BLOOMSBURG STATE COLLEGE
Bloomsburg
Pennsylvania
Anthropology Newsletter
Vol. 2, No. 6
March 1978
Department of Philosophy and Anthropology

Guest Speaker The anthropologists have arranged for Dr. Jeffrey Kurland of
Penn State University to be a guest speaker Monday, March 13 at 3:15 in 83
Hartline. Dr. Kurland is a prominent figure in both primate studies and the
new field of sociobiology. He has degrees from Cornell, MIT, and Harvard and
is reconnnended by such figures as Irven DeVore and Edward O. Wilson. He will
speak on his research with Japanese macaques, emphasizing the sociobiological
consequences of kinship among these primates. He should also be able to answer
questions about PSU's graduate program in anthropology. All anthropology
majors are strongly urged to attend. It has been several years since we have
been able to obtain a guest speaker, and it would be nice to set a precedent.
Dr. Kurland's remarks will certainly be relevant to the interests of BSC's
anthropology students.
Book Review Many students have become familiar with the work of Peter Farb
either in the Language and Culture course or in North American Indians. The
two books by Farb used in those courses are frequently mentioned as among the
favorites in the anthropology curriculum. Well, Farb has a new book called
Humankind (Houghton Mifflin 1978), a grand compendium of information from
physical and cultural anthropology. Farb tries to define humanity by synthesizing material from all the subdisciplines of anthropology. He compares
man to the other primates, surveys human evolution, and looks at human social
institutions such as language and socialization. Humankind is an excellent
sourcebbok in anthropology in 1978; it would be an ideal gift for the parent
who doesn't quite understand all this anthropology business. As Ashley Montagu
said of the book: "I found it so absorbing that it was difficult to attend
to anything else until I had completed reading it. And, indeed, when I came
to the end I regretted that this quite long book (544 pages) was not longer."
SUNY at Buffalo announces three new MA programs in anthropology which might be
of interest to BSC students. They are programs on schools as cultural systems,
on the city and urban anthropology, and on health in the urban environment.
Buffalo's faculty of nine anthropologists includes several prominent names
including Keith Otterbein and Marvin Opler. Dr. Minderhout has further information for those who are interested.
Ethnographic Facts Hair has long been one of the most intense interests of
mankind. For instance, the so-called Venus figurin~s of the Upper Paleolithic
show no facial features, but seem to show plaited hair in some detail. Hair
is used not merely for ornamentation, but also for symbolizing social differences,
the most common being that of sex. Age and kinship can also be symbolized
by hair. Omaha Indian boys shaved their heads, leaving only tuffs in distinctive patterns which signified clan membership. In many cultures, like the
Hopi, hair is used to distinguish married and unmarried status among women:
Hopi unmarried women wear elaborate "squash blossom" hairdos. Hair may have
other symbolic values. Edmund Leach in an article entitled "Magical Hair"
points to the close association in many cultures between hair and sexual

