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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: THE STATE SYSTEM
OF
HIGHER EDU CAT ION
ANTHROPOS
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
VOL. 29, No. 5
MARCH
2005
SPECIAL POINTS OF IN-
HUMA NS HA VE MO RE IMP ACT O N THE LANDS CAP E THAN RI VERS AND GLACI ERS
Recently, Univer-
by the erosion of cul-
sity of Michigan geologist Bruce Wilkin-
tivated land.
son published an arti-
first at the rate at
de in Geology that
argued that human
activities shift ten
times as much material on the earth's surface as all natural geological processes put
together.
Wilkinson based
his calculations on
both intentional landmoving processes,
such as excavation and
mining, and unintentional effects caused
Wilkinson looked
which sedimentary
rock has been formed
over the past billion
years. Taking into account that such rocks
are also steadily destrayed as one teetonic plate slides under another, he decided that, on average,
the continents lose a
few meters thickness
of sediment every
million years.
In contrast, human
activity leads to a current average loss rate
of 3 60 meters per
million years. That's
enough material to fill
Andrea is a junior anthropology m ajor who is
also minoring in Spanish ,
Andrea Frantz Wins Presti9ious
fn temship--p. 2
Graduate Schools in AnthropolOEJ)1 Ranked-p. 3
Facu lty publi cations I
presenwtions-p. -+
•
Lambda Alpha No minees-p .
5
•
Wilkinson notes
•
Dr. Bea u/e's post-doc-p. 5
that the pace of earth
•
J oan na Salicki 9oes to Scot-
moving picked up exponentially in the last
century with the advent of mechanization, but that this has
been going on ever
since the invention of
intensive agriculture
10,000 years ago.
The Bohlin scholarship
was set up by department
alumnus Jeff Bohlin in
memory of his daughter,
Michelle, who died on
TWA flight #800 in 1997.
.
.
.
in the Grand Canyon
in about 50 years.
BOHLIN SCHOLARSHIP A \NARD ED TO ANDREA FRANTZ
Andrea Frantz of Berwick
will be the recipient of the
Michelle Bohlin Memorial
Scholarship in Anthropology
for the Fall 2 005 semester.
Andrea was the unanimous
choice of the anthropology
faculty voting on this
award.
TEREST:
French, Latin American
Studies and Ethnic Studies.
She has recently received a
Kozloff Award for Undergraduate Research for her
work on Native American
identity issues in Pennsylvani a.
A New Faculty Mee mber for
2005-p. 5
.
.
.
.
land-p. 6
Oldest Fossil Human Pro tei nP· 6
SSHE Under9raduate Conference'--p. 6
Cassava Poisonin9-p. 7
About us-p. 8
PA GE
2
ANTHROPOS
ANDREA FRANTZ RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS INTERNSHIP
Junior anthropology major Andrea Frantz has recently been notified that
she has been accepted as a fieldwork intern with the Field Museum in Chicago for May and June 2005. She will be part of a crew conducting archaeological survey, mapping, and excavation at a site in Oaxaca, Mexic,o under
the direction of Dr. Gary Feinman, chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the Field Museum. The position Andrea will hold is normally reserved for a first or second year graduate student, but she was selected for
the position based on her outstanding record of undergraduate academic
achievement at Bloomsburg.
Dr. Feinman is one of the premier figures in American archaeology. He
has spent the last 20 years conducting archaeological research in Oaxaca,
focusing on regional settlement patterns. His current research is focused on
THIS INTERNSHIP
IS NORMALLY
RESERVED FOR A
FIRST OR
SECON,D YEAR
GRADUATE
STUDENT
the site of El Palmillo, a large hilltop terrace site in the eastern Valley of
Oaxaca. The site dates from the Classic Period (AD 200-800). Since 1995,
Dr. Feinman has also been part of a collaborative team of North American
and Chinese scholars studying the Late Neolithic through the Han periods in
Shandong, China. In addition to his post at the Field Museum, Dr. Feinman
also holds a chair at Shandong University in China and is an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University. He previously taught at
the University ofWisconsin. He has published or coauthored numerous
books and articles on the archaeology of Oaxaca. In 2001, he co-edited Archaeology at the Millenium: A Sourcebook with T. Douglas Price for ·K luwer
Academic Press, an overview of the discipline of prehistoric archaeology.
