This set of images from book 3 in the Memento Mori project shows how it can be surprising to see customs that connect people with their departed; surprising from a distance, but maybe less so when involved in that time and that place and in those relationships.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/9786892899/the-bone-doctor-dr-paul-koudounaris-and-memento-mori

In the online introduction to the book, the author reflects on possible reasons why death has come to be segregated or estranged from most people's daily life; for example, the establishment of germ theory and association of corpse with contagion in some situations. There is also the marketing pressure for what is new, what is current, what is coming next rather than what has come before, with history and on a personal scale, with death.

2015-05-28

shaping skulls by infant wrappings

Illustrated article of the practices in various times and places of shaping skulls into oblong proportions, http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/head-space-artificial-cranial-deformation

2015-05-17

language localism in USA

from the weekly digest of "most emailed stories" at National Public Radio, npr.org

http://www.npr.org/sections/npr-history-dept/2015/05/12/404660475/51-words-the-united-states-of-colloquialisms

Look for the sample words given for each state, below, to see if you recognize any of them still alive today.

2015-05-14

writing for public, general audiences

Anthropology can be bracing stuff, but too often it is read or viewed only be its own denizens.

This blog essay on the methods of New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell points the way to balancing data and drama; (excerpt)

when I use Gladwell with my students, it's as a reminder of the relationship between narrative and argument. Err too much on the side of narrative and you'll weave a captivating tale that might not hold together at the end. However, if you just pile on evidence
without providing a narrative through line, your reader can miss the bigger, brilliant point you are trying to make.

source, https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/05/14/writing-instructor-wonders-if-she-should-encourage-students-gladwell-essay

2015-05-03

visual culture of Type Font

Among the digest of "most emailed stories" at National Public Radio during the final week of April 2015,

http://www.npr.org/2015/04/28/402736024/for-a-resume-type-font-matters

2015-04-27

slang, a short-lived life

excerpt from http://www.npr.org/blogs/npr-history-dept/2015/04/23/401681334/7-lost-american-slang-words

Dingus, 1890s. A nebulous, unspecified object.

Example: Nineteenth century slang may have crescendoed in the 1890s with this report on a new game: Tiddledywinks. "You take a wink, put it on the dingus, press a tiddledy on the wink and make it jump into the winkpot. ... If you succeed, you are entitled to a difficiety and for every wink you jump into the dingpot, from the duwink you count a flictiddledy and you keep on operating the tinkwinkle upon the pollywog until the points so carried equal the sum total of the bogwip multiplied by the putertinktum and added to the contents of the winkpot or words to that effect and you have won the game." From the Tribune in McCook, Neb., on April 24, 1891. And, while writing about operating a coal stove, a Wisconsin person noted this in the Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 28, 1873: "We turned every dingus in the stove that was movable."

2015-03-02

wider anthropology - Anthro Day; also - 4 ethnography features

from March 2015 eNewsletter by email to member from E.L. of the American Anthropological Association

A Message from Executive Director, Dr. Edward Liebow

Response to February 19th, the first National Anthropology Day, was nothing short of amazing. A Congressional Proclamation was introduced to recognize the field. More than 80 college campuses, museums and organizations hosted events to participate in the day. Social media was on fire and we congratulate the student anthropology clubs at Minnesota State University - Mankato, El Camino College and Hunter College of the City University of New York, the selfie photo contest winners who each received $100 prizes. We are in conversations with our sister societies in physical, applied, and archeology, as well as the World Council of Anthropological Associations and the IUAES about expanding our horizons for next year. Mark your calendars: February 18, 2016.

from http://writersalmanac.org/ for March 2, 2015, regarding journalist and novel writer, Tom Wolfe:

In an essay published in 2007, Tom Wolfe argued that the newspaper industry would stand a much better chance of survival if newspaper editors encouraged reporters to "provide the emotional reality of the news, for it is the emotions, not the facts, that most engage and excite readers and in the end are the heart of most stories." He said there are exactly four technical devices needed to get to "the emotional core of the story." They are the specific devices, he said, "that give fiction its absorbing or gripping quality, that make the reader feel present in the scene described and even inside the skin of a particular character."

The four: 1) constructing scenes; 2) dialogue — lots of it; 3) carefully noting social status details — "everything from dress and furniture to the infinite status clues of speech, how one talks to superiors or inferiors ... and with what sort of accent and vocabulary"; and 4) point of view, "in the Henry Jamesian sense of putting the reader inside the mind of someone other than the writer."

[perhaps these same elements comprise best practices for ethnographers keen on conveying a multi-sensory experience of "being there"]

2015-01-11

excavating Place Names - what's in a name?

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-dark-history-of-seven-places-branded-by-bloodsheed

Tells stories of sadness connected to locations around the USA.

More well known is the Welsh town with the very, very long name of

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch (or Llanfairpwll, or Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, or Llanfair PG, or just Llanfair as it is known by the locals) is on the Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in Wales (Cymru). [source page]

or this lake in western Massachusetts,

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

Then there is Keith Basso, "Place Names among the Western Apache," and his book, Wisdom Sits in Places, http://books.google.com/books/about/Wisdom_Sits_in_Places.html?id=NsiEAAAAIAAJ

2015-01-08

big sculpture - the young Mao Zedong

Pictured around 1925, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mao-nt-rushmore

This cultural meaning differs in some ways to the oversized heads grouped at Mt.Rushmore and to neighboring Plains Indian leader, Crazy Horse.

