tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276454937664498242023-11-16T09:41:57.901-08:00Inside AnthropologyA student journalist from the University of Toronto, bringing you the latest and greatest from the University's Department of Anthropology.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-80350414376124368202014-03-23T12:52:00.001-07:002014-03-23T12:53:03.087-07:00Got Anthropology? New Youtube Channel!Hello everyone!<br />
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I realise I've been away for awhile - but only because I've been working to bring you some awesome projects, one of which I am excited to release!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSogVQyKYxI6PBvJ3pBkZF_BNVrXbM1aaNpC-1ecuUO4B9PO2oOyD13AlHJZ6TIH615cjnxgAYiZ5zhgLIJ1deP8FTFSc8r05pilafBJfCgaSE_zGssJKMvud2eew7AXxLRZJvplXPmXeE/s1600/GotAnthroYoutubeBanner3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSogVQyKYxI6PBvJ3pBkZF_BNVrXbM1aaNpC-1ecuUO4B9PO2oOyD13AlHJZ6TIH615cjnxgAYiZ5zhgLIJ1deP8FTFSc8r05pilafBJfCgaSE_zGssJKMvud2eew7AXxLRZJvplXPmXeE/s1600/GotAnthroYoutubeBanner3.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>I've written before about the new Got Anthropology speaker series that's been going on throughout the year. They've featured a ton of members of the anthropology department, giving talks on everything from preserving the diverse wildlife in Madagascar to how technology influences and impacts our lives, and what advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence will mean for the future.<br />
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The initiative has been spearheaded by Kim Valenta, a graduate student here at the university. Her goal in establishing the speaker series was to enable grad students to talk about what they do in a more informal setting. The talks inspire interesting questions and stirring discussion, aiming to engage with the greater community in Toronto and engage participants in moving beyond their own field or specialization. My personal favourite has been Travis Steffens' talk on conservation ecology and all the incredible species of Madagascar.<br />
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Kim was recently featured in an article on the Arts and Sciences news page, which I encourage you all to check out <a href="http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/main/newsitems/anthropology-lecture-series-graduate-students-comfort-zones" target="_blank">here!</a><br />
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Today, I'm happy to share that Got Anthropology? has a Youtube channel! I have been involved in helping video the talks, and after a lot of editing, videos of several lectures have recently come online.<br />
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Jess Davidon's talk on Ethical Consumption, Travis Steffens on Primate Conservation, and Emma Yasui on Technology are all available at the Got Anthropology? Youtube channel, which you can find <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycAQkuUneCuDRXSLJIVM0w" target="_blank">from this link.</a><br />
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I strongly encourage everyone to come out to the next Got Anthropology? talk: If Humans Evolved from Monkeys, Why Are There Still Monkeys? Link to the Facebook event <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/435881626546615/" target="_blank">here.</a> They're a lot of fun and everyone will have the chance to ask some great questions!<br />
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Look for more updates from Inside Anthropology, coming soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-16575766784690691442014-01-17T09:31:00.003-08:002014-01-17T09:31:56.926-08:00Awesome Archaeologists: Rachel Kulick
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAEqnYpZ2LcdoDMM0g4lSOYhBwi4Da8neKJR1hdDiXss-t1WF1UAuVbHpP7VuT4ry77hEmg1PpcGsGfMXCB468NIG9gTNGu-XYNkBwxKNiD0LMb91BNmJTkApaA5AtpyivceTDJUl924_/s1600/2013_Toronto+Team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAEqnYpZ2LcdoDMM0g4lSOYhBwi4Da8neKJR1hdDiXss-t1WF1UAuVbHpP7VuT4ry77hEmg1PpcGsGfMXCB468NIG9gTNGu-XYNkBwxKNiD0LMb91BNmJTkApaA5AtpyivceTDJUl924_/s1600/2013_Toronto+Team.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-CA">Rachel is currently a student at U of T,
working on her PhD with a focus on human-environment interactions in the
Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. More generally, she works on analyzing
soil micromorphological data from the Minoan centre of Palaikastro in East
Crete. The goal of this analysis at Palaikastro is to show the human responses
to environmental and social stimuli, and to elucidate the society’s impact on the
environment.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">I met with Rachel back in November to
interview her about her research, and we had a great conversation.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Interviewer
(Me): JE</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Rachel:
RK</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
Could you explain what your goal is with the excavation, and tell me a little
bit about what you’re doing with your PhD here at U of T?</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: I am doing geoarchaeological research
at Palaikastro in order to understand what was happening there in terms of the
relationship between the society and the environment. In general, researchers have
been looking at macro-scale levels of the environment, where the focus is on change
in the broader landscape over time. Micro-scale geoarchaeology, which is what