Last year, Andrea Frantz co-authored and presented a paper at the Northeastern Anthropological Association meetings which won the prize as best
undergraduate paper. She will be presenting her most recent work, based on
a study of Native American identity issues, at the NEAA meetings next
month in Lake Placid, NY. She is also designing and constructing an exhibit
on the Native Americans of Pennsylvania for the Bloomsburg Children's Museum. Andrea is from Berwick, PA.
PAG E
DEPARTME NT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
3
GRADUATE SCHOOLS IN ANTHROPOLOGY RANKED
Two years ago, ANTHROPOS reported on a report which ranked the 69
Ph.D. programs in this country from 1 to 69. That report was based on reported perceptions of university administrators and graduate faculty. At the
time, the top ten programs were (from 1-10): Harvard, Chicago, Michigan,
UCLA, Berkeley, SUNY-Stony Brook, Arizona, Penn State, Penn, and Wash-
•
ington University in St. Louis.
More recently another ranking has been called to the editor's attention.
This one is based on surveys carried out by the National Association of
Graduate/Professional Students. The rankings are based on responses given
by graduate students enrolled in these programs. Several categories are
given. For overall satisfaction, the rankings were ( 1) Washington University;
'I'
ttffD,
(2-tie) Michigan, Penn State; and (4-tie) UC-Santa Barbara & Arizona State.
The best mentoring programs were deemed to be ( 1) Arizona State, (2)
Washington U, (3) Arizona, (4) Santa Barbara, and (5) Penn State.
The programs that did the best job of controlling the time taken to get a degree were (1) Washington U; (2) Virginia; (3)Yale; (4) Santa Barbara; and (5)
Pittsburgh.
The best schools for career guidance and placement were (1) CUNY; (2-tie)
Washington U and Santa Barbara; (4) Stony Brook; and ( 5) Pen~ State.
For teaching preparation, the top schools were (1) Massachusetts; (2-tie)
Harvard & Virginia; (4) Michigan and (5) UCLA.
The schools that did the best job of broadly preparing students for a career
in the discipline were ( 1) Penn State; (2) CUNY; (3-tie) Washington U. and
Georgia; and (5) Florida.
Finally the schools that provided the best information for prospective students were (1) Virginia; (2-tie) Washington U and Santa Barbara; (4) CUNY;
and ( 5) Stony Brook.
GRADUATE
SCHOOLS
CO NSISTENTLY
GIVEN HIGH
MARKS BY
GRADUATE
STUDENTS
INCLUDED PE NN
STATE.
ANTHROPOS
PAGE 4
DR. WYMER PUBLISHES ...
Dr. Wymer has recently had published chapters in two books. In The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: The Archaeology ofTribal Societies in Southeastern Ohio (Elliot M. Abrams and Ann Corinne Freter, eds), her chapter
in entitled "Late Prehistoric Agriculture and Land Use in the Hocking Volume." She also has a chapter, "organic Preservation on Prehistoric Artifacts
of the Ohio Hopewell," in Perishable Material Culture in the Northeast, edited by Penelope Ballard Drooker and published by the New York State Museum. Earlier this semester, Dr. Wymer presented a talk on her work in
Egypt last summer for the Committee on Women's Issues.
DR. DAURIA PRESENTS ...
Recently, Dr. Dauria presented a paper as part of a panel titled
"Negotiating Literacy and Identity," for the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Urban Ethnography's 26th Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum in Philadelphia. Her presentation focused on the history of
migrant education projects at Bloomsburg University.
In February, Dr. Dauria traveled to Amsterdam, NY as an invited scholarconsultant for a new industrial exhibit for the Walter Elwood Museum. This
exhibit is being funded by the New York ,State Council on the Arts and will
open this summer.