2014-11-25

entomophagy - Man eats bug

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/the-worlds-best-places-for-extreme-eating?affil=EML_EDITORIALNEWS_97

[above story from travel publisher Lonely Planet]

Much of the world today, and surely even more in the past includes insects as food source - either seasonal find or cultivated supply.
Interestingly of the term itself, Internet declares first use of the word to date to 1975 (while the practice goes back much earlier).

See also visual authoring team of Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluzio 2010 Man Eats Bug, http://menzelphoto.com/books/meb.php

2014-11-12

author interview, "Lives in Ruins" (archeologists stories)

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/11/12/lives-of-archaeologists [radio story with author interview and links]

Essential reading for grad students and others committing to a life in archeology?

Book Excerpt: 'Lives in Ruins'

By Marilyn Johnson, http://www.marilynjohnson.net/new__i_lives_in_ruins__i__123545.htm

Chapter 1 Field School: Context is everything

Field school is a rite of passage. If you are studying archaeology, or even thinking about it, you need to apprentice yourself to an excavation specifically set up to help train field-workers. This usually takes place in a desert or jungle, a hot and often buggy place at the hottest and buggiest time of year. A century ago, field school meant signing on to a dig under the supervision of an archaeologist, who would teach you the fine art of excavating while hired locals did the hard labor. Now the locals work as translators, drivers, guides, or cooks, and the students do the heavy lifting, moving rocks and hauling dirt and slag—for instance, in a foul pit in Jordan that, back in the tenth century b.c., was a copper smelt. "I can't prove it," the lead archaeologist at that site told National Geographic, "but I think that the only people who are going to be working in this rather miserable environment are either slaves . . or undergrads." Students not only work without the prod of a whip, they pay for the privilege. Field schools got that school in their name by charging tuition, quite a lot of it, usually thousands of dollars. Where would archaeology be without these armies of toiling grads and undergrads? Are they the base of a pyramid scheme that keeps excavations going with their labor and fees?

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

eBook at amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Lives-Ruins-Archaeologists-Seductive-Rubble-ebook/dp/B00IHZNRQE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie

2014-10-01

abandoned civilization sites

Nice collection of pictures and brief descriptions, http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2014/09/10-ancient-settlements-abandoned-mysterious-reasons

2014-09-13

annual look at anthropology programs

Each year, the AAA compiles a comprehensive listing of academic programs, museums, government agencies, non-profits, and research firms to assist educators and students at all levels in locating information and resources. Search online now. Alternatively a soft cover copy of the 2014-2015 AnthroGuide can also be purchased for your library or college advising office through the AAA Online Store on AAA's website. Print copies are $70+S/H.

Additionally, we want to hear from you in case you have suggestions for others who might benefit from hearing about the free resource! Please email any suggestions to help us reach parents and students who would like information on this resource. You can reach us at guide@aaanet.org [cross posting from O. Schmid at aaanet.org]

2014-07-09

cultural heritage (task force), Am.Anthro.Assoc.

created November 2013 at the American Anthropological Association [the following text comes from 2013 Annual Report]

visit its webpage: www.aaanet.org/cmtes/commissions/Task-Force-on-Cultural-Heritage.cfm

AAA Creates CulturalHeritage Task Force

In an effort to respond to threats to both tangible and intangible heritage at both home and abroad (see sidebar), AAA, under the leadership of President Leith Mullings, created a Task Force on Cultural Heritage (TFCH) in November of 2013. The task force aims to offer critical guidelines on the many aspects of heritage management, preservation, and tourism with respect to the role of anthropology and other professionals in this arena, with the ultimate goal of increasing appreciation and understanding of cultural heritage in anthropological and public discourse and to assist the Executive Board in developing effective positions and practices on cultural heritage issues worldwide.

As noted by TFCH co-chair Susan Gillespie (U Florida) cultural heritage issues have become an increasingly important element of the cultural

landscape and loom large in the intellectual and political landscape for anthropology. These issues include continuing debates over preservation

and interpretation of historic materials, the growing heritage and tourism industries, challenges to the intangible heritage and property rights of

living communities and the loss of indigenous languages.

The task force is charged with the following:

Examining what "cultural heritage" means to different constituencies and how it relates to different areas of

anthropological inquiry in order to guide the implementation of AAA positions and practices.

Investigating how other professional associations are dealing with cultural heritage nationally and internationally and incorporate

their best practices in recommendations for new structures or formations that will allow the AAA to become and remain actively

engaged in cultural heritage issues.

Recommending ways to increase training in cultural heritage issues in undergraduate and graduate anthropology curricula and via

continuing education in other venues.

Identify sustainable means for coordinated collaboration among relevant AAA committees and sections as well as with other

professional organizations, trade associations and similar organizations involved with cultural heritage.

Recommending ways for the AAA to become a leading association for national and international dialogue and change regarding

cultural heritage, identifying the special or unique contributions the AAA can make in this regard. A blue-ribbon panel will be organized at

the 2014 AAA meeting in Washington, DC to bring together experts to contribute recommendations.