I’m doing at Palaikastro, is the level on which we really can see the evidence
of human activity, and, with thin section analysis, we can even differentiate between
human activities that occurred only once or over the course of a several year
period or more. By microscopically analysing sections of a block of soil from
the on-site context via thin section analysis, we can attain a finer scale of
resolution that permits us to see all of the things we cannot see with the
naked eye during excavation.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
Why did you choose Crete, and the Minoan Bronze Age, as your focus?</span></i><span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: I had long been interested in the
Mediterranean, the environment, and human reactions to the environment. The
Mediterranean is a unique environment because, in this region, we see human
society sustaining itself across so many different time periods, but there has
also been a lot of change; some of the largest research questions have revolved
around the issues of the rise and fall of states and the anthropogenic and/or
environmental factors that influenced these transformations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally, there is a dichotomy in research
approaches between focusing on </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1)
environmental science data and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>2) complex notions of
social theory to explain major societal and landscape changes,</span><span lang="EN-CA"> but the actual evidence of whether such changes were caused by
human or environmental triggers is not so clear-cut. When multiple forms of environmental
and archaeological evidence come together, it becomes clear that there is </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">frequently more than one possible explanation
to account for </span><span lang="EN-CA">certain (geo)archaeological
observations. This is where we have difficulty drawing conclusions about the
archaeological record. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
What have you found so far about the Minoans and their relationship with the
environment?</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: My research is in its preliminary stage,
so we have no answers yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
around Crete we have seen many changes in the landscape – such as those caused
by erosion, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are disagreements
in academic literature as to how these landscape changes originally came about since
varying types and scales of environmental science data can frequently provide
conflicting and/or confounding results. Therefore, what I am trying to accomplish
is a multi-stranded reconstruction of what happened in the environment, through
merging different forms of data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
goal of multi-stranded reconstruction is to take comparable types of evidence
and fit them together in a ‘cable’ or ‘web’ construction (cf. Alison Wylie) in
order to form a composite of archaeological information that builds a picture
of past human societies and environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Common issues persist in developing consistent and accurate<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>pictures
of the past environment, <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-qn2-ET9lfbY-nE9XrNl7OrmA5eZfZCpbmSvIim7iJ7yso_p5eVqTliMXym_NOv6Gzp_Tuit2Cs0IVnP8GKLNNcYzRlQr5T8YLSjEdT7aQrta2L6dLrycu8x1MF7hKkKcIFxpAuE4Jln/s1600/Rachel_drawing+profiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-qn2-ET9lfbY-nE9XrNl7OrmA5eZfZCpbmSvIim7iJ7yso_p5eVqTliMXym_NOv6Gzp_Tuit2Cs0IVnP8GKLNNcYzRlQr5T8YLSjEdT7aQrta2L6dLrycu8x1MF7hKkKcIFxpAuE4Jln/s1600/Rachel_drawing+profiles.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rachel drawing profiles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
landscape, and human activity due to the generally
restrictive nature of the data acquired—the missing strands in the cable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply applying new scientific or
archaeological data, which does not fit the unique informational ‘gaps’, is not
helpful in reconstructing this picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, by “weighing in” on the amount of confidence that one can have
in each particular strand of data, a solid picture may be developed from the
composite of archaeological data gathered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am using geoarchaeology as one strand in the cable of evidence, which
will help reconstruct a picture of Minoan Palaikastro.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">I also want to draw attention to the
community involvement in the project, which has been integral in supporting the
research at Palaikastro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to
the 2013 excavations being conducted as a field school for students from the
University of Toronto, the University of Nottingham, and the University of
Bristol, we had a number of community members involved. They are really
interested in their local history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My supervisor,
and Co-Director of Excavations, Dr. Carl Knappett, arranged site tours for the
local schools, which was a treat for the students <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because the site is very well preserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, several students from
universities in Greece, and specifically Crete, participated in the excavations
and studies this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