ANTHROPOLOGY CLUB PRESENTS FA CUL TY PROGRAMS
The Anthropology Club will present four faculty talks during the months
of March and April. Dr. Wymer spoke on employment opportunities with
anthropology students who do not wish to go on to graduate school on
March 3. Dr. Beaule will discuss gender problems in her research in Bolivia
in a talk on March 22 at 5 PM. Dr. Minderhout will talk about his field research in the Caribbean at 5: 30 on March 30. Dr. Froemming will speak on
his field experiences in Peru on April 14 at 4 PM. All the talks will be in the
Anthropology Lab, 146 CEH.
PAGE
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
5
LAMBDA ALPHA SCHOLARSHIP NOMINEES SELECTED
Sharon Cabana and Joanna Salicki have been selected as the
department's nominees for the national scholarship awards of
the Lambda Alpha honorary society for anthropology. Ms. Cabana was nominated for the senior award, the National Lambda
Alpha Scholarship, which carries a $5000 base award. Ms.
Salicki was nominated for the junior award, the Lambda Alpha
National Dean's List Scholarship, which carries a base award of ·
$ 1000. Dr. Warner, the faculty Lambda Alpha advisor, personally chose the nominees.
.. ',1;\,J'\,,R ~
..
· ···
.,
t (·
A NEW FACULTY MEMBER FOR FALL 2005
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce that Dr. Conrad
Quintyn has accepted the tenure-track position in anthropology which be.gins with the Fall 2005 semester. Dr. Quintyn is a biological anthropologist
with a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. His Ph.D. dissertation was
entitled The Morphometric Affinities of the Qafzeh and Skhul Hominids; his
Ph.D. advisor was C. Loring Brace, a world-renown biological anthropologist. In addition, Dr. Quintyn has a background in forensic anthropology,
having worked at the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii , identifying the remains of U.S. servicemen from World War II, Korea
and Vietnam. We are looking forward to what he will bring to our program.
DR. BEAULE RECEIVES A POST-Doc
Dr. Christine Beaule has received a postdoctoral teaching fellowship with
Duke University for the Fall 2005 semester. She will be teaching several
intensive seminars on academic writing entitled "The Archaeology of Urbanism: Communication in the Ancient City" with the University Writing Program there. Dr. Beaule has also been awarded a research grant by the Heinz
Grant Program in Latin American Archaeology for her project in highland
Bolivia. This summer, she and her crew will be excavating households and
non-domestic features at the site of Condor Chinoka. This work will be
used to design a larger three-year project proposal.
DR. CONRAD
QUINTYN WILL
BE THE 6TH
FA CU LTY MEMBER
IN
ANTHROPOLOGY.
ANTHROPOS
PAGE 6
JOANNA SALICKI SELECTED FOR ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT IN SCOTLAND
Junior anthropology major Joanna Salicki has been selected to join a project sponsored by Pennsylvania State University's Department of Anthropology. This summer, Salicki will be traveling to two remote islands located off
the northern tip of Scotland to participate in the North Orkney Population
Histqry Project. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, the project will reconstruct changes in the population, settlement and landscape
use over the past 300 years by integrating information from archaeology,
history and cultural anthropology. The National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate Awards will cover her expenses as ,she
conducts archaeological explorations of the island and interviews members
of the current population.
OLDEST FOSSIL HUMAN PROTEIN EVER SEQUENCED
Researchers in Germany recently announced that they had extracted and
THE PROTEIN
SEQUENCE
DERIVED FROM A
NEANDERTHAL
FOSSIL IS 75,000
YEARS OLD.
sequenced protein from a Neanderthal skeleton from Shanidar Cave, Iraq,
dating to approximately 75,000 years ago. Protein sequences can be used in
a similar way to DNA to provide information on the genetic relationships
between extinct and living species. As ancient DNA rarely survives, this
method opens up new possibilities for assessing genetic relationships among
species. The researchers found that the protein sequence was the same in
Neanderthals as it is in modern humans and chimpanzees. The sequence was
different from what is found in gorillas and monkeys. This is consistent with
current thinking on human origins.
SSHE UNDERGRADUATE ANTHROPOLOGY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT
BU .
