Jarred Rundle
[Supervisor: M. Liston]
Abstract: War has been a part of human history for as long as we can remember. However, accounts of war tend to portray only certain aspects of conflict and history tends to focus on a few key themes such as glory, bravery, courage, strategy etc. History also “romanticizes” war by praising the patriotism and heroic sacrifices of the soldiers who fight in it. But there is another side to war, a darker aspect which is not often spoken about in the history texts. This thesis examines this darker aspect through the analysis of a soldier’s remains that were riddled with projectile trauma on various areas of the body. This thesis will suggest that trauma is the result of a volley of musket balls that were fired at close range, probably by a firing squad. By employing modern forensic and ballistic techniques this thesis will suggest the possible events leading to this soldier’s death.
Johanne Horsfall
Abstract: This paper aims to explore the relations that Pre-Columbian peoples have had with their environmental surroundings and how this is reflected in their religion, ritual, art, and iconography
Abstract: The information age commenced approximately when the Cold War saw its end. While the end of the Cold War greatly flattened the political barriers between nations, marking the triumph of capitalism, the globalization process -- a by-product of liberal capitalism -- reached a new stage. This stage is hallmarked by the increased flow of population, technology, capital and information. Among these hallmarks, information flow is facilitated by the public adaptation of personal computer and internet technology. In less than two decades of usage, the technology has seen a rapid self-definition and development. On the other hand, unexpectedly tremendous social impacts are being made to various aspects of human activity. From personal level to communal level, and to socio-political level, the internet has been creating new forms of personality and community, weaving new social fabric and power structure within society. This paper starts with an introduction to this stage of globalization and internet-mediated-communication; it then moves to explore social impacts the internet has made based on literature reviews, interviews and case studies. Finally, the paper considers how Anthropology can approach this dramatic new/common platform of human communication.
Nicole Strong
Abstract: The study of discourse has long been a staple of cultural Anthropology. Given the rise of digital media and the pervasiveness of its use world-wide, anthropologists must now venture into virtual realms for a continued understanding of humanity. This work examines discourse in an online context, the virtual game world, World of Warcraft (WoW). Research was based on participant observation, player narratives from verbal interviews, and observation of text dialogues. Discourse is analyzed and interpreted regarding transmission of social mores and complex meanings. Thus, discourse is integral to the preservation of the highly valued social climate involved in WoW game play.
Abstract: A study cited on the website of a professional organization of yoga teachers, NAMASTA, found that in 2005, 1.4 million Canadians - about 5.5% of the population - practiced some form of yoga. The term "yoga" encompasses an incredibly diverse array of practices. The numerous schools of yoga, as well as the motives and experiences of individual practitioners, are equally diverse. This inquiry into yoga, in the form of an honours essay, will not attempt to survey the broad array of yogic practices, nor will it attempt to quantify the meaning or importance of yoga in our society. Instead, I will delve into qualitative research, searching for the meaning of yoga as an embodied practice based on the perspectives of individual practitioners of Anusara yoga, including myself.
Abstract: I use the autoethnographic method to gain perspective on my childhood in Benin. The paper blends academic and personal writing as I reflect on growing up as an independent child in a communal culture and on going back to visit as a university student. Through photographs, journal entries, poetry and prose, I explore my past and how it relates to who I am today.