Helping to draft or coordinate advocacy letters and statements until such time as more permanent entities can carry out that task, and

devise guidelines and protocols for such letters and statements and Recommending initiatives to increase awareness of cultural

heritage issues and to educate the membership and the public about anthropological perspectives on cultural heritage and its

protection. The task force plans to have a regular column in www.anthropology-news.org to disseminate information on cultural

heritage concerns and analysis.

The task force is co-chaired by Susan Gillespie and Teresita Majewski, and other members include Sarah Cowie (U Nevada–Reno), Michael Di Giovine (West Chester U Pennsylvania), T. J. Ferguson (U Arizona), Antoinette Jackson (U South Florida), Rosemary A. Joyce (UC Berkeley), Morag Kersel (DePaul U), Richard Meyers (South Dakota State U), Stephen Nash (Denver Museum of Nature & Science) and Mark Turin (Yale U).

For more information on the TFCH, visit its webpage: www.aaanet.org/cmtes/commissions/Task-Force-on-Cultural-Heritage.cfm.

2014-07-04

death & dying, Pet Cemetery edition

Among the well-illustrated, rich subjects for articles at Atlas Obscura is death and dying (mortuary practices around the world).

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/photographing-pet-cemeteries-a-dignified-death-for-our-departed-pets is about handling of dear pets.

But searching by country, language, culture or topic brings lots of food for thought at www.atlasobscura.com, too.

2014-06-29

land grab - Native America

interactive map shows timelapse of lands taken from earliest residents, http://hnn.us/article/156042

ossuary of Brno, CZ (50,000 souls)

Lots of pictures from wikimedia and a 3 min. video from city of Brno,

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/brno-is-the-new-sedlec

This website has an eclectic mix of visual articles from all corners of the world, searchable by topic or location.

2014-06-08

anthro in public - blog of Forensic Anthropology

In today's miscellany of visual stories at www.atlasobscura.com was a story and link to the blog of anthropologist Dolly S. whose "Strange Remains" dwells on forensic subjects. Perhaps it is an example of anthro for wider, public consumption.

http://strangeremains.com/

2014-05-03

powers of Time Lapse photos played back

Motion picture effect is created by recording still images and playing back as a sequence of frames.

Wedding ceremony being rehearsed [seen on 3 May 2014], http://vimeo.com/93689992

The search string, http://vimeo.com/tag:time+lapse will bring up a set of projects that depict the passage of time. Common themes are clouds moving, sun setting or rising, other weather phenomena developing, growth of plants such as flowers blooming. But occasionally something more directly anthropological appears, such as the ritual of wedding (rehearsal).

2014-04-13

material culture - photo project; rubbish from home

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2014/04/12/in-photos-taking-the-lid-off-america-s-trash-cans
is a short intro to the photo & written essays and includes link to project website, http://www.glad.com/trash/waste-in-focus

...photojournalist Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio's project called 'Waste in Focus'. The photo series looks at what eight families around the U.S. are recycling, composting and sending to landfill.

2014-01-22

View the world with these 40 surprising maps‏

Visual context for worldview in 40 maps: These visual treats will prompt lots of thinking and talking. Share with others keen on understanding the world and its people.

http://asheepnomore.net/2013/12/29/40-maps-will-help-make-sense-world/

2014-01-13

lexical distances among European languages

Great graphic,

http://elms.wordpress.com/2008/03/04/lexical-distance-among-languages-of-europe/?utm_content=buffer5b8c8&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer#!

short articles & links to ponder or prompt discussions

as seen in the January 2014 newsletter from www.nextvistalearning.org

Teacher GC explains that words are built from both meaning and structure,
and the importance of history in knowing why words are what they are. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mbuwZK0lr8

...Google maps tool for visualizing changes over time. A new site, Timelapse, takes that tool and identifies a number of the most interesting spots, as well as a field for choosing a new spot to examine. ...click on "Explore the World" at the lower right of the gray area, just before the paragraph describing the tool gets going. The Dubai one is fascinating - zoom out enough to see the palm-frond-looking extensions into the gulf. http://world.time.com/timelapse/

...comparisons and simple research on countries around the world using the World Data Atlas, a free app from the Chrome Web Store. The data choices include GDP, unemployment, birth, death, and fertility rates, and much more. You'll have to use Chrome as your browser to get it, of course. http://goo.gl/6pOYcP

This video (~14 minutes) is a promotional piece for the service organization Rotary International, and speaks of the dust storms from the Gobi Desert and the economic future of Mongolia. http://vimeo.com/21202577

Video by a girl telling about potatoes, sprouts, and chemicals that inhibit sprouts. It may well make you think about organic produce in a new way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0

About approaching historical levels of inequality that could breed violent class conflict. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM

For those who advocate for really high standards of testing subjects in school, consider where author Robert A. Heinlein set the bar.

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

2013-10-30

research abstracts on video!

[cross-post from blog.aaanet.org on Oct. 30, 2013]

...new video abstracts. Teresa Figueroa Sanchez comments on her Anthropology of Work Review article about "California Strawberries" and R. Brian Ferguson talks about his work, "Blood of the Leviathan." The latter (originally published in American Ethnologist) is part of a collection "On Violence" in Open Anthropology. So, what can video abstracts do that the written word does not? These short takes let authors personally explain their work. As visual documents, they provide a way for non-specialists to quickly understand the central themes. Students might well find these clips fascinating in terms of making research projects "real," by showing how these anthropologists came to their projects and how anthropologists craft their research.