This year's SSHE Undergraduate Anthropology Research Conference will be held at Bloomsburg April 16 and 17. Students
planning to present papers are required to submit abstracts of
no more than 250 words by April 1, 2005. Abstracts should be emailed to sshe2005@hotmail.com. Interested students should
see anthropology faculty members for copies of the call for papers and the abstract forms. Dr. Warner is the. faculty organizer
for the conference with the aid of senior anthropology majors
Sharon Cabana and Brandi Burlingame.
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
PAG E
CASSAVA POISONING
A news story on March
10 illustrated some interesting facts about crosscultural nutritional practices. It was reported that 27 elementary school
children died in the Philippines after eating fried cassava roots; another estimated 100 students were reportedly receiving hospital care. The roots had
been sold by a vendor stationed outside the school. There was apparently no
malicious intent involved; the deaths appear to be accidental due to improper preparation of the cassava.
Cassava or manioc is a commonly grown food crop in tropical regions of
the world. The roots will grow in water-logged soils and do not require
much sunlight, thus making them ideal for tropical agriculture. They are a
rich source of carbohydrates and are an important dietary item, if supple-
;~r~
• llt
;:·
-mented by a protein source.
The problem is that cassava is poisonous. It contains cyanide, sometimes
in truly potent amounts. Tropical people who rely on cassava as a food
source often distinguish between bitter and sweet cassava. Sweet cassava
contains less than 100 parts per million of cyanide (below which a dose is
not lethal to humans); bitter cassava contains more than 100 ppm-some
varieties contain as much as 400 ppm. Tropical cultures have learned to detoxify cassava by grinding or pounding the root and soaking the pulp in water. The cyanide leaches into the water, which is then thrown off. Multiple
soakings are usually required to reduce the cyanide content to below a lethal
dose. The resulting four can be fried or baked. In some studies, anthropologists have found that people will prefer the taste of the bitter varieties over
the sweet-but then, there's no accounting for taste.
In the Philippine tragedy, the roots had been caramelized and fried, but
not processed to remove enough of the cyanide. Children who ate the
snacks became ill only 10 to 15 minutes after ingestion. Victims suffered
severe stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. One can only wonder when
and how people learned to convert cassava into food.
UNLESS
CAREFULLY
PREPARED, BITTER
CASSAVA IS
LETHAL TO
HUMANS.
7
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF
PENN SYLV ANI A: T HE STATE
SYSTEM OF HI GH ER ED U CATION
Dr. David Minderh out , Editor
Departm ent of Anthropology
Room 150 Centennial Hall
ANTHROPOS, the Anthropology Newsletter is published
six times during the academic year and is mailed to interested students, faculty, administrators, and alumni. It is also
distributed in anthropology classes on campus and made
Phone: 389-48 59
Fax: 38 9-5015
Email : dminderh@ bloom u. edu
available on the department's home page. If you would like
to be on the newsletter mailing list, please contact Dr. Dave
Minderhout at the address and numbers on the left.
The Department of Anthropology offers a 36 credit B.A . .
W E 'R E ON TH E W E B
degree and an 18 credit minor in anthropology. If you would
WWW. B L00MU.EDU/
like to see details, please see any of _the anthropology faculty.
D EPA RT ME N TS/ ANTJ-J R 0
ANTHROPOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF
HUMANS.
ANTHROPOLOGY COURSE OFFERINGS FALL
Dr. Aleto:
46. 200 Principles of
Cultural Anthropology-MWF 10, 11
46. 210 Prehistoric Archaeology-Tu 6: 309: 30
46. 3 10 Aztecs & Mayas
TuTh 3:30
Dr. Dauria:
46.101 Intro to Anthropology-MWF 9
46.200-TuTh 8, 11
46.390 Socialization of
the Child- TuTh 2
Dr. Minderhout :
46.102 Anthropology
& World ProblemsMWF 9
46.200-Tu 6:309:30
46.480 Religion &
Magic-TuTh 12:30
Dr.Wymer:
46.210-TuTh 9:30
46.340-Native
North AmericansTuTh 2
2005
46.385 - Anthro Research/Writing
FYI: There will be several changes in these
course offerings before
Fall 2005 due to Dr.
Minderhout's becoming chair, Dr. Quintyn 's addition to the
staff, and Dr. Warner's
being on sabbatical.