Abstract: Throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a great deal of attention has been drawn towards body image and the ways in which women of particular ethnicities conceptualize this ideal, especially with regard to weight, the key element in body image. Not only are women expected to be strong and successful role models, they are also expected to look a certain way and carry themselves so as to show this to the world; hence, this thesis examines the differences in body image ideals between Caucasian and African American women in North America. Not only do they appear to have the most distinctions between their body image ideals, both actual and perceived, but they also represent two of the most prominent social categories in North America. Through the examination of a number of research articles and studies done relating to body weight, body image and social category, I have found that there are four main socio-cultural factors that account for the discrepancy in body image ideals: health, media influences, socioeconomic status, and the attitudes of men. Since reasons for differences in body image ideals cannot be narrowed down to these four factors alone, it is critical to remember that both societal and cultural factors, such as racism and patriarchy, also contribute to each of these aspects. Being influenced by culture and history, these are the factors that account for Caucasian and African American women having differing ideas of what the "ideal" body really is. In this thesis, I am working in the tradition of Marcel Mauss, whose "Techniques of the body" can be used to examine the "habits" of each culture, simultaneously helping us to understand why each culture has its own way of interpreting the same ideas and behaviours. In a world where attention is increasingly being drawn towards outward appearances, analyzing what these differences mean to each culture will be valuable in understanding the cultural importance that society ascribes to the female body.
Abstract: Modelling is used to map the distribution and rates of malaria throughout Africa. These models and maps are then used to assist with the implementation of control and prevention measures. One of the major organizations developing such models is Mapping Malaria Risk in Africa (MARA). The MARA models rely primarily on climatic and environmental variables to explain the distribution and rates of malaria throughout the world today. This paper investigates the many factors relating to human culture and biology, operating at the continental, nationa, village and individual scales, that affect malaria transmission. The paper uses primarily the Kikuyu and Maasai of Kenya as examples. The investigation demonstrates that these human factors significantly affect the system of malaria transmission and are currently not considered in the MARA models. As a result, current climatic models of malaria provide only a very rough estimate of the distribution and rates of malaria and an insufficient level of detail for the effective implementation of control and prevention measures. Models used for the prediction of future malaria are subject to additional inaccuracies as they rely on uncertain estimates of future climatic conditions and as such, provide only a very vague understanding of how malaria distribution and rates will change in the future. Integrated Assessment (IA) models are a new developing type of model used for the prediction of malaria. This paper suggests that these models hold the potential to integrate additional complexity (relating to cultural and biological factors, for example) into the models of malaria transmission. Such factors cannot easily be incorporated into current climate-based models. The paper also suggests that IA models should be investigated further in hopes of creating more accurate models reflective of the true nature of malaria transmission.
Abstract: The analysis of phytoliths (microscopic, fossilized plant silica) has proven to be a fundamental source of archaeological and paleoecological information. Paleoethnobotany has expanded to include the field of phytolith studies and the extraction of these microfossils can lead to important developments in ancient dietary, agricultural, environmental and chronological investigation. This thesis will orient the reader to the world of phytolith research and its various applications. Although many of the topics discussed could benefit from their own detailed accounts, the paper will only offer an introduction. The recovery and morphology of phytoliths is outlined, and case studies involving phytolith analysis and its many contributions to archaeological and paleoenvironmental investigations are explored. The removal and interpretation of phytoliths recovered from teeth, coprolites, ceramics, stone tools, soils and sediments, loess, peat bogs, lake sediments and deep-sea cores is also examined. Since the advent of phytolith studies in the 1970's, important scientific advancements have been made in archaeological and paleoecological research and phytoliths will continue to be an invaluable source of fundamental knowledge for many multidisciplinary endeavours.
Abstract: The archaeological study of Anglo-Saxon society has been dominated by mortuary analysis. This study uses mortuary analaysis to examine the age and gender ascribed status of Anglo-Saxon society. This study utilizes the site reports of Charlton Plantation, Collingbourne Ducis, Droxford, Portway, and Winnall II. The latter cemetery is a seventh century site, while the former cemeteries are sixth century sites. Winnall II provides an opportunity to examine temporal change in age and gender status. The results show that different burial treatment was given to adults and children, indicated by a lack of grave-goods for children. However, the adult and child burials did receive similar grave-goods, suggesting that they were linked in some way. Only infants were treated completely differently, because they either did not receive a burial, or if they did, were not buried with artefacts. Gender was the primary factor in deciding what artefacts were included in a burial. Gender distinctions only began in late childhood and continued through young, middle, and old adults. This study found that more individuals received grave-goods in the young and middle adult years, with a slight decline with old adults. Moreover, the number of grave-goods given to each individual was highest in the young and middle adult years, followed by a steeper decline in old adult burials. At Winnall II, the age differentiation between age groups was drastically reduced, so that all ages received similar numbers of burial inclusions.