2013-09-10

life on 24th July 2010 - collage documentary

Executive producer Ridley Scott of movie making fame lent his talents to this project the took in video clips from 192 countries, totaling 4500 hours of recording with contributors answering a few simple questions. The resulting 94 minutes gives a glimpse of life on the planet as told by its peoples.

http://www.youtube.com/movie/life-in-a-day

2013-08-03

Fwd: Daily digest for August 3, 2013

Teaching Materials Exchange

Looking for new ideas and materials for fall term? Check out AAA's new Teaching Materials Exchange. Search by course, syllabus, keyword or even instructor. Or browse through the database of more than 90 syllabi and teaching tools.

Don't forget to submit your materials to share as well.

2013-07-30

languages & power in R.South Africa

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/power-language-or-language-power

excerpt

...Although South Africa's Constitution recognises eleven national languages, English – spoken as a home language by only 9.6% of South Africans – has become the language of power; it is the language of government, business, the media, and academia. African languages do not share the same status as English and, to a lesser extent, Afrikaans, which still retains some prominence partly because of its privileged status under apartheid. A degree or course in English at university will help a graduate in accountancy to find a job. Proficiency in isiXhosa (spoken by 16% of South Africans) or Sepedi (9.1%) probably will not.
....

2013-07-27

regional USA - Michigan language & map sense

http://melbel.hubpages.com/hub/Michigan-Accent [local accents around the state of Michigan]

http://melbel.hubpages.com/_mas/hub/You-Know-Youre-From-Michigan-When [USA areas seen from Michigan-centric viewpoint]

see the included illustration,

2013-07-23

scenes from London Anthropology Day 2013

photos online at flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/raieducation/with/9308899412/

Since 2005 this national event has welcomed recent college students, those about to enter college and those recently graduated to discover some of the fields and tasks of anthropology as it is offered at the departments around the U.K.

See Also, L.A.D. on Facebook; as well as the Youtube channel for RAI, including the 5 minute overview of the recent A-Level exam for precollege courses in anthropology offered in the U.K., http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR6kJk8n1DA

Here the pages from the new brochure about the A-Level programme.

Write the education officer for further details, education [at]therai.org.uk

2013-06-06

google maps for tribal stories (Memory Places)

Not just for U.S.A. Civil War conflict sites, but also in the people of the Amazon to annotate the online maps with "les lieux de memoires" (memory places that Pierre Nora first described in 1993):

minute 23:20 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMBJ2Hu0NLw

2013-05-23

San Francisco, CA (underwater) archeology - Whaling Ship

Breaking the Candace: The 300 Spear Street Project
The Candace was a whaler built in Boston in 1818 that was discovered buried beneath San Francisco that was excavated by Dr. Jim Allan and
archaeologists from William Self Associates, Fresh from a voyage to the Arctic, the Candace limped into San Francisco leaking badly. It was
condemned and never sailed again.
The archaeological investigation revealed not only the Candace but also a ship breaking yard where Chinese laborers dismantled vessels and recycled
their component parts. All these aspects of 19th century life in San Francisco are covered in the three galleries that comprise the online exhibit. Breaking the Candace features a video introduction by Dr. Allan, slideshows, an interactive poster, site plans, a PDF version of the report, and video footage of the wreck being lifted from the site.

Tour the exhibit by clicking the link at the MUA, http://www.themua.org/

2013-03-14

glimpse of Earth - online movie "Overview"

Someone in a radio show this week mentioned the online movie, "Overview."

Here it is, 19 minutes of ....wow. http://vimeo.com/55073825

When Apollo 8 went to orbit the moon and come back, the visual impression of seeing the world defined against the blanket of stars and black infinity was a powerful look in the collective mirror of humanity in all its glory, vanity, disaster and hope.

The people interviewed offer lots of food for thought to teachers & students alike.

See also the trailer for their movie now in development about life on earth as one people, [3 min.], http://vimeo.com/60234866

2013-03-07

online "Saving 10,000 lives" at YouTube

On March 6, 2013 the director, Dr. Rene Duignan, presented his 51 minute movie about the high rate of suicide in Japan to members of the news media & the National Diet. He documents the problem, the causes, the solutions, and the social consequences. Mental health professionals, researchers, teachers, friends and family members may benefit from this open discussion of a difficult topic.

http://tinyurl.com/saving10000 [full movie just uploaded], http://www.saving10000.com [website, including trailer for movie]

2013-03-01

New short film: The Huala of China's Sanchuan Region

See the huala (trance mediums/ shamans) among the Mangghuer people of the Sanchuan Region, on the northeast Tibetan Plateau. The movie is intended for a general, rather than an academic, audience, so please feel free to share the link with your students, neighbors, grandmas, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUjLwtix2_U

The Gods Incarnate - The Huala of China's Sanchuan Region

This film is about ordinary people who incarnate deities. These people are called huala in the Mangghuer language. Huala are found in the Sanchuan Region, on the northeastern Plateau, in China

[G. Roche]

2012-12-17

rock song of USA, Japan cliches

Here is a highly polished, context-free, series of icons and stereotypes presented in the form of a music video from USA expat in Japan, A. York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcAscMMScc4

The presentation includes a playful, self-aware, ironic or parodic dimension.

But as an example of a Cultural Production, it is heavily laden with popular, commercial or commoditized meanings.