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symbols, especially the association beteeen long hair and unrestrained sexual
behavior vs. short hair and repressed sexual urges. Some of these symbols are
quite overt. Thus on Dobu an adulterer will cut the hair of the woman he has
committed adultery with if he wishes to make the matter public and defy the
woman's husband. Similarly Hindus shave their heads before certain religious
rituals in order to appear "clean" before the gods. Other cultures associate
hair with fertility. The Yako shave the heads of girls before clitoridectomy
and allow pregnant women's hair to grow long. Cutting the hair in some
cultures is seen as symbolic castration. Thus Delilah was not merely destroying Samson's physical strength when she cut his hair.
An Interview by Steve Styers
Jan Dunlevy is a junior majoring in anthropology, 20 years old, and comes
from Lancaster, PA
SS: If love is more than an emotion, what else is it?
JD: A state of mi . . ..d, for some a way of life ••• sometimes it determines what
you'll do and how you'll act.
SS: Are you glad that your parents did not decide to terminate you as a fetus?
JD: YEAH, because I enjoy life; even though you get in a rut once in a while,
there are always things to do and find out, and you mustn't forget that.
Besides, my parents were ready for me.
SS: Favorite color and why?
JD: I have three: green, yellow and blue, and I can't choose a favorite yellow is bright; blue is the color of the sky; green is grass in the right
shade.
SS: Music you prefer?
JD: My tastes tend toward the mellow ••• but I can listen to almost anything.
SS: Favorite food?
JD: Any kind, I love food; I love to cook.
SS: Movie? Book? Animal? Political figure? Comic strip?
JD: Of recent movies, I thoroughly enjoyed Neil Simon's "The Goodbye Gii:l."
I enjoy reading, but as for a favorite book, I don't have any particular one.
Cats - they're furry and cuddly. No favorite political figure. "Ziggy" is
my favorite comic strip character; it's light, good humor.
SS: Do you think BSC has any potential as an intellectual environment, or
is it just an institutional sewer for 5,000 minds?
JD: It's what a person makes it, although I believe people are more generally
socially oriented; some programs here are very good and known around the
country.
SS: If you had the ability to bring one dead person back to lite, who would
it be and why?
JD: My grandmother ••• she just died; she was a good person, cheery, warm,
a good sense of humor. There are things I'd want to talk about that we
never got around to.
SS: Is there one person in the world today whom you would like to meet, and
why?
JD: Margaret Mead; I'd like to be her protege.
SS: I still think anthropology is a subversive social science, in that it
undermines the basic assumption of the American masses, such as the thrill
of competition, ethnocentrism, materialism, etc. What do you think?
JD: I think that's true; I think knowing more about anthropology would help
Americans to understand other people, to accept them. I do think a certain
amount of ethnocentrism is necessary, to retain one's identity.

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SS: Do you believe in life after death?
JD: Yes, but I could change my mind if I really thought about it.
SS: Do you believe in life after college?
JD: Definitely; this is just a stepping stone; it's preparation for what
you want to do later.
SS: Your present plans for the future?
JD: I'd like to go to grad school, although I might work for a while before
doing that. I'd like to work with people - children fascinate me.
SS: Extracurricular pursuits?
JD: Racketball, cooking; I like to travel, listen to music, talk to people.
SS: Do you intend to make anthropology the focus of your life?
JD: I'd like to, if the job opportunities are there. It will always be a
major interest to me.
Star Wars as Anthropology by Steve Styers (Continued) Star Wars expands our
narrow viewpoints in another way, too, - that of depicting the potentialities
of artificial intelligence. C3PO and R2D2 are not popular figures for no
reason. They can be identified with precisely because they are not merely an
android (C3PO) or a robot (R2D2). They are machines which have crossed the
line between mechanics and metaphysics; they have personalities. The inhabitants of the earth must be prepared, by such ways, for just such an eventual
occurrence. It will lessen the shock that artificial intelligence will cause
in regard to traditional definitions of the soul and "being" and even life
itself.
Now I will tell you why I love Star Wars, and why I hate it. I hate it because
of what it is not. The potential for a more "serious" plot was diluted for
mass appeal. Surface features of sexism and racism poke through. There is a
casual display of violence that is excessive. However, there is a seriousness
to the plot; there are deeper features redeeming the sexism, racism, etc.; and
the violence is not meaningless. So, I can't finally justify my hate, but I
will justify (or at least explain) my love. From the very beginning, there is
that triumphant music accompanying the prologue as the words move onto the
screen, giving them an illusion of three-dimensionality. It reminds me of the
Gospel of John, "In the beginning was the Word . . . ," for these words seem to
be created out of nothing, take tangible form, and move into infinity as they
disappear. I am non-religious in my beliefs (non-beliefs), but I also long for
the transcendental, the "mystical" if you will. And so, the film flashes along,
with breathtaking scenes like the escape pod containing C3PO and R2D2 falling
toward Tatooine, the approach to and escape from the Death Star by our heroes
in the Millenium Falcon, and the destruction of the Death Star.
And it is that destruction which holds the key to the film for me. My
non-violent self is appalled by the act, for Luke isn't just blowing up a
piece of machinery; in those shimmering fragments filling space are also
unknown numbers of vaporized intelligent beings. I suppose one could say
that they deserved it, the evil bastards, but I hesitate about retribution
against evil since it is a concept in the eye of the beholder. What gives a
meaning to the Death Star's elimination is the balancing conception of the
Force. The Force is a unity containing good, evil, and whatever else we
may conceptualize. The Death Star is a disease in the body of the Force,
and it is expelled to initiate a return to health. Thus Luke is justified
in his action since he is working through the Force to accomplish its will -