Abstract: Archaeologists rely on the artefacts they recover to tell them a story and offer information about the people they are studying. During early work with the Mayan civilization, many archaeologists misinterpreted the messages and information coming from the artefacts. After new evidence and methods to understand the Mayan artefacts were developed, we realized that an incorrect picture of this ancient civilization had been created. Many aspects of Mayan art are taken for granted as true representations of how the Maya were in the past. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the realism in Mayan art to determine if the image created of the Maya that is accepted today is accurate. A content analysis of published photographs was analyzed. Many characteristics of Mayan physical appearance were recorded. Excavation and site reports from a variety of Mayan centres were also examined to compare the types of artefacts recovered to the photographs of Mayan art. After comparing the results, it was found that the artefacts did accurately support the images presented in Mayan art. The Maya were a class-based society with many obvious traits that implied status. Within these status groups there was a great deal of variation. This paper demonstrates that the artwork is an accurate reflection of the apparent modification practices in Mayan culture. The artwork captures and preserves these practices in great detail.
Abstract: For decades, stereotypes regarding Arctic peoples in North America have persisted in popular and scientific ideology. Of these, alcohol is probably the most destructive. The purpose of this paper is to unpack the notion of what it means to be Inuit by extracting the problem of alcohol in northern communities. This will be done by examining the social sciences and medical literature on the subject, and comparing it with the views of Inuit themselves. In doing this, it is hoped that some of the current problematic attitudes and portrayals of the issue can be brought to the forefront, offering some pragmatic alternatives to addressing alcohol in Inuit communities.
Abstract: This thesis evaluates and explores the usefulness of photography as a research method in Anthropology whereby photography was used as the exclusive research tool. This project examines the benefits and limitations of this method with a case study in a marketplace and a temple in Taipei, Taiwan. Several research questions focus on the functions of the day market, night market and temple, the differences and similarities in activities, environments and behaviours, as well as the kinds of information that can be uncovered by a photographic analysis of Taiwanese culture in a public marketplace and temple. Research results provide interesting connections between Lin Jiang market and Longshan Temple, which upon first consideration, apper to be strikingly different. The interweaving of religious activities in commercial space and commercial activities in religious space demonstrate how these two spaces unexpectedly intersect. Although this project focuses primarily on photographic analyses and methodology, the inclusion of a significant amount of scholarly research concerning Taiwanese culture, religion and economics provide additional insights into the complexities of these topics.
Abstract: The Iroquois are a very well studied group. Their theories of health and healing are very intricate. This paper looks specifically at women and how plants were used to treat their various health issues. Which plants were used to treat women? What were these plants used for? How many varieties of plants were used for individual issues? Are these plants used in today’s medicines? If so, how, and does it reflect the traditional Iroquois usage? These are some of the questions that guided this paper. What I found was that the number of plants used tended to increase when the issue being dealt with was of major concern in everyday life, such as menstruation and pregnancy. Although there were wide varieties of plants used, numbers can be deceptive because of historical impacts. It is difficult to determine which uses were originally Iroquois and which were introduced by Europeans. Handsome Lake, a Seneca prophet, also had a great impact on the uses of contraceptives and abortives. All of these issues are discussed in the paper. This is meant to be a quick overview of how plants were used to treat Iroquois women. I believe that a deeper investigation, including personal interviews, would bring forth additional plants and information, and could be the focus of future research.
