BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY
Bloomsburg
Pennsylvania
ANTHROPOLOGY NEWSLETTER
Vol. 12. No. 1
October 1987
Department of Philosophy1Anthropology

I t · s Our Twe!fth Year! I ~ seems hard to believe that i t was tve l ve
years ago that Bob Reeder put out that first mimeographed news let t er f or
circulation in anthropo l ogy ciasses. We now dlstrloute 250 copies of
each issue to interested stuaents, faculty, administrators ana a lumni.
I f you wouid oe interested in being added to our mailing list. p iease
conta::: t either Dave Minderhout <219 BCH, 4334) or Art Sweene y.
Four Anthrooologists! For the first time in its history, BU has fou~
anthropolog ists on its staff. The first anthropologist was hired at BU
in i96l. The program was expanded to a second person in 1968 ana to a
tnira person in 1971. Since then we ' ve been in a holding pattern. In
addition to Eilse Brenner, Dave Mlnderhout, and Bob Reeaer, the
anthropology program was able to hire Tom Aleto for a one-year temporary
posit i on. The anthropologists are ver y much hoping that we can keep a
tour person aepartment, bringing us in l ine with such SSHE institutions
as West Chester and Kutztown.

Spring Semester 1988 The anthropologists will be offering the fo l ~ow i ng
courses fo r tne spring semester:
46.lCJ Introduction to Antnropology

46.102
46.20 0
46.220
46 . 300
46.350
46.440
46.450

Anthropology & the Modern World
Pr i ncip les of Cultural Anthropo logy
Pr inc ip l es of Phys i cal Anthropology
Archaeological Method & Theory
Medica l Anthropology
Language & Cuiture
South American Indians

46.1 01. 46 . 200, and 46.220 all qualify for the general educa ti on
distribution requirements under Group B, the soclai sciences
46.102 qualifies as a Values, Ethics & Responsible Dec i s i on-making

Cou cse.
;J.!l)th American Ina!ans:A New Cou r se From the vast t ropica l :crests of
tne Amazon Bas in to the world ' s ari est desert on the coast of Chi ie.
3outh Amer ica ls one of the most ecologica ll y diverse continents. The
many a 1v erse environments of South America have given r !se to some of
the most exotic cuit ures that have ever existed. The most ::amous of
these is ~he : nca culture that dominated the Central Anaes for near 1:'
200 years. The Spanish defeated the Inca but did not put an ena to a l I
c f the indigenous cu i tures. Rather. their conquest of South America
introduced an era curing which the indigenous cultures absorcea elements
of t ne Europea.n way of Ii fe and the Europeans were great i y l nf i uenced o··

2.

tne people they came to conquer. The evolution of cultures that began
~ver 400 years ago continues to this day.
' Peop les & Cui tures of South Amer I ca," a course to be offerea by
Protessor Tom Aleta in the spring semester, offers a look at the
~.: .scinating inaigenous and traditional cultures of South America. The
course is open to a!i students with at least one semester of
anthropology. !t provides an introduction to the geography of the
continent and to the archaeology of the people who inhabited Soutn
~~e:•i:::: Defore the arrival of the Europeans. These topics create the
oa:::kgrouna tor the study of the Inca empire anti its destruction at the
hands of severai hundred Spanish conquistadors. This is fo!lowea by a
discussion of the changes brought about by colonialism that are
responsiole for the development of culture over the past 400 years.
Three cultures wJli oe lnvestlgatea In detail. The first Is a
group of Quechua speaking peasants of the high Andes. They grow
potatoes and graze animals at oxygen deficient altitudes between 10,000
an c: 18,000 feet above sea level. The met"'nds of farming, language,
re : igion, medicine and social organlzativ > =1t survive tod;aay reflect
the !Ong contact between the Incalc an0 i.:, ,... '.)pean traditions. Another
group to receive close scrutiny arP th~ ~3cendants of African slaves
who !i•1e in the tropical Pacific !owianus of southern Coiumoia. Their
way of life ts a rich synthesis that reflects their West African, South
i',me!·ican ana European traditions, bu t 1s, at the same time, quite
distinct. The third group to be studiea are the Jivaro of the Amazon
rain forest. They are known the world over for their custom of
shrinKlng the neaas of their enemies. Until the middle 20th century,
they had been litti e affected by outsiders. As a result, they provide a
glimpse of a way of life that once spread throughout the Amazon Basin,
but which is now aimost extinct.
Tne final section of the course addresses the problems faced oy
cr. ese groups in aeaiing with pressure from national governments to
reject their traaltional way of life and to modernize. This is an issue
of immense importance as exploration for minerals and petroleum ana
aestruction of the rain forestss result in a clash of cultures and great
9ersonal tragedy. These issues are a cnr.c -:rn for ali of us since the
Unltea States and the World Bank fund these projects. As the welfare of
the people living on distant continents is thrust into our hands, It is
imperative that we f~miliarize ourselves with their history, traditions
ana values and that we recognize their aignity. This course offers an
opportunity to learn about unique cultures and people and to understand
their con cerns ana problems.

