Episodes
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This is a trailer for a three part mini-series entitled "Bioarchaeology, the past, present, and future" airing on That Anthro Podcast, Wednesday May 8th.
This series will dive into the history of what was once known as physical anthropology, as well as how various events and shifts in research paradigms have led us to the field of bioarchaeology as it exists today. I will also unpack the prominent methods utilized in bioarchaeological research, and addressing some of the changes that still need to be implemented to make the field even more ethical.
In this series you won’t just hear from me, you’ll hear from some of the researchers themselves regarding their work, their vision for the future, and why bioarchaeology is an important area for continued study. Such guests include Dr. Jane Buikstra, Dr. Clark Spencer Larsen, Dr. Gwen Robbins Schug, Dr. Jessica O’Reilly, Dr. Amy Anderson, and Dr. Haagen Klaus.
Tune in May 8th to listen to all three episodes:
Episode one: Addressing the Past
Episode two: Assessing the Present
Episode three: Ensuring a Future
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Today on the podcast I interview my Master's advisor at George Mason University, Dr. Daniel Temple. Dr. Temple is an Associate Professor who studies early life stress and resilience in prehistoric hunter-gatherer populations primarily in Japan, Alaska, the Aleutian islands, and Siberia. We cover a wide range of topics including his academic journey starting with community college to where his is today at GMU. Dr. Temple received his PhD from The Ohio State University where he worked with Dr. Clark Spencer Larsen. His dissertation was a large scale study of the consequences of the agriculture transition in prehistoric Japan to gain a comprehensive understanding of the response to agriculture in the region. We touch on his previous positions as a Professor, getting his master's degree in England, how he met Dr. Haagen Klaus, and his experience working with Don Ortner at the Smithsonian. Additionally, he explains the goals of an ongoing international and interdisciplinary project focused on producing high resolution life histories of hunter gatherers in the Eurasia region from 8,000-4,000 years ago, called the Baikal Archaeology Project https://baikalproject.artsrn.ualberta.ca/. We end our discussion by talking about where he sees the need for change in bioarchaeology and the importance of public facing anthropology.
If you would like to contact Dr. Temple about the graduate program at GMU please do so via the email listed on the department website linked here https://soan.gmu.edu/people/dtemple3
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629
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Missing episodes?
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In this episode I interview my friend, classmate, and housemate Gréta Kühne. Gréta is originally from Budapest, Hungary and moved to the United States 2018 to attend the University of Idaho where she was a part of the track and field team. We talk about how she decided to major in anthropology and how she fell in love with bioarchaeology in particular. We also dive into her experiences in graduate school so far, including the NSF funded research trip she took this summer to Peru to collect her thesis data. Gréta shares about her time in Peru both collecting data and visiting museums and archaeological sights. We also preview what our 2024 will look like as we both enter our last semester of school and work on our theses. Enjoy!
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This week Lidiia Tulenkova (@ladyanthropologist) a graduate from the University of Toronto (with a degree in Sociocultural Anthropology) joins the podcast. Lidiia moved to Canada at age 18 from St. Petersburg, Russia, and shares her experience attending University in Canada and learning English. We then discuss how she found her passion for anthropology, and how sad it is that so many people don’t know what our field encompasses. Additionally, she explains how her instagram page @ladyanthropologist started, as well as her approach to content creating and how that approach has developed over the last few years. Lidiia is passionate about visual anthropology and translating knowledge into an engaging medium that helps publicize anthropology, which she engages in on her instagram page (and now Youtube). She also shares details about her new Youtube channel and the first video she launched called “Boys Don’t Cry: Ethnography on Men’s Mental Health.” Lastly, we talk about her life and job post-grad! Check out her YouTube channel below and follow her on Instragram.
https://www.youtube.com/@ladyanthropologist. -
Today’s episode is with Dr. Kate Kolpan, an Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho, who specializes in Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology. Dr. Kolpan and I cover her approach to teaching and mentoring, and her favorite classes to teach, Modern War and Conflict and Health, Illness and Society. When discussing her approaches to teaching we discuss the value of anthropology as a tool for navigating and making sense of tragedies.