Could you tell me about how you got to this point in your academic career?</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: I did my undergrad at Cornell, where there
is an excellent Archaeology Program for undergraduates. I was beginning to
focus on Near Eastern archaeology but then additionally became interested in
the archaeological sciences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My advisor
at the time suggested that a one-year Master’s program would allow me to develop
my skills in the archaeological sciences without having to focus on one
particular geographic area. I did a one-year MPhil at Cambridge, in the UK, during
which I studied bioarchaeology, isotope analysis, and geoarchaeology. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly, the area of my Master’s
dissertation is completely unrelated to what I’m working on now!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">After my MPhil, I worked outside of
academia for a year, and I consulted with my former professors and advisors
regarding PhD programs. During this year, I met with Dr. Carl Knappett, who discussed
with me the program options available at U of T, and how I could tailor a PhD
program in the Art Department to suit my archaeological interests. The key in
determining my career path was simply to talk to many people involved in
different aspects of archaeology! Profs and TAs are great resources.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
How did you get involved with a dig?</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: That was part of the incentive for me
to come to Toronto! Dr. Knappett was beginning a new phase of the Palaikastro
project, and before I officially started my PhD, he gave me the opportunity to
visit Crete and do archaeological illustration there for a summer. That experience
was my first taste of Cretan archaeology, and I really enjoyed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, figuring out which project was right
for me was a matter of traveling and seeing what fieldwork I enjoyed the most. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an undergraduate, I participated in field
schools all over Europe, but the environment and the levels of archaeological preservation
in certain areas of the eastern Mediterranean were most attractive to me.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
Tell me about working in Crete!</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: Working on Crete is incredible. When
you are working on a project, the lifestyle is much different from going on a
vacation. You interact with the local community at the cafes, restaurants, and
stores, and you become regulars at the village events. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The daily schedule during fieldwork always
involves an early morning start at 5 or 6 am, because of the heat, and work
lasts for 7-8 hours. This past summer, the first two weeks of the excavation
were more like landscaping and gardening than archaeological excavation –our
work involved a lot of soil moving! When you finally get down to the
archaeological layers, the preservation of the finds is amazing. We came upon more
archaeological layers during the last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Working with brushes and picks is hard work, but all of the effort is
definitely worth it. What is most rewarding for me is teaching the
undergraduate participants how to excavate, and watching them learn and
improve. I find it really rewarding to share with them the joy of excavating.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
What was your favourite moment from Crete?</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: The most exciting part this past summer
was when we first reached an archaeological layer at the site. While I had
excavated at other sites in Europe before, the quantity of material on Crete is
impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had approached the
excavations this summer not expecting to find anything substantial. Even though
the geoarchaeological surveys suggested some buried features, we couldn’t be
certain until we actually excavated, that we would find ancient features.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember well the moment when one of our
unit supervisors struck the ground with his pickaxe and, all of a sudden, we
saw artifacts everywhere—all of very high preservation quality. The look of
excitement on everyone’s faces was something to remember, for sure. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">JE:
What advice would you offer people looking to get into archaeology and do what
you’re doing?</span></i></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuz5cvrYGIOtGt50c8DsPnp-ymAZq4zmZnK1gGf_MdNC6NJgydTRNkpSwRX6guLrv43qqTu7sZUSAn_fJtcmHf-RZkvNd-tx6BsLCM9myGRFOfHJ6zSiRUAVzHC2JZ_qW76yWztJmFG471/s1600/2013_PALAP+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuz5cvrYGIOtGt50c8DsPnp-ymAZq4zmZnK1gGf_MdNC6NJgydTRNkpSwRX6guLrv43qqTu7sZUSAn_fJtcmHf-RZkvNd-tx6BsLCM9myGRFOfHJ6zSiRUAVzHC2JZ_qW76yWztJmFG471/s1600/2013_PALAP+team.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Team</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-CA">RK: I would definitely suggest talking to
people who are already involved in archaeology at your university, but don’t
restrict yourself to just looking in the anthropology and archaeology
departments. I have found that researchers in other departments are often doing
archaeological research as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look
into art history departments, geology departments, classics departments, etc.