2012-12-03

Mayan calendar talk, end of 2012 viewpoint

compact discussion, http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2012/12/03/mayan-calendar

2012-11-30

small town photo albums online - social analysis & visual anthro fodder?

http://miserybay.usanethosting.com/wordpress/category/features/album/

Comes from the weekly online newspaper, The St. Johns Independent, or sjindy.

Citizen reporters supply some of the photo sets.

And while there is little context or captioning, still there is some social & cultural information that can be extracted from these sources.

To locate this county seat in middle Michigan, USA, map search by postal (Z.I.P.) code 48879.

The population is about 7,000 and in 2006 it celebrated 150 years since its foundation in 1856.

2012-10-10

wiki to add your anthro data to (sharing with others)

The American Anthropological Association has started a Wiki, http://anthroregistry.wikia.com/wiki/Wiki_Content, and we're reaching out to everyone for any feedback and contributions you might be able to provide. The goal of this wiki is to help researchers locate anthropological source materials.

One of the effects of the web has been to create myriad crevices and crannies of information. Did you know that Frederick Starr's notebooks, http://anthroregistry.wikia.com/wiki/Starr_Congo_Expedition (12 volumes of field notes) have been put on line?

Do you have a website of ethnographic or anthropological source materials you'd like people to know about? Add it to the wiki<http://anthroregistry.wikia.com/wiki/Wiki_How-To> and help others benefit.

Have you deposited your personal papers in an archive? Building on the efforts of the Council for the Preservation of Anthropological Records<http://copar.org/>, we are turning to anthropologists to join together and share information about the location of field notes, photographs, sound recordings, and other primary sources.

The wiki is the perfect place to promote your own research and discover interesting new materials. You can ensure that the location of your ethnographic materials isn't lost or forgotten simply by typing up and publishing a n=
ew page on the wiki. The registry needs you though. This is a crowd-sourced effort so it relies on the efforts of individual anthropologists to identify their research. We encourage you to test it and add your own entries. Al=
ready the wiki houses information on fascinating research such as the Khipu Database and the Tsimane Amazonian Panel Study. We hope you can help your colleagues identify intriguing projects that might otherwise be easily overlooked. We hope you can help your colleagues identify intriguing projects that might otherwise be easily overlooked. This is a cutting-edge tool for the new era of anthropology and the 21st century anthropologist!

2012-09-08

promoting Native ways - Miss Navajo annual event

Forget The Heels: What It Takes To Be Miss Navajo

KJZZThink moccasins, turquoise jewelry and sheep butchering. The competition tests Miss Navajo hopefuls on their knowledge of traditions and language, connecting them with a heritage many of their parents were removed from. "It's an essence of who you are ... who your community is," one contestant says.
[via National Public Radio 8 Sept 2012, Weekend/Saturday edition]

2012-05-21

Egyptian Archaeology, podcast 'academic minute'

In today's Academic Minute, the University of Toronto's Mary-Ann Pouls Wegner describes some recent finds from an archaeological excavation in Abydos, Egypt. Wegner is assistant professor of Egyptian archaeology in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at Toronto. She also serves at Project Director for the North Abydos Votive Zone Project. Find out more about her here. A transcript of this podcast can be found here.

File:

5-21-12 Toronto - Egyptian Archaeology.mp3

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2012/05/21/egyptian-archaeology
Inside Higher Ed

2012-05-15

language play

Several relevant programs, both current and archived online:

1. Talkin' About Talk is a collection of fascinating insights into language: a series of 52 little essays--conversational in tone, light and anecdotal in style--that encourage language study and invite listeners to look further into the subject of each essay. The series, part of the 2005: The Year of Languages celebration, was co-sponsored by the College of Charleston (SC) and the National Museum of Language. The material was written by a wide-ranging group of experts, including some of the most well-known linguists in America. The architect and voice of Talkin' about Talk is Dr. Rick Rickerson, professor Emeritus at the College of Charleston. Brief biographies of the authors can be found on the College of Charleston website: www.cofc.edu/linguist

2. A Way with Words, http://www.waywordradio.org/

Recent Episodes

Like A Bad Penny (full episode) (May. 07, 2012)

And The Horse You Rode In On (Apr. 30, 2012)

Shank of the Evening (full episode) (Apr. 22, 2012)

Going All-City (full episode) (Apr. 14, 2012)

The College Slang Party (full episode) (Apr. 07, 2012)

Him and I or Him and Me? (full episode) (Mar. 30, 2012)

Rock Scissors Paper (full episode) (Mar. 26, 2012)

Mute Point (full episode) (Mar. 20, 2012)

The Uncanny Valley (full episode) (Mar. 12, 2012)

The Bee's Knees (full episode) (Mar. 03, 2012)

Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It (full episode) (Feb. 25, 2012)

3. Weekly, The World in Words [30 minutes consisting of 3-5 minute segments]
http://www.theworld.org/category/podcast/the-world-in-words-podcast/

4. Long-form audio essays, This American Life

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives

Recent Episodes

464: INVISIBLE MADE VISIBLE 5.14.12

This week, the radio debut of the episode we just did live on stage and streamed to theatres all over the country: including guests David Rakoff, Tig Notaro, Glynn Washington and many others.

463: MORTAL VS. VENIAL 4.27.12

Religion makes it pretty clear what differentiates mortal sins from venial ones. Mortal are the really bad sins and venial the lesser ones. But in our everyday lives, it can be really difficult to...

