Stuff I've Written
Here are the some of the papers I've written while taking anthropology classes. All of them are available in both HTML and PDF format.
Human Evolution
Bipedal Adaptations of the Hominid Pelvis (2006)
Of all the traits that make us human, none can argue the importance of bipedal posture and gait. There are several features of the hominid skeleton that support bipedalism, but the changes in the pelvis are the most interesting (to me).
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the American Southwest
Mogollon Snowbirds (1996)
Mitchell Springs in Context (1996)
Around 800 CE, people we call the Mogollon spent their summers in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, but where did they go when it got cold? A survey of dozens of site reports reveals some clues.
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The Mitchell Springs Complex, a continuously-occupied community from Basketmaker to Pueblo III, is now the home of Glendale College's summer field school. I was fortunate to attend in 1996, and this paper was my final assignment.
HTML PDFTewa Origin Myth (2005)
The Tewa of San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico have a detailed origin myth which serves as a framework for Tewa religious and political systems.
HTML PDFTrans-local effects on a 19th-century Mexican Village (2005)
The lives of the residents of a small agrarian village were changed forever by cultural, economic, and political changes originating outside their community.
HTML PDFNavajo-Hopi Land Disputes (2005)
Since the beginning of recorded history, Navajo and Hopi have been living in proximity to one another in northeastern Arizona, and for nearly all of the 19th and 20th centuries, they have been at odds over land use issues. This paper describes what led to the two major disputes between them, as well as the resolutions to date.
HTML PDFDiabetes Epidemic in Native Americans (2005)
The "Thrifty Genotype" explanation for the Type 2 Diabetes epidemic among Native Americans makes sense, but geneticists can't seem to find the gene. I examine three competing models for the origins of Type 2 Diabetes in high-prevalence populations.
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Other Cultures of the World
The Grand Valley Dani (2004)
A stone-age culture thrived in the western highlands of New Guinea for hundreds of years. Then the westerners came. Within a few decades, their culture was changed forever.
HTML PDFThe Council of Nicea: Promoting Jesus from Man to God? (2004)
Recent popular books would have readers believe that 4th Century Roman Emperor Constantine decided to redefine the mortal Jesus as a God to solidify Christianity's power base. This requires a closer look.
HTML PDFKinship Among the Dobe Ju/hoansi (2005)
The Dobe Ju/hoansi, a community of !Kung in southern Africa, have three different systems for identifying how people are related to each other, and they often are in conflict.
HTML PDFComparing the Tiwi to the Dobe Ju/hoansi (2005)
Both the Dobe Ju/'hoansi of southern Africa and the Tiwi of northern Australia were hunter/gatherers when first encountered by western anthropologists. Even though their approach to subsistence was basically the same, that's pretty much where the similarities end.
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Here are some other writings that might be of interest.
Book Report: The DaVinci Code (2004)
I finally gave in and read this book (Okay, I actually listened to the unabridged audio book). It was a lot of fun, and I wrote a book review for credit in my ASB 214 class which tied it into my studies in comparative religion.
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