Some classics and geology professors are also archaeologists! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also check out museums. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have the opportunity, try to
participate in a bunch of different excavation projects during your summer
breaks, especially if you aren’t satisfied with your first experiences – often,
projects are completely different from one another. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Don’t be afraid to take time off after your
undergraduate degree to think about your career direction – sometimes, trying a
different path can really help you find your way. Taking a year off after my
undergrad gave me the time to think about my archaeological interests, read and
expand my subject knowledge, and not rush into a program about which I was
unsure. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">I’d like to thank Rachel for participating
in being profiled by Inside Anthropology. I had a great time interviewing her,
and I learned a lot along the way! Visiting Greece is definitely something on
my list of things to do. </span></div>
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condensed and edited.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-17436230097664533672014-01-11T21:22:00.002-08:002014-01-11T21:22:31.975-08:00Happy New Year!<b>Welcome to 2014!</b> <br />
It's a New Year and a new semester here at U of T and Inside Anthropology! I have a lot of interesting posts currently in the works, and I can't wait to share more with you this semester. To get us started, I was surfing the U of T news website when I found a cool article that you might have seen posted to the U of T Anthropology Facebook page recently: <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/our-furry-scampering-common-ancestor" target="_blank">UTSC Researcher Helps Build New Tree of Life</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXy4rTF_SFkI8LAkm2LmSNymG2v5PpQWj6T3KURyuaZ7bj7cn20xKX6KQV5gR0OnfdiMPaTX9BgNrZSGTY0pGnl4X2YzrL5z8STTyBemKYsMVO2Tl6SfFnHtWqbDCnOv3TjEOplJdwmUf/s1600/Common-Ancestor-13-2-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXy4rTF_SFkI8LAkm2LmSNymG2v5PpQWj6T3KURyuaZ7bj7cn20xKX6KQV5gR0OnfdiMPaTX9BgNrZSGTY0pGnl4X2YzrL5z8STTyBemKYsMVO2Tl6SfFnHtWqbDCnOv3TjEOplJdwmUf/s1600/Common-Ancestor-13-2-7.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Carl Buell: What the common ancestor may<br />have looked like. Cute tail, right?<br />Source: http://news.utoronto.ca/our-furry-<br />scampering-common-ancestor</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So naturally, I was intrigued. Throughout the study of biological anthropology, I have come across many diagrams of evolutionary relationships. As it turns out, Mary Silcox, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at University of Toronto Scarborough was recently part of a diverse international team that reconstructed the tree of relationships between placental mammals. Placental mammals is a group that includes humans, and this research claims to have found the common ancestor of placental mammals: a somewhat rat-like, insectivorous animal that came about after dinosaurs became extinct.<br />
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The original article on U of T news was written by Kurt Kleiner, and you should all head over and check it out. Silcox was the only Canadian member of the research team and was responsible for contributing to data collection used to classify primates (including humans) and for organizing the dental traits that were used in the analysis.<br />
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The research team found that placental mammals diversified later than had been suggested previously, and all currently living groups came forth after the dinosaurs went extinct. Fossil evidence has shown that placental mammals evolved several hundred thousand years post-extinction. More details from this amazing research breakthrough can be found in both Kleiner's article and in articles in this week's <i>Science</i> magazine: I've linked them <a href="http://news.sciencemag.org/plants-animals/2013/02/ancestor-all-placental-mammals-revealed" target="_blank">Here</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6120/656" target="_blank">Here: Article 2</a>.<br />
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This is just one great example of the strides that anthropologists are making in puzzling out the world we live in and how it came to be.<br />
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Keep your eyes peeled for the next article here at Inside Anthropology! It's going to be a great 2014.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-45015941285665965862013-12-25T06:50:00.001-08:002013-12-25T06:50:38.378-08:00Seasons Greetings!Cultural Anthropology is one of the largest subfields of our discipline, studying the ways of living, knowing and believing of people around the world. With that in mind, I thought a post about the origin of Christmas, which I personally celebrate, would probably be appropriate on a day like today......(forgive my cheekiness. It's Christmas.)<br />