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and his will. The Force is, therefore "human" and beyond human understanding. It implies the possibility of assumed impossibility. Luke does not
destroy the Death Star with bombs alone. It is a physical event guided
and attained through something other than the physical. The Force could be
the power of the mind as in contrast to the actual existence of the brain.
The Force could be many other things, but regardless it is there, part pf
the system, part of the study of Star Wars, not to be ignored, a component
of interdependence, an element of the holistic perception we are thrust
into in the film. As in anthropology, Star Wars includes everything in its
ethnographies, the observable and the beliefs about the observable which
are often even more important than subjective interpretation of facts.
Anthropology is a fusion of these seemingly disparate forms of knowledge,
and Star Wars in the explosion of the Death Star falls together into a
fusion of science and religion, the material and the spiritual, the defined
and undefined, the natural and the supernatural, the physical and the metaphysical, the transient and the transcendant. That's why I like Star Wars,
and why I am studying anthropology. And I like that fusion of forms in a
Force that may be real even in this part of this galaxy. And it gives me
hope. As Neil Young wrote: "As the days fly past, will we lose our grasp,
or fuse it in the sun."
The Behavior of Great Apes in Captivity by Marj Witmer (Continued)
(2)
Human reactions to apes and what impressed people most while watching them: My proposal that people would be most impressed by apes performing
human-like activities was not confirmed with the gorillas or orangs. While
the male gorilla received comments on his muscular stature and his ferocious
face, the adult male orang was noted for his face only, particularly the
large cheek pads. One female visitor even expressed her distaste by explaining that this orang must be ill or have an infection and that she certainly
hopes they keep him away from the others!

The visitors viewing the chimps didn't disagree with my supposition. In
the case of a mature female and her two year old son, the women were
especially taken by the female's tenderness, discipline, and play with the
infant. The men, however, seemed to be interested specifically in the rigor
of play, and I suggest that this may be paralleled to watching a son roughhouse in the backyard.
(3) Maternal behavior: The female chimp and her son were perfect
examples of maternal behavior in action. While the infant would continually jump on his mother's head, pull on her arm and hair, and step on her
face, the female would peacefully tolerate him and even occasionally play
with or tease him. In the wild, when young are venturing away from their
mother, they will stop every few feet and look back to see if she is watching. If she is attentive, they will continue exploring, but if she is not
watching, they will come back to her or within the area previously explored.
This behavior was easily noted within the cage, and the infant was quick to
return if she turned her attention elsewhere. In one instance, however, the
infant was dangling by one arm very precariously over the water dish, and
the mother was watching. The mother then shook her head from side to side
as in the human gesture meaning "no", and the yo ungster pulled himself
away back up onto the bar, away from the dangerous situation. I was exteme-

