BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY Bloomsburg Pennsylvania ANTHROPOLOGY NEWSLETTER Vol. 10, No. 3 February l 98~ Department of Philosophy/Anthropology Bloomsburg University's First Archaeological Field School: Dr. Elise Brenner will conduct an archaeological field school this summer at Bloomsburg University. The program will run from May 19 to July 3, 1986 and will be offered for 6 credits as 46,301, Field Archaeology. The field program will provide students with an intensive research and training experience. Field training in archaeological techniques will be integrated with classroom lectures and exercises concerning the prehistory of Pennsylvania, the principles of archaeological sampling, mapping, and archaeological problem-solving. Field school students will take an active part in data collection and interpretation during the seven weeks of the field school. The first year's field school project will be a systematic archaeological survey and excavation, documenting the distribution and variety of archaeological sites in Columbia County. Please see Elise Brenner in 219 BCH (4334) for more details. In Trouble Today: Brazil's Kayapo Indians: by Barb Emerick. The Kayapo Indians are located in Brazil's .Amazon Basin. The Kayapo live in 13 villages encompassing some 3000 individuals; 3 of the villages fall under a Brazilian Indian Reserve. Traditionally armed with clubs and bows and arrows, the Kayapo are proud of their fighting ability. The symbol of the Kayapo male was a light wooden lip disk and a penis sheath, both of which indicated manhood. Today, the Kayapo wear shorts, carry guns and speak Portuguese, the Brazilian national language; they find that the lip disks interfere with their new language. Exposed to the outside world by the Brazilian gold rush, the Kayapo are amazed by the white man's technological wealth. They are also being overwhelmed by the consequences of that wealth. For instance, the gold prospectors invaded in large numbers, taking land and destroying water supplies. The Xingu River, once blue and a source of fish, is now brown with sewage and chemical pollutants. Fishing is no longer possible near Kayapo villages. Abandoned gold mines are filling with stagnant water in which malaria-carrying mosquitos breed. Many other pressures also impinge on the Kayapo. Missionaries have brought schools which teach new values and a religion which teaches a new view of the supernatural. The government is planning a road into Kayapo territory which will increase the degree of contact; a hydroelectric project is also planned. The Kayapo would like to share in the wealth of the outsiders, but not at the expense of losing their native culture. Brazilian Indians have formed a lobbying group to speak for them called the Union of Indigenous Nations. But the future of Brazil's Indians is a continuing struggle for their rights and their stand against development pressures. The Anthropologist's Cookbook: The following recipe is from Japan and is called Azuki bean and endive soup. 10 oz. azuki beans, soaked overnight 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock 4 whole Belgian endives 2 tblsps butter 1 tblsp sugar juice of 1/2 lemon salt and pepper Drain the beans and wash once more. Drain and place in large saucepan with chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until beans are mushy soft, about 45 minutes. Wash the endives and trim bottoms. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is frothy, add the endives and the sugar; brown on all sides. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the lemon juice and 3 tblsps water, season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and cook until the endives are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the beans over a large bowl, reserving the fluid. Puree the beans and the endives in a food processor, adding some liquid if necessary. Pour the puree into a large saucepan, add some stock, correct the seasoning and heat. The soup should have the consistency of a thin puree. Pour the soup in bowls, garnish with watercress and very thin slices of raw endive. Makes 6 servings. Forensic Anthropology: by Barb Emerick. Today, anthropologists are involved in numerous facets of our society. They don't always live the glamorous life of an Indiana Jones, but are ordinary individuals. For example, in Philadelphia, medical examiners would not release the remains of several MOVE victims until identification was made with the help of anthropologists from the University of Maryland and the University of Pennsylvania. The anthropologists were able to identify the remains of a girl who was placed between the ages of 13 and 15. They helped identify people through pieces of clothing and age dating of bones. They were also able to identify an individual through a broken toe he had suffered as a youth. Amazing? No, just another anthropology adventure! The Mummies of Qilakitsoq: by Barb Emerick. Bodies are nicely preserved in Greenland's peat bogs. These mummified forms had been given