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While I personally identify with no particular religion, I can say I personally believe in God (and honestly, Gods) even though I ascribe to no particular way of celebrating them, other than my own. Celebrating Christmas is something I have always done with my half Roman Catholic half Lutheran (and thus United) family, and it means a great deal to me personally - so how did it really start? What's the story of the origin of Christmas?<br />
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Christmas is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, observed worldwide by billions of people. Traditionally, Christmas is the first of the 12 days of Christmastide, which ends with Twelfth Night. It is also celebrated by non-Christians, having become a civil and commercial holiday in many countries - as well as an excuse to spoil your loved ones with gifts.<br />
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Jesus is believed to have been born between 7 and 2 BC, and the 4th century most churches in the West had placed that date on December 25th. It's possible that Christmas Day was chosen to be 9 months after Christ's conception, but there is also a connection to many polytheistic festivals such as Saturnalia, the Roman winter solstice celebration.<br />
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Today, Christmas comes with a group of older and modern traditions. Exchanging holiday cards, festooning houses and trees with Christmas lights and decorations (I'll be honest, at my house we have one of those fantastic and somewhat obnoxious inflatable decorations, which features Santa in helicopter), 'Secret Santa' gift exchanges, and putting up and decorating Christmas trees (usually of the Pine or Spruce variety) are only some of the ways many people celebrate this day. The practice of decorating houses goes back to the 15th century, with ivy and bay branches being swagged about houses in London, England.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVSU1hFB-KCg5fG1AC6JNRRoCWmMm4cSRZeEGp_755qhhCWEbMztyQ6wYps0ZyLO4mTzGWW_TVumGMjGSVKesYJL65_F1MglLzTtIFmuGLgYAe3FTccR-iZNEMwMJg6cQ4Uo6tAw0T81v/s1600/White+House+Christmas+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVSU1hFB-KCg5fG1AC6JNRRoCWmMm4cSRZeEGp_755qhhCWEbMztyQ6wYps0ZyLO4mTzGWW_TVumGMjGSVKesYJL65_F1MglLzTtIFmuGLgYAe3FTccR-iZNEMwMJg6cQ4Uo6tAw0T81v/s320/White+House+Christmas+Tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White House Christmas Tree<br />Source: montrealgazette.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />The Christmas Tree is one of my personal favourites. In my family, we go to the farm we've gone to for about 20 years now, cut down our own tree, tie it down to our car, and bring it home to put up in a wrought iron tree stand that I could barely haul up from the basement as a child. Christmas trees started out as a pagan tradition stemming from the celebration of the Winter Solstice that was first adopted by Christians in Germany after Saint Boniface chopped down an Oak tree dedicated to Thor and declared that firs were more suitable reverent objects than oak trees. Firs point to heaven and have a triangular shape, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. From Germany the custom spread to Britain by Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. They became popular under the reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and by the 1870s the custom was common in the United States. Sleighs, snowmen, candles, wreaths, nativity scenes, garlands, and Christmas Villages are also common decorations to see at Christmas.<br />
<br />
Christmas also includes several mythical figures that bring gifts to children who have behaved well all year, that go by the names of Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicolas, Chris Kringle, etc. Santa has names in most languages that celebrate the custom, and each "Santa figure" comes with its own backstory. Another common tradition is leaving a glass of milk, cookies for Santa, and carrots for the Reindeer beside the fireplace before a child goes to bed. Santa always appreciates a snack, and sure enough the food will be gone in the morning.<br />
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Christmas music and carols are also an important part of the season. Many have religious meaning, such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing or Away in a Manger. Still others are silly songs that celebrate the season itself, such as Jingle Bells or Deck the Halls. <br />
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These are some of the things that I celebrate and take part in at Christmas, what does your family do? Anyways, I'm off to drink a hot cider and open some presents. No matter what you do on December 25th, whether you celebrate Christmas or just head out to a movie, I wish you safe travels and good cheer this holiday season.<br />
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Happy Christmas, from Inside Anthropology.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-2638678231634673542013-11-30T13:56:00.001-08:002013-11-30T13:56:32.468-08:00Where Does Your Food Come From?
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<span lang="EN-CA">In March of 2013 Dylan Gordon was selected
as one of the Top 25 Storytellers in the Social Science and Humanities Research
Council of Canada (SSHRC)’s “Storytellers: Research for a Better Life” contest.