1
OF
HIGHER EDU CAT ION
ANTHROPOS
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
VOL. 29, No. 5
MARCH
2005
SPECIAL POINTS OF IN-
HUMA NS HA VE MO RE IMP ACT O N THE LANDS CAP E THAN RI VERS AND GLACI ERS
Recently, Univer-
by the erosion of cul-
sity of Michigan geologist Bruce Wilkin-
tivated land.
son published an arti-
first at the rate at
de in Geology that
argued that human
activities shift ten
times as much material on the earth's surface as all natural geological processes put
together.
Wilkinson based
his calculations on
both intentional landmoving processes,
such as excavation and
mining, and unintentional effects caused
Wilkinson looked
which sedimentary
rock has been formed
over the past billion
years. Taking into account that such rocks
are also steadily destrayed as one teetonic plate slides under another, he decided that, on average,
the continents lose a
few meters thickness
of sediment every
million years.
In contrast, human
activity leads to a current average loss rate
of 3 60 meters per
million years. That's
enough material to fill
Andrea is a junior anthropology m ajor who is
also minoring in Spanish ,
Andrea Frantz Wins Presti9ious
fn temship--p. 2
Graduate Schools in AnthropolOEJ)1 Ranked-p. 3
Facu lty publi cations I
presenwtions-p. -+
•
Lambda Alpha No minees-p .
5
•
Wilkinson notes
•
Dr. Bea u/e's post-doc-p. 5
that the pace of earth
•
J oan na Salicki 9oes to Scot-
moving picked up exponentially in the last
century with the advent of mechanization, but that this has
been going on ever
since the invention of
intensive agriculture
10,000 years ago.
The Bohlin scholarship
was set up by department
alumnus Jeff Bohlin in
memory of his daughter,
Michelle, who died on
TWA flight #800 in 1997.
.
.
.
in the Grand Canyon
in about 50 years.
BOHLIN SCHOLARSHIP A \NARD ED TO ANDREA FRANTZ
Andrea Frantz of Berwick
will be the recipient of the
Michelle Bohlin Memorial
Scholarship in Anthropology
for the Fall 2 005 semester.
Andrea was the unanimous
choice of the anthropology
faculty voting on this
award.
TEREST:
French, Latin American
Studies and Ethnic Studies.
She has recently received a
Kozloff Award for Undergraduate Research for her
work on Native American
identity issues in Pennsylvani a.
A New Faculty Mee mber for
2005-p. 5
.
.
.
.
land-p. 6
Oldest Fossil Human Pro tei nP· 6
SSHE Under9raduate Conference'--p. 6
Cassava Poisonin9-p. 7
About us-p. 8
PA GE
2
ANTHROPOS
ANDREA FRANTZ RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS INTERNSHIP
Junior anthropology major Andrea Frantz has recently been notified that
she has been accepted as a fieldwork intern with the Field Museum in Chicago for May and June 2005. She will be part of a crew conducting archaeological survey, mapping, and excavation at a site in Oaxaca, Mexic,o under
the direction of Dr. Gary Feinman, chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the Field Museum. The position Andrea will hold is normally reserved for a first or second year graduate student, but she was selected for
the position based on her outstanding record of undergraduate academic
achievement at Bloomsburg.
Dr. Feinman is one of the premier figures in American archaeology. He
has spent the last 20 years conducting archaeological research in Oaxaca,
focusing on regional settlement patterns. His current research is focused on
THIS INTERNSHIP
IS NORMALLY
RESERVED FOR A
FIRST OR
SECON,D YEAR
GRADUATE
STUDENT
the site of El Palmillo, a large hilltop terrace site in the eastern Valley of
Oaxaca. The site dates from the Classic Period (AD 200-800). Since 1995,
Dr. Feinman has also been part of a collaborative team of North American
and Chinese scholars studying the Late Neolithic through the Han periods in
Shandong, China. In addition to his post at the Field Museum, Dr. Feinman
also holds a chair at Shandong University in China and is an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University. He previously taught at
the University ofWisconsin. He has published or coauthored numerous
books and articles on the archaeology of Oaxaca. In 2001, he co-edited Archaeology at the Millenium: A Sourcebook with T. Douglas Price for ·K luwer
Academic Press, an overview of the discipline of prehistoric archaeology.