462: OWN WORST ENEMY 4.13.12

Stories of people who can't seem to stop getting in their own way — sabotaging everything from their romantic relationships to their physical health. Featuring a new radio drama by Jonathan...

461: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN FOR OFFICE 3.30.12

For anyone who has ever heard the term "Washington insider" and felt outside — we are with you. So this week, we go inside the rooms where the deals get made, to the actual moment that the...

460: RETRACTION 3.16.12

We've discovered that one of our most popular episodes contained numerous fabrications. This week, we detail the errors in Mike Daisey's story about visiting Foxconn, which makes iPads and other...

459: WHAT KIND OF COUNTRY 3.2.12

All across the country right now, local and state governments are finding they can't pay their bills. Schools are losing teachers, street lights are going dark, garbage is piling up in public parks,...

458: PLAY THE PART 2.17.12

Stories of people who decide to flip their personalities and do the exact opposite of what they normally do. Pictured: Louis Ortiz, Obama impersonator. A documentary about him is raising money on...

457: WHAT I DID FOR LOVE 2.10.12

Love makes us do crazy things. But not this crazy. This week for Valentine's Day we have stories of people going to extremes as they fall in love, chase love down, and try to make sense of it—...

456: REAP WHAT YOU SOW 1.27.12

Alabama's new immigration law aims to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will "self-deport." And in a way it's working. Immigrants are fleeing Alabama...but not just the...

455: CONTINENTAL BREAKUP 1.20.12

If you're like us, when the words "European debt crisis" pop up in the news you feel a little worried, and a little like taking a nap. Turns out, there's a story behind this story. One that's filled...

454: MR. DAISEY AND THE APPLE FACTORY 1.6.12

NOTE: This American Life has retracted this story because we learned that many of Mike Daisey's experiences in China were fabricated.

5. Personal statements of belief, arranged thematically by major topics; current series and the original 1950s series available for download in audio or text, http://thisibelieve.org

6. Storycorps.org travels around the country making archives of conversations between family and friends. The program name hints at the public service work of Peace Corps from 1961 onward, and now also AmeriCorps (service performed inside the USA). This website also carries technical details for the annual National Day of Listening (the Friday after Thanksgiving each November).

7. Video-based project of Native American languages and society at http://ourmothertongues.org

8. PDF pages and 146 youtube.com entries for the National Geographic Society's sponsorship of the Enduring Voices project to document and promote indigenous languages close to extinction.

archeology from satellites

In today's Academic Minute, Jason Ur of Harvard University explains how archaeologists are using declassified satellite images to locate previously unknown ancient sites. Learn more about the Academic Minute here.

link: http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2012/05/15/satellite-archaeology

2012-03-30

languages live and die

Recent feature stories on (Internet audio & transcripts) Radio:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/03/19/147809425/digital-technologies-give-dying-languages-new-life

There are some 7,000 spoken languages in the world, and linguists project that as many as half may disappear by the end of the century. That works out to one language going extinct about every two weeks. Now, digital technology is coming to the rescue of some of those ancient tongues.

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/14/135402002/dying-language-speakers-wont-talk-to-each-other [4/2011]
Manuel Segovia and Isidro Velazquez are the only two people in the world who still speak Ayapaneco. This centuries-old language of Mexico is in danger of becoming extinct, and yet, the two aren't talking. An anthropologist working on a dictionary with the two aging men described Segovia as a "little prickly" and Velazquez as "more stoic."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106783656 [7/2009]

Shoshone is one of many American Indian languages that is in danger of becoming extinct. But 10 Shoshone high school students from rural Idaho, Utah and Nevada hope to become future guardians of the language. This summer, they're spending six weeks at the University of Utah for the Shoshone Youth Language Apprenticeship Program.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14537549 [9/2007]

A study based supported by the National Geographic Society and the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages identifies regions around the world where languages are dying. We hear some words from these disappearing languages.

2012-01-12

language and culture - dogs and squirrels

Language and Culture; Dogs and Squirrels

Walking my dog one frosty evening I reflected on her frequent stops to listen, sniff or look at something in the semi-dark of glowing windows and the streetlights. Her senses are tuned differently to mine, of course, and I had seen this in other dogs, as well. But what had not occurred to me before is the parallel between a dog's expanded sense of time, thanks to the ability to perceive how fresh or old the scent of rabbit or squirrel, for example, and the way that different languages predispose its speakers to different salient social or environmental or aesthetic reference points. In other words, much as the scent trails do not seem salient to me, so too will the sensitivity to social status and visual presentation not seem as salient to a native English speaker like me when contrasted to a native Japanese speaker, for example.

There are other analogies to illustrate the way that awareness and purpose is predisposed by language relativism, or the Lingua-cultural Ideology, as Paul Friedrich called it his 1989 article. Using the image of tinted glasses, the person wearing blue tints will soon adapt to the scenes around him, although bluish things like the sky will lighter because that is what the lens is filtering. Color complements such as yellows and oranges on the other hand will be deeper by the same principle. A person wearing yellow of amber tints will have the opposite experience: the color cast will soon be ignored by the brain, but those things natively yellow will appear a little paler than the naked eye sees them and blue things will be intensified, as well. Using this analogy for languages, each one allows a person to see the full spectrum of experiences, but certain facets will be paler or deeper compared to other languages.