EQJQ_corlan Indians Fight Back The Huaorani/Auca Indians of the

Ecuacorian Amazon are defending themselves and their land against US and
Europe3.r, oi i companies and the Ecuadorian government. "We are defending
our home, the land on which we live," said Alberto Tangulla, an Indian
ieade r ln Coca, Ecuador. "We will defend It with whatever it takes ...
oe it with our care hands, sticks, stones. or other weapons."

Tne resistance of the Auca Degan In 1956 when they killea five US
evangelists who ventured into their territory. In the last decade there

3,

have been at ieast a aozen fatal attacks on ell. lumber and palm company
employees, as these companies' activities advanced farther into the
jungle.

The latest jct of resistance occurred thls past July when a Roman
Catholic Bishop, Alejandro Lavaca, 67, and a nun, Sister Ines Arango,
50. were speared to death. Bishop Lavaca was employed by Ecuador's
State Petroleum Corp. to contact the Auca. Social scientists living in
the Jungle say that Bishop Lavaca made several serious mistakes when he
aescendea from a helicopter via a rope ladder into an Auca village.
First, his approach by helicopter certainly intimidated the Auca.
Second, he dld not notice a red stripe on the roof of an Auca dwelilng a aeclaration of war against intruders. Third. Bishop Lavaca
misinterpreted the Aucas ' smiles and hand signals as signs ot
friendship.
A social scientist hired by an oil company to try to "paclfy'' the
Indians saia, with sadness, that he felt like a doctor in charge ot
terminal cancer patients. "I know I can't do anything for my patients,
because the march of progress ls unstoppable. The only thing I can do
ls try to delay their death and to make It less painful."

Reeaer on Sabbatical Leave This coming spring Bob Reeder will be on
sabbatical !eave to research physical anthropology facilities at other
universities ana to observe research at the Yerkes Primate Center in
Atlanta, Georgia. As a result, the anthropology program is currently
searching foe a sabbatical replacement for Professor Reeder for the
spring. The aavertisement for the position reads as follows:

~

The Anthropology Program at Bloomsourg University seeks a one semester
only sabbatical replacement to teach introductory courses In physical
and cultural anthropoiogy for the spring semester 1988. Candidates must
present evidence of skill in teaching introductory courses. Ph.D. or
ABD ~referred. Appointment will be at the assistant professor or
instructor level, depending on degree and experience. Women,
minorities, and other protected class members are urged to apply. Send
vita and three letters of reconmendation to Dr. David Minderhout,
Department of Philosophy/Anthropology, Bloomsburg University.
Bloomsourg. PA 17815. Applications must be received by November 1,
l oS~ . AAE/EOE.