Abstract: This paper addresses conflict between humans and chimpanzees in the country of Senegal, West Africa. Subsistence farmers in Senegal must compete with primates over their crops and other natural resources. Primate populations, and in particular chimpanzees, are vulnerable when competition and concern for conservation arises. A balance is required in order to achieve a level of coexistence that proves beneficial to both entities. Resulting from the harshness of the Sahel, the environment of Senegal is unable to sustain large numbers of chimpanzees (possibly only two hundred individuals), which adds an additional level of stress to the human population of the region. In this paper, I identify areas of conflict, such as crop raiding and particular areas of competition over natural resources. I then highlight what I perceive to be cultural differences between ethnic groups. Three main cultural domains are present in Eastern Senegal the Tenda, Mandë, and Peul. The Tenda are a horticultural ethnic group, whose greater dependence upon natural resources brings them into conflict with chimpanzees. The Mandë, are an agricultural people, and are therefore in conflict with chimpanzees over crop raiding. The Peul, as an agro-pastoral group, come into contact with chimpanzees at water resources, where they bring their cattle, a situation that may have an adverse effect on the chimpanzees. I outline areas of concern that must be considered in order to implement a conservation plan that would prove beneficial to both humans and chimpanzees. Ecotourism, scientific research, the implementation of reserves and providing separate water sources for wildlife and cattle are discussed within the framework of the variation between cultures, and the effects this has on the viability of a conservation plan.
Abstract: Cremated bones found at archaeological sites were not recovered until recently, and when they were collected they were not subject to any kind of analysis. Only in the last half of the twentieth century did scholars attempt to investigate cremation burials. Through replicative and experimental studies archaeologists have been able to learn about cremation techniques and rituals of ancient people. These studies also demonstrated what happens to bone when a body is cremated in a fire. For this study the contents of four burial urns, from the Early Iron Age cemetery of Budinjak in Croatia, were analysed. The analysis revealed three possible adult male burials and one adult female. The female burial was accompanied by a neonate. The study revealed some family association among the burials and that children were given the same burial treatment as adults. This study was only a preliminary investigation on a micro-sample from the cemetery, but demonstrates the importance of osteological analysis of cremated bone
Abstract: The dental remains of a sample of soldiers from Fort William Henry were analysed in an attempt to obtain a clearer understanding of the life and health of an 18th century military population. Fort William Henry, located in upstate New York, was a British stronghold during the French and Indian war, which took place from 1754 to 1763.
Two hundred and thirty-eight teeth, representing the remains of a minimum of 22 soldiers, were analysed for the presence and severity of dental attrition, carious lesions, abscesses, antemortem tooth loss, dental calculus, and dental enamel hypoplasias. Diet and oral hygiene proved to be the two most determing factors of dental health. The high incidence of dental caries and other oral pathologies indicate that the Fort William Henry soldiers consumed a meagre diet high in carbohydrates and neglected to practice any form of oral hygiene.
The data obtained from the Fort William Henry sample was compared to information on dental pathologies from a number of other samples: a military population from Fort Erie, representing soldiers from the War of 1812, an 18th century British population from a cemetery in Norwich, England, and four Native North American samples from varying time periods and geographical locations. This comparison enhances our understanding of the oral health of the Fort William Henry soldiers.
Abstract: This paper examines the economic and environmental failure of development efforts in the Amazon, and suggests that anthropological knowledge of cultural ecology and traditional indigenous knowledge must be utilized in order for the forest to be developed sustainably Three sections explore specific issues (fair trade, ecotourism and privatization of genetic resources) and explain how they can be useful in replacing the current consumptive uses of the Amazon for non-consumptive uses.
Abstract: This study investigates potential Australopithecine capability for the manufacture and utilization of tools through an examination of the differences between human and chimpanzee hand morphology and a focus on the behavioural and mechanical implications of the Oldowan tool tradition. The study is comprised of three parts: 1) focusing on the tool using behaviour of a six year old male human using a variety of Oldowan type tools 2) monitoring the activity of 5 hand muscles by electromyography (EMG) in one subject during hard hammer percussion and 3) comparing the upperlimb skeletal morphology and muscles attachment sites on a human and chimpanzee. The use of mainly one tool by the child for several purposes shows a relatively small tool kit and is potential support for the "osteodontokeratic" tool hypothesis. The muscles most frequently used at high levels of hard hammer percussion are the intrinsic/extrinsic muscles of the thumb/index finger region. Based on the comparative models of this study, a further search for skeletal evidence for the tool-making behaviour in Australopithecines may well prove to be in the regions of the hand outlined.