Dylan is a PhD candidate in Anthropology here at U of T, and I sat down with
Dylan to record his 3-minute story on the Canadian wild food trade and to hear
more about the Canadian wild food industry and how it works. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">I confess, I had never heard of ‘wild food’
before. I have bought corn by the side of the road, purchased baskets of blueberries
from kids emerging from the forest with blue stained fingertips and grubby
clothes, and gawked at the price of fiddleheads during their short season at
the grocery store. But the fact that there is an entire industry and movement
surrounding the production of food that is ‘more organic than organic’ had
never really occurred to me. I was not aware that foraged mushrooms from
Canadian forests were being exported to places as far away as Japan. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Over the hour I spent with Dylan, we talked
about the pickers and producers of the wild food industry, perceptions of wild
food in popular media, and the global impact that wild food is having on the
way we think about where our food comes from. Dylan spoke eloquently about some
of the obstacles wild food producers are facing, from environmental pressures
to economic ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can listen to the
full audio here on the blog, and please watch Dylan’s 3 minute story, “A
Treasure Trove in the Canadian Wilderness” – its pure poetry and some great
story telling. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">To hear my chat with Dylan, you can check out the audio file from this link!<br /><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26419393/Dylan%20Gordon%20on%20Wild%20Food.m4a">Dylan Gordon on Wild Food</a> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-12462645462779777792013-11-15T15:47:00.002-08:002013-11-15T15:47:41.510-08:00Futures of Anthropology Panel<br />
So, how do I..... Find a job? Get into grad school? Get work postgrad?<br />
<br />
Today I was at the Futures of Anthropology event! The panel included a number of grads and post-grad members of the Anthropology Department speaking about their experiences in the job world, both inside and outside the world of academia. Speakers from all areas of anthropology had come to talk about their experiences in the job market. It was then that I realised - I have no idea how to get a job in the field of Anthropology - no clue where to look, where to start - even what kinds of jobs are out there. So, over the next few weeks I'm going to try to find out. I'll be combing the resources here at U of T, looking to compile them into a series of handy guides - How to apply to grad school, how to find a job if you're an undergraduate, and how to find a job in a grad or post-grad position. On that note - <b>If anyone knows of a resource or wants to submit a website, give an interview, or offer advice - please contact me! </b>It would be great to turn this into a place where we can all come to offer our perspectives on what to do with our anthropology degrees.<br />
<br />
What did I learn at the Futures of Anthropology discussion, you may ask? Well, a lot.<br />
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To start with, the job market might not be as bleak as it sometimes seems. According to the US Department of Labour, jobs in fields such as Anthropology and Archaeology are going to increase between 22 and 28 percent over the next few years.<br />
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So what are some of the options available? One of the more common ones is Cultural Resource Management (CRM). In Canada every development needs salvage archaeology done before building can go ahead - in order to preserve the past. Yes, there are ethical issues - developers want to develop, and it isn't necessarily the hallowed theoretical process we are all trained towards in university. There's also the divide between academia and contract archaeology, though hopefully that will narrow in future years. We have to realise that all archaeologists are equal, no matter what work they do - we are all looking for our origins.<br />
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Work for anthropologists can come from a variety of sources - health systems, intervention and community outreach, lab work, etc. Where you work is usually less important than the skills you use in the pursuit of Anthropology. Sometimes its more a matter of presenting oneself. Anthropologists have a great skill set that can be used in many capacities. Interpersonal skills through interviewing and ethnographic work, data collection, collation, and interpretation, critical thinking and analysis - these are all part of an Anthropologists toolkit. It might just be a matter of brushing up one's resume!<br />
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So maybe its not hopeless! Here I'll try my best to find the resources that are going to help us all find gainful employment, if only so we can keep doing what we love!<br />
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Keep reading,<br />
j.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-750928852774213192013-11-11T19:19:00.002-08:002014-09-11T13:37:56.366-07:00'Are Tattoos, Piercings and other Body Modifications Natural?' - MA/MSc Candidate Daniel Dick speaks at Got anthropology U of TOn October 23, Daniel Dick (Ma MSc Candidate) gave an exciting presentation for the first Got Anthropology? event at U of T. Got Anthropology? is a speaker series with the goal of bringing anthropological research to the greater community here at U of T. They will select speakers representing different facets of anthropology to give talks on the 2nd last Wednesday of select months from October to April, making anthropology more accessible!<br />