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o

ly impressed by this behavior, and I would de f initely be interested in
noting whether this action was purely coincidence or if it has a social
bas is - such as imitation of the keepers.
(4) Under what conditions do the apes use bipedalism: I had presumed
that the more terrestrial apes, namely gorillas, would be much more adept
at bipedalism than those arboreal apes, such as orangs. This supposition
was proven wrong by the species involved, when it was discovered that the
gorilla could not stand free of support, while the orang could ambulate
bipedally backwards and forwards free of any support. It was also assumed
thFt bipedalism would be initiated if something was to be carried. The
keeper however mentioned that he had never observed carrying behavior and
in his experience, all bi perlalism among the gorillas was supported and
random. Chimpanzee behavior pulls together the characteristics of both
the orangs and gorillas, in that their activities include free-standing
bipedalism, but this can only be accomplished for limited periods of
time and w1th great clumsiness.
(5) Try out facial expressions and observe any return gestures: This
was the most difficult activity to accomplish, undoubtedly due to the number
of people that these apes see every day. Apparently for them to spend any
amount of time watching one visitor is considered a rare occasion. Of all
the apes available in this building, I could not establish facial contact
with any. However, one of the young orangs was especially taken with my
photographer and followed his every move until he was out of the sight
lines of the orang cage. While we were tn front of the cage this particular youth maintained eye contact with him even if this meant walking
overor standing on the other orangs in the cage. I have no explanation for
this love affair, but I'm anxious to see if the same orang will remember my
photographer if we visit the zoo again soon. At the same time I was trying
to establish eye contact, the keeper started playing a game with the adult
male gorilla, which abruptly interrupted any degree of success. The
gorillas had three rooms which were connected by small doors at floor level.
The keeper would jump up and pound on the outside of the plexiglas with his
fist, and the male would do the same thing inside. Then the keeper would
run to the other end of these three cages and do the same thing, while the
male also charged to the other end through these little doors, trying to
beat the keeper. This went back and forth for about five minutes, until
the keeper decided this was enough exercise for now. The gorilla however
was still ready to go and continued to play the game himself for awhile.
The keeper then turned his attention to the females by scratching the glass
with his fingers. They irmnediately came over and put their foreheads where
he was scratching. This was interesting because the gorillas couldn't feel
him scratching, but yet they seemed pleased wi~h the activity. Both the
gorillas and the chimpanzees would knock back if he knocked on the glass,
and most would follow what he was doing with great interest.
At the rear of this particuiar building was a separate building called the
nursery. The outside wall was completely glass so that all the activities
in this room can be easily seen. At the time of our visit, an orangatan
and a chimpanzee each about four months old were kept in separate playpens
near the glass. They were very anxious to see people and were extremely
receptive to facial expression and gesture. If I would raise my arm over
my head or clap my hands, they tried to imitate the behavio r . Even among

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these youn~ the orang showed much more potential for bipedal behavior than
the chimp; the latter would try to pull himself to his feet, but would fall
down before getting stability.
(6) Feeding behavior and who eats first: Actual feeding was not observed, but in talking with the keeper, I was informed that the adult male
gorilla ate first, but only because he threw the others out of the way to
get to the food. He would huddle around the tray, eating until he
was full, then allowing the females to feed. The four young orangs pounced
on the tray as soon as it was introduced, and each fought for his own share
of the food. The older, more mature apes who were alone in their cages
were much more likely to teke their time eating. Those adults who shared
their cage with only one other individual could peacefully share the food.
The infant chimp was still being breast-fed, and therefore was not too interested in the vegetable matter served to his mother.
It should be recognized that the above observations were only one hour in
length, and that all the recorded actions were noted during that time. Thus,
it can safely be suggested that any studies concerning primate behavior must
be specific in their objectives and extremely receptive to unexpected outcomes. I think a great deal of information has yet to be uncovered by anthropologists, and as long as there are apes, there will be persons like myself
who would like to better understand all facts of their lives, especially
the use of facial expression and gestures.
Office Hours:
Dr. Minderhout, (219 BCH) 9 and 2 MWF
Mr. Reeder (219 BCH) 12:15 MW and TH; 10 TuTh
Mr. Solenberger (Boyer Garage) MWF at 3; WF at 10 and TuTh at 3:15
If you would like to be on the Newsletter mailing list or if you have news
to include or ideas to share, please contact any of the anthropologists or
one of the student editors. Steve Styers can be reached at 784-7421; Marj
Witmer at 784-4566.