Abstract: Among most papers regarding Dorset miniatures the artwork and detail is most studied. What is rarely questioned is the function of these miniatures. It is fairly accepted that they were used for shamanistic purposes. But could these miniatures have been used as something else? Could they have been utilitarian in nature or played with by children? By studying modern ethnographic data comparisons are made and inferences drawn as to how these questions might be addressed in the future.
Abstract: This paper aims to provide the reader with a general assessment of the social and economic implications of the AIDS epidemic in underdeveloped nations of Africa. It is so designed as to provide the most fundamental information and to address the most important issues, all of which are being discussed in the socio-cultural framework of Africa. With regards to the social implications of AIDS, things such as commercial sex-work, African sexuality, the impact of African women, children, and the elderly are discussed, as well as the need for increased AIDS education and awareness. Under the economic implications, the poor conditions of African health infrastructures and other economic costs associated with the epidemic are addressed.
The last part of this paper is a case-study example of how some of these implications affect a small African community in Tanzania. This section also argues for the importance of abandoning the traditional biomedical approach to the study of AIDS and for the implementation of action research in the design and development of community-based prevention strategies.
Abstract: The following is an investigation of the practice of body modification, specifically tattooing and piercing, in contemporary Canadian society. In the past decade, a surge of interest in body modifications has emerged within North America. A variety of people are experimenting with various forms of body modification, and the alteration of the body seems to have evolved from a marginalized practice to one of conformity. This, however, does not mean that the motivations for and significance of tattoos or piercings has disappeared. A substantial amount of personal and social meaning is still attributed to tattooing and piercing the body. In particular, the focus of this paper will be on the social and individual meanings attributed to these acts. The two main questions that were addressed were: first, are social messages craved on the flesh? Second, do people use body modifications as a rite of passage?
Nineteen people were interviewed via email for the present study. The results indicate that the personal and social messages attributed to tattoos and piercings are still apparent. Many people expressed that they modify their body as a symbol of their individuality and personal choice or in order to make a social statement, usually that of deviance. Body modifications are also used as personally sanctioned rites of passage.
Abstract: During the summer of 1999 an excavation of a Thule winter house and associated middens was conducted at site KkDo-3. This site is located on the Eastern shore of Peterhead Inlent, near Iqaluit, Nunavut. The house excavated has been designated as house 17. This site is a multicomponent site containing remains of Thule, Dorset, and Pre-Dorset occupations. This faunal analysis was conducted on the remains recovered from house 17 that have been attributed to the Thule period of occupation. This study provides an identification of the different species present, a quantification of the relative abundance of each species, quantitative measurements of selected bones, and interpretations of these results. The information presented in this analysis will contribute to the understanding of the Thule winter subsistence practices in the Frobisher Bay area of Baffin Island.
Abstract: The Tungatsivvik site, KkDo-3, is located seven kilometres west of Iqaluit, on the east shore of Peterhead Inlet, Baffin Island, NT. The site is composed of 99 archaeological features, 16 of which are the remains of Thule semi-subterranean houses. An archaeology crew from the University of Waterloo fully excavated one of the Thule houses, House 17, during the 1998 field season. The artifacts recovered from this excavation indicate occupation by the Thule people, as well as one or more earlier cultural groups. The Thule people did not generally manufacture flake-stone tools, so the substantial assemblage found at House 17 can be attributed to a culture of the earlier Arctic Small Tool tradition (ASTt). The preservation of animal bone and Thule-style organic artifacts at House 17 indicates that this is a Thule structure, constructed over the remained of an earlier ASTt structure. The Thule people constructed their semisubterranean dwellings on top of or near the campsites of earlier cultural groups, using sod or soil containing flake stone tools in the house fill and roof. In total, 1271 lithic artifacts were found in the House 17 excavation. While the majority are debitage flakes, 106 are formed artifacts representing both the Pre-Dorset and Dorset cultural traditions. Types of artifacts found at House 17 include: burins, burin spalls, burin-like tools, flake gravers, endblades, sideblades, knives, drills, gravers, endscrapers, sidescrapers, and bifaces. Based on literary, diagram, and figure comparisons to lithic assemblages from 12 Pre-Dorset and Dorset sites in the Baffin Island vicinity, the House 17 lithic assemblage appears to be multicomponent, with evidence of occupation from groups of both Pre-Dorset and Dorset people.