Last year, Andrea Frantz co-authored and presented a paper at the Northeastern Anthropological Association meetings which won the prize as best
undergraduate paper. She will be presenting her most recent work, based on
a study of Native American identity issues, at the NEAA meetings next
month in Lake Placid, NY. She is also designing and constructing an exhibit
on the Native Americans of Pennsylvania for the Bloomsburg Children's Museum. Andrea is from Berwick, PA.
PAG E
DEPARTME NT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
3
GRADUATE SCHOOLS IN ANTHROPOLOGY RANKED
Two years ago, ANTHROPOS reported on a report which ranked the 69
Ph.D. programs in this country from 1 to 69. That report was based on reported perceptions of university administrators and graduate faculty. At the
time, the top ten programs were (from 1-10): Harvard, Chicago, Michigan,
UCLA, Berkeley, SUNY-Stony Brook, Arizona, Penn State, Penn, and Wash-
•
ington University in St. Louis.
More recently another ranking has been called to the editor's attention.
This one is based on surveys carried out by the National Association of
Graduate/Professional Students. The rankings are based on responses given
by graduate students enrolled in these programs. Several categories are
given. For overall satisfaction, the rankings were ( 1) Washington University;
'I'
ttffD,
(2-tie) Michigan, Penn State; and (4-tie) UC-Santa Barbara & Arizona State.
The best mentoring programs were deemed to be ( 1) Arizona State, (2)
Washington U, (3) Arizona, (4) Santa Barbara, and (5) Penn State.
The programs that did the best job of controlling the time taken to get a degree were (1) Washington U; (2) Virginia; (3)Yale; (4) Santa Barbara; and (5)
Pittsburgh.
The best schools for career guidance and placement were (1) CUNY; (2-tie)
Washington U and Santa Barbara; (4) Stony Brook; and ( 5) Pen~ State.
For teaching preparation, the top schools were (1) Massachusetts; (2-tie)
Harvard & Virginia; (4) Michigan and (5) UCLA.
The schools that did the best job of broadly preparing students for a career
in the discipline were ( 1) Penn State; (2) CUNY; (3-tie) Washington U. and
Georgia; and (5) Florida.
Finally the schools that provided the best information for prospective students were (1) Virginia; (2-tie) Washington U and Santa Barbara; (4) CUNY;
and ( 5) Stony Brook.
GRADUATE
SCHOOLS
CO NSISTENTLY
GIVEN HIGH
MARKS BY
GRADUATE
STUDENTS
INCLUDED PE NN
STATE.
ANTHROPOS
PAGE 4
DR. WYMER PUBLISHES ...
Dr. Wymer has recently had published chapters in two books. In The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: The Archaeology ofTribal Societies in Southeastern Ohio (Elliot M. Abrams and Ann Corinne Freter, eds), her chapter
in entitled "Late Prehistoric Agriculture and Land Use in the Hocking Volume." She also has a chapter, "organic Preservation on Prehistoric Artifacts
of the Ohio Hopewell," in Perishable Material Culture in the Northeast, edited by Penelope Ballard Drooker and published by the New York State Museum. Earlier this semester, Dr. Wymer presented a talk on her work in
Egypt last summer for the Committee on Women's Issues.
DR. DAURIA PRESENTS ...
Recently, Dr. Dauria presented a paper as part of a panel titled
"Negotiating Literacy and Identity," for the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Urban Ethnography's 26th Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum in Philadelphia. Her presentation focused on the history of
migrant education projects at Bloomsburg University.
In February, Dr. Dauria traveled to Amsterdam, NY as an invited scholarconsultant for a new industrial exhibit for the Walter Elwood Museum. This
exhibit is being funded by the New York ,State Council on the Arts and will
open this summer.