We also discuss her fascinating PhD dissertation work entitled “Science in International Memory Politics: Isotope Analysis and Identification of the Human Remains of WWII combatants in the Balkans.” She describes how the opportunity to conduct this research came about through networking at a professional conference. She also recounts traveling to Bosnia and Germany to collect data and talks about the overall experience of working with the International Commission of Missing Persons on this project. In this research she sought to determine if through isotope analysis, the country of origin of presumed Axis powers troops could be determined so that the bodies could be returned to said country. We also discuss her forensic science academy fellowship with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), and what skills she developed from this opportunity.
https://www.uidaho.edu/class/csj/people/katharine-kolpan -
Today Dr. Jacquelyn Williamson, an Associate Professor of Art and Archaeology (of the Mediterranean World) at George Mason University, joins the podcast to talk about her research in Egypt. Dr. Williamson focuses her research on issues of gender and religious power in Ancient Egypt, such as at the site of Tell el-Amarna, the site of Nefertiti’s Sun Temple. Dr. Williamson received her BA at Sarah Lawrence in Ancient History and Art History, and her MA/PhD The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Williamson shares her deep love and scholarly fascination of Egypt in our conversation. She recounts her first visit, as well as subsequent visits to the Tell el-Amarna site, including the discovery of the Sun Temple. She also explains and helps unravel some of the mystery of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti through artistic representations of them in the temple. Dr. Williamson champions that art is an artifact, and discusses the process of interpreting the history of this Ancient Egyptian site. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.
https://historyarthistory.gmu.edu/people/jwilli98
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram for more content!
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Today Dr. Jamie Clark an Associate Professor of Archaeology at George Mason University joins That Anthro Podcast. We discuss her academic journey including her dissertation research at Sibudu Cave in South Africa. We also discuss her first teaching appointment at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and what it was like to live and teach in Alaska. Then we cover the next phase of her career teaching at GMU, including her class that I took called "Archaeology of Climate Change." Dr. Clark is an archaeologist who studies human-environmental relationships in the late Pleistocene through the lens of zooarchaeology. We also chat about her most recent project that brought her to Sefinum, Israel this summer. I hope you enjoy this episode!
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram for more content!
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Today I break down my first year of graduate school and reflect on living in Virginia and some of the important lessons I've learned as a graduate student. This isn't a traditional podcast episode, but I hope you enjoy getting to hear more from me about this year. Thank you always for the support.
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On today’s episode we have my professor, Dr. Haagen Klaus, a bioarchaeologist at George Mason University. Dr. Klaus begins this episode by sharing the other side of his life with us, military aviation. Dr. Klaus is a nationally recognized arial photographer and scale model builder, as well as an author of several books on military aircrafts. We then discuss his journey into anthropology, and how he fell in love with Peru and decided to continue his career doing research there. We cover his MA and PhD education and the various lessons he learned from this advisors.
His work in Peru includes founding the Lambayque Valley Biohistory Project. This project is a multi-decade, international, multidisciplinary, and regional field bioarchaeology program on the desert north coast of Peru. He also recounts his favorite Peruvian dishes and restaurants. We then discuss the upcoming osteoimmunology project he and a group of GMU students will be traveling to Peru this summer to work on. Dr. Klaus has led a fascinating life and I hope you enjoy his stories as much as I do!
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It is my pleasure to welcome back to the podcast a friend of the show and repeat guest, Dr. Andrew Kinkella (Professor at Moorpark Community College). Dr. Kinkella joins the podcast today to discuss his media empire, his summer work at El Pilar, as well as his experience writing an archaeology textbook, Archaeology is Awesome https://he.kendallhunt.com/product-listing?search_api_views_fulltext=&search_api_views_fulltext_1=Kinkella&search_api_views_fulltext_3=&field_product_format_field_isbn_number=&sort_by=title2&sort_order=ASC&items_per_page=10
He takes you behind the curtain of his publishing process and gives advice to anyone considering publishing their own book. We also discuss his podcast, The Pseudoarchaeology Podcast, and the impact of the Netflix show Ancient Apocalypse. He also provides great advice for any students planning to attend conferences. Lastly, we discuss the rise in CRM jobs and how it is now more important than ever to teach practical excavation skills to anthropology students. Check out Kinkella's Youtube channel and podcasts here
Pseudoarchaeology podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/1F0A0T6FFozMUTo1HBzWK3?si=9702d46585cc4e43
The CRM Archaeology Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/7IH8MJa1c80VZxjkLGQuVA?si=1c091abcd4084d66
Kinkella Teaches Archaeology
https://www.youtube.com/@KinkellaTeachesArchaeology/featured