Abstract: An excavation was conducted in the summers of 1998 and 1999 of a Thule winter house and the surrounding midden, on the east shore of Peterhead Inlet, near Iqaluit, in Baffin Island, Nunavut. KkDo-3, House 17, is a multicomponent site that includes both a Thule occupation and earlier Dorset and Pre-Dorset occupations. A faunal analysis is performed on the animal remains recovered from the house, which have been attributed to the Thule occupation. The study provides an identification of the species present, a quantification of taxonomic abundance, and an interpretation of the results. The information in this paper will contribute to an increased understanding of the Thule winter subsistence pattern in the Frobisher Bay region of southern Baffin Island, Nunavut.
Abstract: Historical evidence indicates that for centuries soldiers in war time have suffered from high rates of infection and more often died from these diseases than succumbed to traumatic injury. Bacterial and fungal diseases affected respiratory health, and parasitic and viral agents plagued soldiers who lived in unsanitary conditions such as forts or while on the march. Documentary evidence indicates that the North American wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were no different. This study examines the presence and frequency of periostitis and osteomyelitis in the tibiae of two military populations. Fort William Henry, New York (French and Indian War) (n=21) and Stoney Creek (War of 1812) (n=38) are used to examine infectious diseases in the eighteenth and nineteenth century military populations. The data indicate that there is a statistically sign)ficant difference in the rates of infection between the Fort William Henry and Stoney Creek soldiers. The Fort William Henry population was less healthy both in terms of rate and severity of non-specific infectious lesions on the tibiae. The factors that account for this difference may include selection for health, older soldiers in the invasion force of the Battle of Stoney Creek, difference in host resistance, as well as an actual improvement in overall health status in later populations.
Abstract: Traditional Knowledge has recently been used in environmental assessment to determine the positive, negative and neutral impacts of development initiatives. An examination of the Northwest Territories Broken Hill Proprietaries (BHP) Diamond Mine, the first environmental assessment required to give full and equal consideration to Traditional Knowledge, illustrates the controversies surrounding the inclusion of this body of information in the assessment process. Using a literature search and a practitioner survey, the relationship between Traditional Knowledge and science in the assessment process is examined. While Traditional Knowledge is generally understood by all practitioners, there is no corresponding understanding of the strengths and limitations of science. As such, the incorporation of Traditional Knowledge in environmental assessment will remain contentious until practitioners reach a consensus about the role of science in the assessment process.
Abstract: In a cross-species comparison of conflict resolution behaviours in Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Callithrix jacchus and Papio hamadryas we fnd that intra group conflict is related to complex social contexts and predominantly involves communication and the negotiation of social relationships. These fndings reveal that there has been an overemphasis on aggression in theories of the social evolution of humans and non-human primates which can potentially be used as a justifcation of the prevalent use of violence in human conflict. By examining scholarly repoffs of primate intra-group interaction in the fouridentifed species and noting the predominant causes, contexts and behaviours associated with conflict resolution, as well as companng them across species it is possible to address misconceptions about conflict and aggression in primates. This is important in that it provides a broad and contextual perspective where in the past theories have been largely based on single species models encouraging determinism. The result is a theory of social evolution that emphasizes the role of communication in the resolution of conflict as implied by the amount it is utilized in primate groups and the complexity of human social organization and communication systems.