ANTHROPOLOGY CLUB PRESENTS FA CUL TY PROGRAMS
The Anthropology Club will present four faculty talks during the months
of March and April. Dr. Wymer spoke on employment opportunities with
anthropology students who do not wish to go on to graduate school on
March 3. Dr. Beaule will discuss gender problems in her research in Bolivia
in a talk on March 22 at 5 PM. Dr. Minderhout will talk about his field research in the Caribbean at 5: 30 on March 30. Dr. Froemming will speak on
his field experiences in Peru on April 14 at 4 PM. All the talks will be in the
Anthropology Lab, 146 CEH.
PAGE
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
5
LAMBDA ALPHA SCHOLARSHIP NOMINEES SELECTED
Sharon Cabana and Joanna Salicki have been selected as the
department's nominees for the national scholarship awards of
the Lambda Alpha honorary society for anthropology. Ms. Cabana was nominated for the senior award, the National Lambda
Alpha Scholarship, which carries a $5000 base award. Ms.
Salicki was nominated for the junior award, the Lambda Alpha
National Dean's List Scholarship, which carries a base award of ·
$ 1000. Dr. Warner, the faculty Lambda Alpha advisor, personally chose the nominees.
.. ',1;\,J'\,,R ~
..
· ···
.,
t (·
A NEW FACULTY MEMBER FOR FALL 2005
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce that Dr. Conrad
Quintyn has accepted the tenure-track position in anthropology which be.gins with the Fall 2005 semester. Dr. Quintyn is a biological anthropologist
with a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. His Ph.D. dissertation was
entitled The Morphometric Affinities of the Qafzeh and Skhul Hominids; his
Ph.D. advisor was C. Loring Brace, a world-renown biological anthropologist. In addition, Dr. Quintyn has a background in forensic anthropology,
having worked at the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii , identifying the remains of U.S. servicemen from World War II, Korea
and Vietnam. We are looking forward to what he will bring to our program.
DR. BEAULE RECEIVES A POST-Doc
Dr. Christine Beaule has received a postdoctoral teaching fellowship with
Duke University for the Fall 2005 semester. She will be teaching several
intensive seminars on academic writing entitled "The Archaeology of Urbanism: Communication in the Ancient City" with the University Writing Program there. Dr. Beaule has also been awarded a research grant by the Heinz
Grant Program in Latin American Archaeology for her project in highland
Bolivia. This summer, she and her crew will be excavating households and
non-domestic features at the site of Condor Chinoka. This work will be
used to design a larger three-year project proposal.
DR. CONRAD
QUINTYN WILL
BE THE 6TH
FA CU LTY MEMBER
IN
ANTHROPOLOGY.
ANTHROPOS
PAGE 6
JOANNA SALICKI SELECTED FOR ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT IN SCOTLAND
Junior anthropology major Joanna Salicki has been selected to join a project sponsored by Pennsylvania State University's Department of Anthropology. This summer, Salicki will be traveling to two remote islands located off
the northern tip of Scotland to participate in the North Orkney Population
Histqry Project. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, the project will reconstruct changes in the population, settlement and landscape
use over the past 300 years by integrating information from archaeology,
history and cultural anthropology. The National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate Awards will cover her expenses as ,she
conducts archaeological explorations of the island and interviews members
of the current population.
OLDEST FOSSIL HUMAN PROTEIN EVER SEQUENCED
Researchers in Germany recently announced that they had extracted and
THE PROTEIN
SEQUENCE
DERIVED FROM A
NEANDERTHAL
FOSSIL IS 75,000
YEARS OLD.
sequenced protein from a Neanderthal skeleton from Shanidar Cave, Iraq,
dating to approximately 75,000 years ago. Protein sequences can be used in
a similar way to DNA to provide information on the genetic relationships
between extinct and living species. As ancient DNA rarely survives, this
method opens up new possibilities for assessing genetic relationships among
species. The researchers found that the protein sequence was the same in
Neanderthals as it is in modern humans and chimpanzees. The sequence was
different from what is found in gorillas and monkeys. This is consistent with
current thinking on human origins.
SSHE UNDERGRADUATE ANTHROPOLOGY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT
BU .
