings of an earlier study by Ossenberg ([1981] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 54:471-479), which reported the same relationship for two mandibular traits. This trend was previously explained by extending the multifactorial threshold model for discontinuous traits to incorporate either separate thresholds for unilateral or bilateral expression, or by a fuzzy threshold in which the probability of bilateral expression increases away from the median threshold value. We show that the trend is produced under the standard multifactorial threshold model
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Papers by Deborah Blom