Abstract: Despite the fact that Vampire Live-Action Role-Playing Games (LARPS) are a wide-spread and growing activity throughout Canada, there are no academic studies on the subject. The purpose of this research is to treat Vampire LARP as an academic study that fills the gap in research on the subject. Using a modified definition of Clifford Geertz's deep play, this paper examines deep play in a single Vampire LARP group in Kitchener-Waterloo. I argue that Vampire LARP has different cultural meanings for its players and outsiders. I define Vampire LARP as deep play because it is controversial leisure, and Vampire LARP activities are both separate from, and a part of the everyday lives of its players. The game is separate from the lives of the players in that games are held at a set time, place, and according to a set of rules that do not operate in everyday life. The game spills over into the lives of the players because they spend a lot of time, and energy talking about or preparing for games. The game is controversial leisure because concerned outsiders feel threatened by the players, and some connect Vampire LARP to violence and Satanism. In contrast, study group players refute these claims, and participate in Vampire LARP because they share a common interest in the game. Many players met friends at the game, and several players have dated each other. Players said that there are many positive effects of playing, including: development of imagination, the ability to sees things from another's point of view, and self-esteem. Finally, players see the game as a stress release. The study concludes that the study group is a social community, and that playing Vampire LARP has many therapeutic consequences for the players. Although the scope of this research is limited, Vampire LARP does not appear to have the results described by some concerned outsiders.
Abstract: An excavation was conducted in the summer of 1996 of a Thule culture winter house, on Davidson Point, near Iqaluit, in Baffin Island, N.W.T. KkDn-31, House 1, is a multicomponent site which includes both a Thule occupation and an earlier Dorset or Pre-Dorset occupation. A faunal analysis is performed on the animal remains recovered from the house, which have been attributed to the Thule occupation. The study provides an identification of the species present, a quantification of taxonomic abundances, and an interpretation of the results. The information exposed in this paper will contribute to an increased understanding of the Thule winter subsistence pattern in the Frobisher Bay region of southern Baffin Island, N.W.T.
Abstract: KkDn-31 is a small Thule winter site comprising three houses. It is located west of Iqaluit across the Sylvia Grinnell River on Davidson Point, Baffin Island, N.W.T. During the 1996 summer field season, one of these Thule houses was completely excavated, led by a crew from the University of Waterloo. Excavations revealed a multi- component site occupied by the Thule and an earlier Paleo-Eskimo group. A total of 1999 items were recovered from the site; of these, 356 are flaked stone (Park 1996:12). The lithics comprise mostly flakes and some formed artifacts like microblades, burins, burin spalls, and stemmed and triangular endblades. These stone artifacts are not typical of Thule-artifact assemblages and based on the types that are present, their relative frequencies, and the diagnostic attributes they display, it is presumed these artifacts belong to the Pre-Dorset cultural continuum. The Thule likely dug through this earlier cultural component while constructing their winter house, thereby incorporating these lithic artifacts into the roof sod or wall fill (Park 1996:12). A lithic debitage analysis conducted on the debitage from KkDn-31 indicates that core reduction and tool manufacturing were undertaken at the site but the general absence of cortical debitage suggests that primary reduction of the raw materials used in these activities took place elsewhere, perhaps at another locale within the greater KkDn-31 site area.
Abstract:The Grateful Dead is a rock and roll band formed in 1965. For thirty years the Grateful Dead have attracted a following of faithful fans, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, known as Deadheads. The lead singer, guitarist, composer and figurehead of the band was Jerry Garcia. Beginning in the late 1960s, a community grew around the band. To some Deadheads, Jerry represented a father, grandfather, guru, spiritual leader or a god. I argue that this community of fans constitute a subculture. A discussion and description of this subculture is included. In August of 1995, Garcia died in his sleep; six months later the surviving band members announced their decision not to continue as the Grateful Dead. Many Deadheads were deeply affected by the loss of Jerry and the end of the Grateful Dead. This paper examines the mourning of Deadheads: who was affected, how it was expressed, and the reasons behind it. Many feared the loss of the subculture, although a strong commitment to continue was evident. A discussion of the future of Deadheads, the possible role of cyberspace, and commitment of Deadheads to retaining their community is included.