This year's SSHE Undergraduate Anthropology Research Conference will be held at Bloomsburg April 16 and 17. Students
planning to present papers are required to submit abstracts of
no more than 250 words by April 1, 2005. Abstracts should be emailed to sshe2005@hotmail.com. Interested students should
see anthropology faculty members for copies of the call for papers and the abstract forms. Dr. Warner is the. faculty organizer
for the conference with the aid of senior anthropology majors
Sharon Cabana and Brandi Burlingame.
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
PAG E
CASSAVA POISONING
A news story on March
10 illustrated some interesting facts about crosscultural nutritional practices. It was reported that 27 elementary school
children died in the Philippines after eating fried cassava roots; another estimated 100 students were reportedly receiving hospital care. The roots had
been sold by a vendor stationed outside the school. There was apparently no
malicious intent involved; the deaths appear to be accidental due to improper preparation of the cassava.
Cassava or manioc is a commonly grown food crop in tropical regions of
the world. The roots will grow in water-logged soils and do not require
much sunlight, thus making them ideal for tropical agriculture. They are a
rich source of carbohydrates and are an important dietary item, if supple-
;~r~
• llt
;:·
-mented by a protein source.
The problem is that cassava is poisonous. It contains cyanide, sometimes
in truly potent amounts. Tropical people who rely on cassava as a food
source often distinguish between bitter and sweet cassava. Sweet cassava
contains less than 100 parts per million of cyanide (below which a dose is
not lethal to humans); bitter cassava contains more than 100 ppm-some
varieties contain as much as 400 ppm. Tropical cultures have learned to detoxify cassava by grinding or pounding the root and soaking the pulp in water. The cyanide leaches into the water, which is then thrown off. Multiple
soakings are usually required to reduce the cyanide content to below a lethal
dose. The resulting four can be fried or baked. In some studies, anthropologists have found that people will prefer the taste of the bitter varieties over
the sweet-but then, there's no accounting for taste.
In the Philippine tragedy, the roots had been caramelized and fried, but
not processed to remove enough of the cyanide. Children who ate the
snacks became ill only 10 to 15 minutes after ingestion. Victims suffered
severe stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. One can only wonder when
and how people learned to convert cassava into food.
UNLESS
CAREFULLY
PREPARED, BITTER
CASSAVA IS
LETHAL TO
HUMANS.
7
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF
PENN SYLV ANI A: T HE STATE
SYSTEM OF HI GH ER ED U CATION
Dr. David Minderh out , Editor
Departm ent of Anthropology
Room 150 Centennial Hall
ANTHROPOS, the Anthropology Newsletter is published
six times during the academic year and is mailed to interested students, faculty, administrators, and alumni. It is also
distributed in anthropology classes on campus and made
Phone: 389-48 59
Fax: 38 9-5015
Email : dminderh@ bloom u. edu
available on the department's home page. If you would like
to be on the newsletter mailing list, please contact Dr. Dave
Minderhout at the address and numbers on the left.
The Department of Anthropology offers a 36 credit B.A . .
W E 'R E ON TH E W E B
degree and an 18 credit minor in anthropology. If you would
WWW. B L00MU.EDU/
like to see details, please see any of _the anthropology faculty.
D EPA RT ME N TS/ ANTJ-J R 0
ANTHROPOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF
HUMANS.
ANTHROPOLOGY COURSE OFFERINGS FALL
Dr. Aleto:
46. 200 Principles of
Cultural Anthropology-MWF 10, 11
46. 210 Prehistoric Archaeology-Tu 6: 309: 30
46. 3 10 Aztecs & Mayas
TuTh 3:30
Dr. Dauria:
46.101 Intro to Anthropology-MWF 9
46.200-TuTh 8, 11
46.390 Socialization of
the Child- TuTh 2
Dr. Minderhout :
46.102 Anthropology
& World ProblemsMWF 9
46.200-Tu 6:309:30
46.480 Religion &
Magic-TuTh 12:30
Dr.Wymer:
46.210-TuTh 9:30
46.340-Native
North AmericansTuTh 2
2005
46.385 - Anthro Research/Writing
FYI: There will be several changes in these
course offerings before
Fall 2005 due to Dr.
Minderhout's becoming chair, Dr. Quintyn 's addition to the
staff, and Dr. Warner's
being on sabbatical.
1