New Fina Casts Light on Human Eyojution: It was announced this sunmer
by Donaid Johanson ana Tim White of UCB that they had discovered the
skull and limb bones of an early human ancestor at least 1.8 mil iion
years old. The significance of the find focuses on the limb bones. The
fossil human, known as Homo habllls, first began appearing in the
archaeoiogical record in the early 1960 ' s, but untii this discovery,no
one haa been able to conclusively link limb bones to the skulls
previously unearthed. When the current find was reconstructed,
researchers were aoie to identify the remains as those of an elderly
female, the age being determined by the fact that the teeth were oadly
worn: in one case the tooth was worn down into the jawbone. Besides
oeing the oldest representative ln the fossi 1 record for Homo habi ! is,
this specimen was also remarkably short - she stood only about 3 feet, 4

4.

inches tall. Johanson & White interpret this as evidence of extreme
sexual dimorphism in Homo habllls, with males being perhaps twice as
tall as females. What was also surprlslng was the length of the find,. s
arms; they would have hung to her knees. This ls surprisi ng since Homo
habilis is known to be fully bipedal, that ls, with upright posture just
like a modern human. Homo habilis' brain also ls significantly larger
than apes or than other contemporan<>:-· • hominids, the
australopithecines; work on fossi 1 in- ! n casts suggests that H. habi 1is•
orain was structured more like the c ·,dern human brain than apes or
australoplthecines. Thus, thls otherwise fairly modern early human
ancestor appears to have reta ined the relatively long arms of an ape.

Anthropo!ogy Major Makes Good!: The following ls reprinted from the
Alumni Quarterly:

March 1987

When John Sabol <1 72) was a student at Mahanoy Area High School,
one of his teachers told him he wouldn 1 t amount to much.
Boy, did he fool her!
In the 20 years since he left school, Sabol has been an
archaeologist-anthropologist , a guard at the Russian Embassy, an army
sergeant, military technician, borde r guard, policeman, reporter,
fighter, and Viking.
Actually, Sabol is a professional ar:ta~~ loglst-anthropologlst.
His other Jobs were on a Paramount m0v '~~t in Mexico, where he workea
as an extra and has had small speaki r ~ ~! es.
While employed as a professc::- 1 -- the Mexican national education
system in 1983, Sabol heard audi Lv.,- i,~re being held for extras for the
film "Dune" at Churuousco, Azteca, one of the world 1 s largest movie
studios .
On a lark, he wenbt to the set, auditioned, and was told he would
hear from the movie company if they were interested in his services.
Saool said he thought that was the beginning and end of his movie
career, but about three weeks later he was called and offered the role.
In "Dune" which starred Jose F'errar, Max Von Sydow, and the rocK
singer, Sting, Sabol had five different roles.
"My face was only seen in one. In the other four roles I wore
m-::sks, · Sabol said. He also worked on special effects where he was one
of 10 people pulling aifferent parts of a monster.
Because there was plenty of action on the film, some of the voices
were not as clear as they should have been, and Sabol's voice was also
used for the Mexican actors who had small speaking parts.
Since then, he has had speaking roles in many American ana Mexican
films and has been featured on television commercials.
Although Sabol said he enjoyed working on all films, he especially
. iked working with Sylvester Stal lone on "Rambo II."
"A let of people are confused about Stallone and perceive him to be
difterent from what he actually is," Sabol said. "He has a lot of savvy
about the job he wants done."
Other movies Saool has worked on are 11 The Falcon and tne Snowman."
''Conan the Baroarian II", and "On the Wings of Eagles."
Saool said he could do a lot more acting if he was willing to give
up his duties as a professor of archaeology/anthropology at a Mexican
university.

•

>

s.
After earning a degree at Bloomsburg and a master's degree at the
University of Tennessee. he studied at the University of the Americas in
Cholula, Mexico and at Penn State. He was a student and assistanc at
the University of Exeter in Devon, England, during the excavation of the
12th century Wolvesey Palace in Winchester.
Saool a!so spent a summer as supervisor of a team of field
surveyors ln South DaKota that was involved in recording historic ana
prehistoric sites.
He oelieves that one of life ' s ironies is that he is a teacher.
"l hated school, and now here I am, a teacher."
Sabol saia his interest in archaeology and anthropology developed
during his youth when he and his friends walked the mountainside near
his home.
"I had a great imagination, and I used to try to visualize what It
was ilke for the Indians that roamed the woods," Sabol said. When he
returned home he often transferred his thoughts to paper in the form of
poetry.
Someday ln the future Sabol would like to see a movie done on the
eariy days of Schuylkill County and help in the creation of the
characters.