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The subject of Daniel's talk was the many body modifications found in human society, both today and in the archaeological record. His presentation was structured around several key questions: Are body modifications natural? How diverse are they? What are body modifications? How old are they? Where do they come from? and finally, what do they mean?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioO0xY-wcD5jsV730rGws127sTjVgX8-d47G5_Zjzus9gADhE3ZiPgkIfiQwlD1CF3sXLJuwaLxxXFKUzYuiqy0QszNho8GM2V0b7p4o6B56XuVfXxXkH0lkuflpl1T9MF7w5CzHEu1VTL/s1600/scarification-arm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioO0xY-wcD5jsV730rGws127sTjVgX8-d47G5_Zjzus9gADhE3ZiPgkIfiQwlD1CF3sXLJuwaLxxXFKUzYuiqy0QszNho8GM2V0b7p4o6B56XuVfXxXkH0lkuflpl1T9MF7w5CzHEu1VTL/s1600/scarification-arm.jpg" height="179" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarification<br />
via janeenscharms.com</td></tr>
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Throughout the course of the evening Daniel discussed piercings, tattoos, scarification, sub dermal implants, and extreme cases of body modification. Personally, I was enthralled. Beyond having simple ear lobe piercings, I have never considered alternate forms of body modification. However, I do know friends with elaborate piercings or personal tattoos. Sometimes its fun to fantasize about what kind of tattoo or piercing I would get - where would I put it? What would it be of? What part of my life would it represent? The anthropological significance is even more fascinating - Daniel brought issues of cultural appropriation to the forefront of his discussion, questioning whether or not the blending of traditional and religious styles of body modification that have great significance with mainstream culture is acceptable or not. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZBOZfztyh4Iw-JHqfdiB1t8_seNf5EpnpHWxR4fzwNrQz_K1g94Tx_5o115yA_c3gOdDX8ixn8-4B9GKzibezdTGbvdi2Z9uM-4AjFSzdLZS6rK7jDM8XENjWDhULPM46BnLuyuTVVIM/s1600/ice-maiden-tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZBOZfztyh4Iw-JHqfdiB1t8_seNf5EpnpHWxR4fzwNrQz_K1g94Tx_5o115yA_c3gOdDX8ixn8-4B9GKzibezdTGbvdi2Z9uM-4AjFSzdLZS6rK7jDM8XENjWDhULPM46BnLuyuTVVIM/s1600/ice-maiden-tattoo.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pazyryk Ice Maiden<br />
via elizabethtwist.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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<u><b>Some Interesting Facts About Body Modification:</b></u><br />
<ul>
<li>Bone, stone, glass, ivory, ceramic, and metal can all be used for piercings</li>
<li>The oldies piercings date to 2500 BC and were found at the ancient site of Ur, near modern day Iraq</li>
<li>Piercings show up in the archaeological record via their placement - if a metal ring lies next to the head of skeletal remains, there is a good chance it represents a pierced ear</li>
<li>The modern tattoo pen was invented by Thomas Edison, while he was creating the Electric Pen</li>
<li>The most famous example of ancient tattooing comes from the Pazyryck mummies found in Siberia. One of the most famous, the Ice Maiden, has tattoos dating from 2600 years ago.</li>
<li>The <i>Irezumi</i> tattoo style is traditionally Japanese, and has become so associated with the Yakuza that many places of business ban customers with tattoos</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hakuna Matata"<br />
via fosterrachel.tumblr.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<li>The tattoo commonly referred to as the symbol for 'Hakuna Matata' from Disney's The Lion King actually doesn't mean hakuna matata - Swahili is written in the Latin alphabet, like English. The symbol comes from the Korean comedy movie, <b>200 Pounds Beauty</b>. </li>
</ul>
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<br />
<br />
Well - that's all for me today. Check back soon for our next post! I've included a link to the Go anthropology? Facebook page below!<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Gotanthropology?fref=ts">got anthropology?</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-47618536455823884482013-10-28T09:46:00.000-07:002013-10-28T13:07:08.266-07:00The Many Lives of Mina Primavera with Prof. Hendrik Van Gijseghem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On October 18th, I had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Hendrik Van Gijseghem (University of Montreal) about his work at Mina Primavera, a prehispanic hematite mine in the Nasca Region of Peru. His work focuses on the multiple lives of the mine and the changing relationship between the space and the people who used it. During his colloquium talk he explored the shifting nature of the use of the mine, beginning with its natural state as a geological formation, through its transition as a place of economic and symbolic importance, finishing as an important place of worship. He also spoke about its use in colonial times, as a storage place for tools and explosives. The Professor highlighted many interesting and beautiful artifacts during his talk, touching briefly on the Nasca Geoglyphs, the spirituality of humans and non-human entities in Andean mining, and the possible reasons Nasca people would have used the raw materials found at Mina Primavera. <br />
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In our interview he touches on his love for anthropology and archaeology, the thrill of excavation, and offers some advice for young academics - not something you want to miss!<br />
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Look for my next post on the Got Anthropology series, where MA/ MSc candidate <span class="timelineUnitContainer"></span>Daniel Dick spoke on the topic of <b>"Are Tattoos, Piercings, and other Body Modifications Natural?"</b><br />
