Why Archaeological Fantasies? - Episode 64

To celebrate the new year, today we discuss why we do this! Why is it important to have accurate information about archaeology out there? Is it having an impact? and Jeb, Ken, and Sara have a political rant!

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Produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle

Edited by Christopher Sims

The Pachuag Hoax - Episode 63

Returning guest Nicholas Bellantoni talk to us today about the Pachaug State Forest Archaeological Hoax. What was it? How did Nick get involved, how'd he figure it out, and why its hard to fool an archaeologist.

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Produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle

Edited by Christopher Sims

 

Archaeology and Sherlock Holmes with Vincent W. Wright - Episode 62

Today we talk with Vincent W. Wright about Sherlock Holmes, how Conan Doyle pulled many details for his stories from archaeology, and how the Sherlockian methods are used in archaeology even today. 

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Produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle

Edited by Christopher Sims

Cannibalism with Lourdes Villalta - Episode 61

Today we talk with Lourdes Villalta about cannibalism. We look at the stereotypes of the activity, how these stereotypes were used in the past to marginalized people, and what is the historical truth and cultural reality of cannibalism.

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  • Lourdes Villalta

    • http://sheffield.academia.edu/LVillalta

  • From Villa et al proposed set of criteria to verify whether cannibalism was found within a context (Villa et al, 1986:431):

    • "Similar butchering techniques in human and animal remains. Thus frequency, location, and type of verified cut marks and chop marks on human and animal bones must be similar, but we should allow for anatomical differences between human and animals;

    • Similar patterns of long bone breakage that might facilitate marrow extraction; Identical patterns of postprocessing discard of human and animal remains;

    • Evidence of cooking if present, such evidence should indicate comparable treatment of human and animal remains.

    • White also considered (1992) Turner’s suggestion: the under representation of vertebrae (Turner, 1992) without animal gnawing or bite marks. Biologically, vertebrae are spongy, soft, and full of marrow (Preston, 1998). According to Turner, many of the Anazasi often crushed animal vertebrae to form “bone cakes”; a way to extract grease from the spinal column through boiling. Turner (1993) also mentioned the V-shaped cross-sectioned cut marks found on many of the found vertebrae recorded by White (1992) and Turner and Turner (1992). If such taphonomic patterns mentioned above are evident on both human and faunal remains of the same context, cannibalism can be considered.

    • Following Turner’s criteria, White (1992) was able to find all five criteria, but he was also able to find another useful observation found through a microscope he coined pot polish-a faint abrasion and bevelling on the broken tips of bones (Preston, 1999), indicating possible evidence of cooking. This became the sixth criteria in “identifying Anasazi cannibalism."

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Produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle

Edited by Christopher Sims

Movie Night! - Episode 60

Pop your popcorn, get your giant sodas, and get ready to talk movies! All three hosts bring up their favorite movies with archaeologists in them. Get ready forsome interesting talk about some recommended watching.

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Produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle

Edited by Christopher Sims