Abstract: The peopling of the Americas is a phenomenon with many unanswered questions. Researchers cannot agree when the first inhabitants came to the Americas, what migration route they took, or where they made their first appearance. Archaeologists have proposed different models to explain the peopling of the Americas. The dominant paradigm is one in which big game hunters followed their prey across the Bering land bridge around 12,000 years ago. However, sites such as Pedra Furada in Brazil and Monte Verde in Chile, which pre-date 12,000 years ago, do not fit into this model. These sites, like other early sites, have undergone intense scrutiny and as a result the validity of these sites has been questioned. This leaves archaeologists with enough evidence to tantalize them as to other possible models, but not enough evidence to draw any conclusions. The integration of genetic evidence with the archaeological evidence can be useful in attempting to answer some of the issues. This paper examines the controversy of Pedra Furada and Monte Verde and reviews the current literature on the mitochondrial DNA and Immunoglobulin allotypes evidence concerning the peopling of the Americas. The possibilities for migration routes and times will be discussed but the focus will be on the problems inherent in this type of evidence. These problems include conflicting evidence within the discipline as to the number of migrations and the timing of those migrations, the possibility of haplotype shifting, and especially the problems associated with population decimation through warfare and disease before, during, and after contact with Europeans; all must be considered when evaluating the data. These problems with the genetic evidence presently prevent genetics from answering these questions any more clearly than archaeology alone. In light of the problems surrounding both disciplines, the conclusion is reached that genetic evidence can offer some insights into the peopling of the Americas and does provide alternative models, but the genetic evidence requires archaeological evidence to confirm the hypotheses proposed.
Abstract: Despite the near universal practice of body decoration and modification, engaging in these types of activities within Western society has almost always been condemned. However, in recent years, participation in various forms of body decoration and modification such as piercing, tattooing, scarring and pain dances, has become increasingly popular particularly within urban environments. This thesis analyzes the motivations and meaning behind contemporary body decoration, ritual adornment and pain dances. These activities have become appealing to individuals within both mainstream society and fringe groups. Therefore, this thesis seeks to determine whether a subculture of individuals who engage in these types of activities exists.
The research was conducted primarily in the Toronto and Waterloo areas among individuals who engage in various forms of body decoration and modification. An overview of the social body--how people play out their politics on their body and how this relates to contemporary body decoration and modification--is presented. A brief history of body decoration, including piercing, tattooing and scarring is provided. However, the thesis concentrates on the who, what and why of contemporary body decoration and modification.
I conclude, based on this examination, that a subculture of Modern Primitives exists within Toronto. It is suggested that the members of this subculture have a number of personal, spiritual and emotional motivations behind engaging in the various forms of body decoration, modification and ritual adornment, as opposed to the predominantly superficial motivations of the mainstream participants. Finally, the stereotypes surrounding these types of behaviour are analyzed. Based on the data collected during the study, I demonstrate that only one of the stereotypes is accurate.
Abstract: AgHc-82, a Late Archaic site situated near Brantford, Ontario, was excavated in the summer of 1995 by a crew of seven members from the University of Waterloo Department of Anthropology. The excavation recovered a relatively minimal number of complete artifacts and 9,459 pieces of lithic debris. The analysis of lithic debitage from Late Archaic sites in the Great Lakes region has provided valuable information concerning the activities carried out at the sites. However, Sullivan and Rozen (1985) point out some difficulties associated with traditional lithic debitage analysis and propose a new approach to this study. The typology created by Sullivan and Rozen was applied to the analysis of site AgHc-82, revealing that the site was occupied for short periods of time and the main activity at the site was lithic tool manufacture.
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