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<b><u>Important Dates:</u></b><br />
<u>November 1: </u><span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">Prof. Tanya Luhrmann (Stanford University) - Anthropology Colloquium Series</span></span><br />
<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><u>November 20:</u> MA Candidate Jess Davidson speaks on "Is it really possible to be an 'ethical' consumer?" - Got Anthropology at U of T</span></span><br />
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">Check out our Facebook and Twitter feed for more!<br /> <span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></span><b> </b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-12783134185071686492013-10-11T09:55:00.001-07:002013-10-11T09:55:38.358-07:00Professor Rebecca Stein at UofT Anthropology: Viral Occupation - Social Media and Military Rule in Israel/Palestine
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXGIUIJFXV5Svplp9Vxv7vl1yaXMX2XV3US4ge3_Z4BrC4MdZE7zX8yIXasxLMU8XhWCZaKypQIv4HABocBRw1Dj6APWLLy-zRFFwOd0bNltje6m1djdikrjTvJJIGjcRBAwP0etBu8ti/s1600/DSC_0177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXGIUIJFXV5Svplp9Vxv7vl1yaXMX2XV3US4ge3_Z4BrC4MdZE7zX8yIXasxLMU8XhWCZaKypQIv4HABocBRw1Dj6APWLLy-zRFFwOd0bNltje6m1djdikrjTvJJIGjcRBAwP0etBu8ti/s320/DSC_0177.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prof. Rebecca Stein speaks at the UofT Anthropology Dept.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-CA">On Friday, October 4<sup>th</sup>,
Professor Rebecca Stein of Duke University came to the Anthropology Department
to take part in our Anthropology Colloquium Series to speak about her work in
the field of cultural anthropology. Prof. Stein spoke eloquently about her
research in Israel/Palestine relations, and how social media is intimately
linked to military rule and political identity in the region. Her presentation
focused on the way new video recording technologies can empower any individual
to produce and share footage that can be used for public relations purposes, by
both state combatants and insurgents. She placed particular emphasis on the
concept of ‘virality’, and how web media such as YouTube, Vine and Instagram
enable the viewing public to become infatuated with everything from cats
playing the piano to suspect violations of human rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Professor Stein’s talk shed a fascinating
light on an area that is often ignored by serious fields of academic study.
Popular Internet media is often dismissed when compared to so called reputable
news sources such as CNN and BBC, and Professor Stein is examining just how
these new sources of information will come to shape the way we perceive popular
news subjects – particularly controversial conflicts. I look forward to reading
her two new books – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When Instagram Goes
To War: Social Media, Digital Militarism and Israel’s Occupation </i>(co-authored
with Adi Kuntsman, forthcoming from Stanford University Press) and, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Viral Occupation: New Media and Israeli
Military Rule </i>(in progress) and I would suggest anyone interested in the
dynamics of that region check it out as well!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127645493766449824.post-26501463516155330042013-10-11T09:52:00.000-07:002013-10-11T09:52:20.140-07:00WelcomeWelcome to Inside Anthropology.<br />
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I should start by introducing myself. My name is Jenn, I'm a third year student in the Anthropology Department here at U of T, and I'll be working in the Department this semester as the student social media co-ordinator. Yes, I'm the one who updates our Twitter feed (follow us! @UofT_Anthro). A little about me: I have minors in general anthropology and archaeology, though biological anthropology is my primary interest. We'll see where I go after finishing my undergraduate degree, though I'm interested in pursuing either law school or grad work. I've had the privilege of traveling to many places in the world to observe many different cultures, something I believe has made me a better person, and a better anthropologist. My hobbies include photography, reading, working out at Hart House, and hanging out at various museums around Toronto. I hope to bring you interesting insights about anthropology here at the university.<br />
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But this blog is about more than that. Our goal is to reach out to the community and offer information about what's going on in the department. Here you'll find profiles of professors, department staff, and students. You'll also find information about interesting events that are happening in the Anthropology department. Maybe even some posts about neat stuff happening in the world of anthropology itself. If you have an Anthropology event you want to promote, know someone doing something interesting in the field, or just feel like writing us, you can email UofTAnthropology@gmail.com . We'll get back to you as soon as we can! <br />
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I will try to post several times a week - we have a lot going on that everyone should know about! There are so many people doing fantastic research, and our department is hosting many events that students and professors alike should take advantage of. Anthropology is present in everything, and my goal is to make it all a little more accessible. So keep on reading!<br />
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Yours in print,<br />
JennUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0