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Welcome to the podcast, Lauren Malkoun, a senior and double major in Archaeology and Italian at the University of Southern California (USC). Lauren is an extremely accomplished undergraduate who is pursuing a graduate degree in Archaeology this fall. On this episode we discuss the origins of her love for history and other cultures and how that morphed into choosing Archaeology as her major. Her first excavation experience was actually in highschool with an ArchaeoSpain high school program in Menorca, Spain. After her first year of college she ended up going back as a mentor for the very same program, and then conducted a secondary excavation with ArchaeoSpain that summer in Pompeii. We discuss what this fieldwork entailed and her must have items for fieldwork. We also discuss the importance of archaeological curriculum in elementary and middle school education and the work she does with the Archaeological Institute of America to promote this. Lauren is currently apart of several research projects at USC including a virtual reality project revolving around a book of hours, a type of prayer book. Lastly, we touch on the amazing archaeological museums in LA (La Brea Tar Pits and The Getty Villa) and her experience as a college student in the city.Follow her on instagram @laurendigs
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Today we have Dr. Ayana Omilade Flewellen, an assistant Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University, on the podcast. Dr. Flewellen is a Black, non-binary, feminist, archaeologist, who works with collections originating from the African diaspora, and focuses on small finds and the extraordinary stories those items tell. They work at plantation archaeological sites as well as underwater sites of slave shipwrecks.
We begin by discussing their background in anthropology starting with their undergrad at the University of Florida and their first anthropology class there. From that first cultural anthropology class they were hooked, and their second class in Anthro was a class cross listed class with the African Studies department called “Archaeology of African American Life and History” taught by Dr. James Davidson. Ayana speaks about the profound impact this class on their archeological journey and the uniqueness of the subject matter that allowed Ayana to see themselves in archaeology. This class, and Dr. Davidson, would end up shaping Ayana’s subsequent career in archaeology.
Next, we discuss their first field school at Kingsley Plantation on Fort George Island, working with Dr. Davidson. We then speak about their favorite class to teach as a Professor called, A Will to Adorn: an anthropology of dress. Ayana describes this class as an ode to Zora Neal Hurston, and her piece where she described characteristics of negro expression and their “will to adorn.” Then we dive into their PhD research which examined small finds in a collection from the Levi-Jordan plantation. Ayana describes passionately the value in small finds being able to tell extraordinary stories. Lastly, we talk about their ongoing project at the Princess Plantation and the importance of community based archaeology projects.
Check out Ayana's other amazing work here:
https://www.ayanaflewellen.com/
Princess Plantation Project: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a69f20809be64ed8aef1b7329c5dbd5e
https://divingwithapurpose.org/
Check out the amazing Society of Black Archaeologists: https://www.societyofblackarchaeologists.com/
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Welcome to That Anthro Podcast Dr. Matthew Velasco, a Professor at Cornell University. On this episode we discuss how Dr. Velasco’s love for history and film led him to undergraduate and graduate degrees in Anthropology. We also discuss his experience taking his first anthropology class at Stanford and the impact Dr. John Rick’s Intro to Archaeology class had on his academic path. This includes being invited to join Dr. Ricks project at Chavin de Huantar the summer after taking that intro class. He expresses his love for Peru, the importance of community engagement, and how he has continued to conduct research there. Currently he is working on a book project regarding cranial modification in the Colca Valley in Peru, and how archaeologists can look at cranial modification within a specific community. We also take a tangent to discuss the graduate application process and he provides some very useful advice.
SAA conference info: The Bioarchaeology Interest Group (BIG) is organizing a Mentoring Event for the 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), to be held Thursday, March 30, from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m, location TBD. This free workshop will provide an opportunity for students to receive mentoring from expert bioarchaeologists of different backgrounds and career tracks. Please complete this form to register for the event. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail the BIG Co-Chairs, Sara Juengst ([email protected]) and Matt Velasco ([email protected]). We look forward to meeting you in Portland! Sign up here https://forms.gle/bgRrS6kKxdduTh3a9
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Today Griffin Fox (the archaeology cowboy) returns to That Anthro Podcast to share what he has been up to since we last talked! We cover some anthropology news segments as well! Griffin recounts his field school experience in Scotland, talks about applying to graduate school, the importance of science communication/public outreach, as well as the various groups he has joined to hopefully make a difference in the field. We spend a good deal of time talking about what it has been like for him working in CRM for the last year and some of the things in the job that could be improved. I hope you enjoy this episode!