Looking at the uneven development of vocabularies for certain aspects of life and livelihoods, commentators often point out the wealth of distinctions possible among dessert dwellers for conditions there, among arctic dwellers for their ecotope, and among coastal dwellers for their environment. These points of contrast are true, but what do these facts illustrate or suggest about the language – culture relationship? The analogy of occupational vocabularies can help to illuminate the consequence of specialized knowledge for its speakers and the typical discussions that they conduct. Certainly a specialist in airport security risks will see the air travel experience differently to an economy traveler or to a first-class paying customer. Each brings different expectations, past experiences, and a verbal toolbox of labels, categories, distinctions and priorities that allows the person to ignore what is in the range of normal and instead react to things that are sub-par on the one hand, and things that exceed expectations on the other hand.

Similarly health specialists see things differently to the patient who presents his conditions. While it is not impossible for the one to understand the perspective of the other, it may well be easier for a colleague to see the salient point than it is for someone who is not versed in the issues and specialized vocabulary known to the experts. Here, then, is the analogy for linguistic relativism: it is not impossible for a native speaker of English to understand a joke or culturally loaded term such as 'gezelligheid' (Dutch for 'cozy' in multiple social and experiential senses) or 'han' (Korean ethnomedical concept of repressed but explosive emotional response), for the fellow speaker of the particular foreign language, the given expression will have immediate meaning, while the effort to translate and give the accompanying connotations will slow down and belabor the meaning for the English speaker. Just so the five fields of humor, politics, literary arts, emotional expression, and religious experience are deeply rooted in a given cultural context and historical moment.

So while the meanings are not impossible for all humans to apprehend, it will be easiest for a native speaker of the particular language to respond to the significance. Thus, when trying to estimate the relative consequence of translation problems between languages or between centuries of just one language, it is helpful to regard each language as belonging to an occupational specialism, like that of mechanics, surgeons, pilots, quarterbacks, goal keepers, or lion tamers. It is not that you or I cannot see the meanings that the specialist attaches to certain actions or ideas, but that we may well require lengthy explanation. In that case of having to explain joke, having to explain the meaning takes away the rhythm, timing and punch since the full experience of the humor comes only in the flow of live conversation, not by careful dissection.

Whether it is the analogy of scent trails invisible to us but that a dog can 'see', the image of tinted lenses that alter the mix of relative color intensities, or the example of occupational vocabularies, surely the differences between languages are significant and consequential, whether the languages be closely related or come from unrelated families. In the end the meanings embedded in the cultural context of one language are not unknowable to people who do not speak the language. But those meanings are buried, sometimes deeply, and require effort to excavate.

Sadly the communities engaged in many of the human languages are so small that there is nobody in the next generation to speak the words and the languages die. Something less than 7,000 languages remain from the time of humans on this planet. We are all poorer when the diverse ways to see life and practice livelihoods on the earth's environmental zones grow fewer and fewer each generation. Think of the joy of the dog tracking squirrels and wonder: what is invisible to me? What am I missing by living in my one language and culture?

January 5, 2012
St. Johns, Michigan

References

Friedrich, Paul 1989 "Language, Ideology, and Political Economy" in American Anthropologist 91, 2 (June): 295-312.

Harrison, K. David 2009 When Languages Die. The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. London: OUP.

Why don’t other animals produce or consume such things as dance, music, visual art...

Humans feel motivated to create and consume many artistic forms. Why don't other animals produce or consume such things as dance, music, visual art, verbal arts of story and lyric and declamation?

Recognizing patterns and relationships, then applying ones known by experience to new material is something that characterizes human minds and hearts. In abstract terms this search for meaning is an extension from the core motivation in spoken (and thus also written) language. For some reason a given musical phrase, movement sequence, or choice of words stands out in a person's mind. It "means" something or resonates with a feeling or concept in one's own mind, as yet perhaps not articulated into a definite form. The artist answers a specific itch by producing sequences of pattern and meaning. The audience may dwell on a novel piece of work to grasp it, or in dim recognition of knowing it from another place or medium. Alternatively the audience may be actively seeking something to touch the itch they feel, and therefore browse rapidly through the works until they find something partly or fully connected to the meaning they are seeking. In the case of visual arts, the elements of composition, light, texture, narrative (intertexuality) or context could spark the feeling of recognition and personal meaning attached to the work. In other words the meaning can be perceived indirectly, incidentally and thus unintentionally.

2011-12-22

radio on Fridays, "Science Friday" each week

The list of topics discussed is at http://www.sciencefriday.com/topics/

Among these are
ARCHEOLOGY, http://www.sciencefriday.com/topics/c130400/
ANTHROPOLOGY, http://www.sciencefriday.com/topics/c130200/
MUSEUMS, http://www.sciencefriday.com/topics/c050300/

2011-12-18

"the Indians" and "the colonists" in 1750s N. America

Discussion of interaction between colonists in North America and the native peoples, as written in Fur and Fortune: in Part III (after the French and Indian wars of 1750s-60s) the narrator (of the audio book version) refers to "The Indians." And yet this catch-all phrase sweeps together groups big and small, ones friendly and hostile to "The Europeans" or to "The English Speakers." Elsewhere there are some smaller categories such as Five Nations or Algonkian tribes. But it would probably be more true to experience of those on the ground at the time to refer to themselves not as categories of some abstract Nation (which is the label we organize citizens by today) but according to their location, local leader or some other term of limited scale. For the author perhaps the analytical goal of grouping anonymous souls into competing interests is useful, but probably this corresponds little to the local experience that motivated and guided the people being so labeled. Forever there is a tension between analytical abstraction and anonymity on the one hand and names and faces of individual lives and significance on the other hand.