elaborate funerals. Archaeologists found 8 bodies, but wonder if all 8 died together. The bodies were well dressed in sealskin trousers, anoraks, and boots stuffed with insulating grass. Using the carbon-14 method, the archaeologists discovered the possible year of death: 1475 AD. The two graves in which the bodies were found had the bodies stacked one on top of the other. The best preserved body was that of a 6 month old child. It was possilie to determine the sex and the age of the bodies through various pieces of evidence. Sex was determined by genital remains and x-rays of pelvic bones. Facial tattoos and clothing also helped to determine sex. Age was detected by dental development and physical characteristics. Some of the mummies were well enough preserved to have fingerprints, palms prints, and prints of the soles of their feet. It has been more difficult to determine the causes of death. The infant may have been orphaned and then d ied of malnutrition. One body showed signs of cancer. In the remains of one female, food traces and fecal remains could be identified. Among the items found were traces of evergreen wood, a mystery since evergreens do not grow on Greenland. Also found were high levels of soot in the lungs, characteristic of the seal blubber lamps that were used at that time. -- An Anthropological Adventure: by Art Sweeney. Adventure! When one combines that word with the words "anthropologist" and "archaeologist", the image one conjures up is of ruins rising in the distance or natives running after you with poisoned spears. Anything remotely normal would be the furthest thing from your mind. One would never consider a trip to Washington, D.C, an adventure for an anthropologist or archaeologist, but that was what it was when two of the anthropology faculty and four undergraduates attended the I 1985 American Anthropological Association meetings this past December. The AAA meetings were held at the Washington Hilton. Those attending from BU were faculty members Elise Brenner and Dave Minderhout and students Gabrielle Davidson, Mark Ennes, Deb Hackenburg and Art Sweeney. Feelings were low as Friday's departure arrived accompanied by three inches of snow with more on the way, With determination in their ~yes, the daring crew forged its way south through treacherous roads and blizzard conditions - which eventually turned to. a sunny 45 degrees as D.C. approached, After registering with both the hotel and the convention officials, the main activity of the weekend began - attending sessions. Subject matter was so various that deciding which talk to attend was difficult. Papers dealing with new social approaches to archaeology, witchcraft, and women's roles were just a few of the topics. Big names in the field were also scheduled to speak, including Marvin Harris, David Mccurdy, and Richard Leakey. Bloomsburg's own Elise Brenner presented a paper dealing with capitalism and the fur trade in North America. This year's meeting put forth many new ideas and also gave a few of Bloomsburg's students a new experience in their areas of interest. Adventures such as this one are part of what anthropology is all about - a learning experience. Alumni Questionnaire: As part of its department evaluation, the anthropology faculty sent questionnaires to all majors or minors who graduated between 1981 and 1985 (An earlier study had been done in 1981 covering the years between 1968 and 1981). Addresses were located for 33 former students; 15 replied, None had gone on to graduate school in anthropology, and so the respondents were working at a variety of positions from sales representative to nurse to therapist in a mental health center. Most reported that they felt that the strength of the program was good classroom teaching, though specific courses and the Southwest Tour were also mentioned. Weaknesses included not enough field trips or hands-on experience, the absence of an anthropology club• too few courses in physical anthropology, and low visibility in the university. When asked what change they would make in the current program if they could, a variety of answers was given including enlarge the department, more field studies, a graduate program, and making anthropology mandatory for certain majors in other fields. All of the respondents felt that anthropology had benefited them, primarily by expanding their view of the world and making them less ethnocentric; all felt they understood the people they worked or lived with better because of anthropology. The anthropology faculty will be attempting to inauguarate programs to meet the criticisms raised in the questionnaires, An anthropology club was formed last fall, and the students in it are making plans for field trips and conference visits, The new archaeology program is providing multiple opportunities for direct field experience. New courses to meet specific needs are being drawn up, Unfortunately, some of the proposed changes, like hiring a fourth anthropologist, are out of our hands. But look for continued changes in the future.