https://www.venturacountyarchaeologicalsociety.com/
https://stirlingevents.org/tolbooth-event/dr-murray-cook/
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629
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Welcome to the podcast Dr. Murray Cook, a Scottish born archaeologist working on various projects across Scotland. He runs a top notch field school, and introduces me to the inspiration behind the program. In addition to running the field school, Murray works on both the commercial and research sides of archaeology in Scotland, and discusses his roles on both sides. We also discuss his route to PhD through publication, and the benefits and drawbacks associated with that route. One of the projects he has been working on recently is digging a tartan mill in Stirling. This leads us to touch on my Campbell family Scottish heritage and my family tartan! Most of the episode is focused on his various field sites and the really cool things he is researching. This includes a Neolithic axe polishing rock that he hypothesizes could have been a pilgrimage point for people in the area to come grind their axes. I hope you enjoy today’s episode and check out the links below for more info on Dr. Murray Cook!
https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/download/9781789699302
Archaeology Reports Online
Field school website:
Rampart Scotland – Join the Team
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629
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Today in honor of Halloween my roommate Meg Hardie joins the podcast to talk about her love of Halloween as well as her journey in anthropology. For a quick preview, Meg received her MA in Anthropology from GMU in May of 2022, and since graduating has been a contract osteologist for the Smithsonian Institution’s repatriation department. Prior to graduate school Meg worked at the UTK Body Farm and discusses her experiences there. Additionally, Meg talks about her goals for her career, her switch from forensics to bioarchaeology, as well as her graduate and undergraduate theses. Meg believes in writing in a manner that does justice to the communities one is working in as an anthropologist, and finds that her English degree benefits this writing style. This is a MUST listen to episode, because not only is Meg hilarious but also brilliant and extremely knowledgeable.
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629 -
Welcome to the podcast Dr. Sheperd Siegel, author of Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tricking-power-into-performing-acts-of-love-shepherd-siegel/1140477943). Dr. Siegel has lived many lives, including that of a musician, teacher, and anthropologist. In this episode we focus on the content and inspiration for this newest book, Tricking Power, and how he defines the archetype of the trickster. We also touch on his various inspirations and childhood idols that inspired this book and his first, Disruptive Play. Additionally, we discuss his educational journey, working in education in correctional facilities, and his time in a band. Enjoy!
https://shepherdsiegel.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Disruptive-Play-Trickster-Politics-Culture-ebook/dp/B07DNQRNW3
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629 -
Welcome to the podcast Elaine Aguayo, a masters student studying bioarchaeology at San Diego State University. In this episode, we discuss how she fell in love with anthropology, her first field experience where we met, as well as her advice for community college students looking to transfer to a four-year university. The main topic of discussion is the fieldwork she has been conducting for the last 5 months on an NSF funded project in Oaxaca Mexico, along with her advisor. She explains her experience as a Mexican-American working in Mexico, and the highlights from this excavation. We also discuss the theoretical framework of her thesis, and the general questions she and her advisor were investigating at the site. Lastly, we discuss her goals for after graduate school, with her ultimate goal being to work as a forensic anthropologist on the Mexican border.
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Welcome to the podcast Tara Panesar, a masters student at University College London. Tara graduated with her BA in Art History from Cambridge, and recently moved to London to start her journey in Anthropology graduate school. In this episode we dive into the summer field school she attended in Greece and what she took from that experience. We also discuss graduate school and what she think her thesis might revolve around. Lastly, we discuss the article she has coming out, and the brilliant insights she had on a photo journal.
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
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Today on the podcast we have two guests, Kayla Stevens, a senior Anthropology major at the College of Wooster, and Jeannette Lombardi, a first year masters student in Syracuse University's Forensic Science program. For 6 weeks this summer they were both a part of the Louise Lamphere internship hosted by the American Anthropology Association in Washington D.C. They would split their time between the AAA main office and their respective field sites. Kayla focused on interviewing participants and visitors from the Folklife Festival and identifying key themes and takeaways, while Jeannette worked at the Naval History and Heritage Command (Underwater archaeology branch) cataloging artifacts and gathering information on a potential submarine acquisition as well as a shipwreck. I loved getting to meet both of these women, and I hope you enjoy learning about their respective journeys into anthropology as well as details on their summer internship!
Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content.
Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629 - Show more