[reference, Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America]

2011-12-09

grouping the colors according to one's language/culture

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/colours-in-cultures/

2011-11-02

underwater cultural resources (conference reports)

The Inaugural Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage begins next week in Manila, Philippines (http://www.apconf.org/).
The Museum of Underwater Archeology will post the proceedings online (over 80 presentations and posters) at the MUA's new research tool website in the coming weeks, http://www.themua.org

2011-10-29

underwater archeology - diver's photos

The MUA is excited to announce a new research tool based on experimental crowd-sourced image collecting. In an effort to capture the changes over
time on an in situ shipwreck, sport divers and archaeologists have contributed photographs of a single wreck over the span of several years.
Our goal is to recruit additional images from divers who have visited the site. As the image collection grows so too will the opportunity to study
site formation processes over time.

Our inaugural shipwreck subject is the SS Yongala, submerged in Australian waters. Some of the submissions received so far lack detailed information
regarding the specific area of the wreck pictured. We strongly encourage anyone with additional knowledge of individual photos, the wreck in
general, or further images to contribute to contact us at research@themua.org . We will also consider creating additional galleries
to highlight other appropriate wrecks if there are a sufficient number of submissions.

This is an experimental project for the MUA; we will continue to refine the look and feel of the tool based on the level of public participation.
The gallery can be viewed by clicking on the link on the home page here: http://www.themua.org

2011-10-17

what is anthropology about?

October 2011 the department of anthropology at University of South Florida was threatend with closure, so graduate students there created a beautiful response to answer the question, "what is anthropology for? [relevance]: http://prezi.com/vmvomt3sj3fd/this-is-anthropology/

2011-08-22

amazon basin & archeology sites world-wide (Google "street view")

Using the well tested array of cameras facing in multiple directions, Google Streetview goes to the Amazon ecozone as well as to cultural heritage sites worldwide,

http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/google-offers-stay-at-home-adventurers-street-view-images-of-the-amazon/

APPLIED ethnography of the libraries in Illinois

Here is an example of using anthropology to answer some basic questions of the Taken-for-granted contexts that we find ourselves immersed in unreflectively.

[excerpt] The ERIAL (Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries) project -- a series of studies conducted at Illinois Wesleyan, DePaul University, and Northeastern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois's Chicago and Springfield campuses -- was a meta-exercise for the librarians in practicing the sort of deep research they champion. Instead of relying on surveys, the libraries enlisted two anthropologists, along with their own staff members, to collect data using open-ended interviews and direct observation, among other methods.

full URL, http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/22/erial_study_of_student_research_habits_at_illinois_university_libraries_reveals_alarmingly_poor_information_literacy_and_skills

2011-08-18

radio story from the annual Crow Fair (5-day festival in S.E. Montana)

2011-08-10 096 Crow Fair I: Gathering the Tribes

A century ago the six Crow Reservation Districts came together for a cultural gathering with other Great Plains tribes. The Crow Fair honors that tradition with a "giant family reunion under the Big Sky." Every third weekend of August the Apsaalooke Nation puts on a five-day festival in southeastern Montana, with a parade, Pow Wow, rodeo, and traditional and fancy dancing. In 1977 a team of NPR producers and recordists spent a week collecting sounds and interviewing people at this annual event. This early ambient sound-portrait breathes with the arts and activities of the Crow people.

Part one of two. Listen…

2011-07-28

bronze age - so many dolmens on the SW Korean peninsula

www.dolmen.com has an option for English and Japanese, too. The site dates to 2001, so there is not a lot of video, blog feedback or panoramic views and maps, but it does introduce this wealth of ancient society, quoting that 19,000 of the world's known 55,000 dolmens are located in the Jeollanam-do (sw province) of South Korea.

2011-07-26

socio-linguistics, American English: Getting on well, thanks

** American English: Getting on well, thanks ** http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/world-us-canada-14285853

The debate over the use of Americanisms has divided readers of these pages in recent weeks. Here, American lexicographer and broadcaster Grant Barrett offers an American perspective.

2011-07-18

crossing Neanderthals and H.Sapiens Sapiens 35,000 years ago?

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/07/neanderthal-human-mating/
emerging details continue to surface

2011-07-07

naming a baby - what does it mean or indicate?

Naming Trends And How Parents-To-Be Face 'Baby-Name Hostility'

[excerpt] from radio, www.npr.org
When people find out they're expecting, choosing a name for their baby can be one of their most stressful tasks.
Part of that stress is because there has been a "baby-naming revolution" over the last half-century, says Laura Wattenberg, who wrote The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby.

2011-06-25

archeology; graffiti; Israel

Archaeologists Unscramble Ancient Graffiti In Israel

June 19, 2011 Tomb graffiti is "a spontaneous verbal outburst" that can help archaeologists learn more about ancient communities. The history sleuths decipher the messages and learn about the personal and private lives of ancient Jews.

2015-06-10

2015-06-04

2015-05-31