Llfe on a Great Lakes Tanker: In the September 1987 issue of

Smith~Q.Ilia..ll there ls an article on anthropologist Michael Agar 1 s

research on ore boats sailing the Great Lakes. This is an interesting
example of participatory observation, of an anthropologist having direct
involvement in a way of life not well understood or documented. Agar
sailed on the Columbia Star. a huge <1000 ft. long by 105 ft. wide) boat
that carries iron ore pellets from ports in Minnesota to ports In Ohio
where processing plants are located. The emphasis in Agar s research is
on lne decline of the trade; the traffic through the Sault St. Marie
Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron has declined from 7000
freighters in 1981 to 4200 in 1986. However, he also describes the
nature of the trade at its peak.
1

Iron ore was discovered in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan In 1844.
At first, the mines were too remote to be profitable, but the opening of
the Soo Locks in 1855 made tanker-borne shipments to Ohio reasonable.
Processing plants were not located near the mines because they were too
far from ooth populations of workers and for markets for the raw iron
and steel. The tankers quickly took on a typical appearance - a
wheelhouse at the bow, an engine room aft, a long stretch of deck for
ease of loading and unloading, and flat, boxy sides to flt more cargo
into snug rivers and locks. The division of the crew into deck crew and
enmglne crew oecarne a social as well as a spatial division. Crews
livea, ate, and worKed In separate environments. The captain ruled the
deck crew, but the engine crew answered to the chief engineer. Some
boats actually had lines drawn across them to mark the social
boundaries.
Life on a tanker was - and is - hard. Today, wprk shifts stretch
for 60 continuous days, then 30 days off. The shipping season now is
nearly year-round, but In the past, before modern lee-breaking
equipment, the season was boundaried by the ice in Lake Superior. Even

6.

so, the tankers sailed deep i nto the winter. To quote the article:
"Everything freezes; noth i ng works. The crew coats themselves in layers
but shiver ali the same. The buoys are gone. Snow and ice plie up on
deck and freeze the hatches, and floes clog the raw water ports. Slabs
of frozen river threaten steel hulls." (p. 122). During the entire year
the trip is menaced by narrow channel s , heavy traffic from recreational
craft, and heavy fogs. Navigation Ir, .ways tricky. Agar tel ls the
story of one pilot who steered by "t,' ·. ng dog navigation. " At a
treacherous Dena in a channe l, a toot en the ship ' s whistle would set
the dogs barking at a nearby farm, and the sound would tell the pilot
how close he was to the shore .
Today, competition f rom foreign s teel and the high cost of shipping
have seriously
underminea the Great Lakes tanker trade. Automation on the new boats
have reaucea the need for crews. Twenty-five years ago there were
12,000 Great Lakes sai !ors; last year there were 1900. To quote Agar,
"Veterans ana newcomers alike hope that, somehow, a twitch in the woria
economy will turn things around. Their hopes are probably unrealistic.
The lakers gr-ew with steel, developed like i nbred animals for a special
economic niche. The~ hauls high - dens itr freight on Great Lakes
waters. Sne can do little else. She ls llke a ainosaur, upset at the
unfami i iar chi i 1 from approaching glac ier'J. fin! ike the dinosaur, the
s.t.ar. ana a few others like her will su , . .: . " Cp. 126>.

Minor in Anthropology: The minor i ~ ~~ thropology ls composed of 18
creaits. There are three requlrec.; --··. Jes: 46.200, Principles of
Cultural Anthropology; 46.210, Prehistoric Archaeology; ana 46.220,
Princip 1es of Physical Anthropology. T~e remaining three courses should
oe chosen in consultation with one of the anthropology staff. A minor
in anthropology is a fine complement to any major.