That Anthro Podcast

Hello dear listeners! Thank you for your patience these past several months. As many of you may remember, Amy Anderson was the first ever guest on That Anthro Podcast, and she return today (4 years later) as Dr. Anderson. Amy did her PhD in Biological Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, and is currently doing post-doctorate research at the Max Planck Institute. In this episode we cover how the pandemic shaped the last few years of her PhD research, her current research, as well as her new found hobby - foraging. We discuss applying to jobs and post-docs, the role of storytelling in knowledge production, and how we've changed since the first episode came out four years ago. I hope you enjoy this episode. Follow Amy on instagram @autobiography_of_red and @hiddencityforaging

This is the third and final episode of the Bioarchaeology series. This episode tackles the question "why is bioarchaeology an important area of study?" The first part, featuring interviews with Dr. Haagen Klaus, Dr. Gwen Robbins Schug, and Dr. Jessica O'Reilly, regarding the applications of bioarchaeology to climate change research. The second part focuses on some of the changes necessary to further grow the field and better engage with the public. Finally, Dr. Jane Buikstra, Dr. Amy Anderson, and Dr. Gwen Robbins Schug, explain why they think bioarchaeology is an important area for future research. The cover art was designed and created by Jona Schlegel. Follow her on instragam @archaeoink or check out her website https://jonaschlegel.com/ References: Buikstra, J. E., DeWitte, S. N., Agarwal, S. C., Baker, B. J., Bartelink, E. J., Berger, E., … Zakrzewski, S. R. (2022). Twenty‐first century bioarchaeology: Taking stock and moving forward. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 178(S74), 54–114. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24494 De la Cova, C. (2022). Ethical Considerations for Paleopathology. In The Routledge Handbook of Paleopathology (1st ed., pp. 381-396.) Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003130994 Robbins Schug, G.. (2020). A Bioarchaeology of Climate and Environmental Change. In G. R. Schug (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of the Bioarchaeology of Climate and Environmental Change (1st ed., pp. 1–16). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351030465-1 Robbins Schug, G., Buikstra, J. E., DeWitte, S. N., Baker, B. J., Berger, E., Buzon, M. R., … Zakrzewski, S. R. (2023). Climate change, human health, and resilience in the Holocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(4), e2209472120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2209472120

This is episode two of three in the Bioarchaeology, the past, present, and future series. This episode, Assessing the Present, builds off the previous episode's discussion on the methods bioarchaeologists use, and presents some of the newer, developing methods and technologies that are shaping current research in the field. This episode also dives into some of the important ethical considerations surrounding this type of research, and specifically discusses this as it relates to Native American groups and descendants. Additionally, this episode features interviews with several bioarchaeologists: Dr. Haagen Klaus, Dr. Amy Anderson, Dr. Gwen Robbins Schug, and PhD student Meg Hardie. The cover art was designed and created by Jona Schlegel. Follow her on instragam @archaeoink or check out her website https://jonaschlegel.com/ References: Agarwal, S. C. (2024). The bioethics of skeletal anatomy collections from India. Nature Communications, 15 (1), 1692. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45738-6 Anderson, A. (2022). Skeletal indicators of early life stress: Insights into cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis in a living subsistence population. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara.  Anderson, A. S., Sutherland, M. L., O’Donnell, L., Hill, E. C., Hunt, D. R., Blackwell, A. D., & Gurven, M. D. (2021). Do computed tomography findings agree with traditional osteological examination? The case of porous cranial lesions. International Journal of Paleopathology, 33, 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.04.008 Boldsen, J. L., Milner, G. R., Konigsberg, L. W., and Wood, J. W. (2002). Transition analysis: A new method for estimating age from skeletons. In R. D. Hoppa and J. W. Vaupel (Eds.), Paleodemography (1st ed., pp. 73–106). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511542428.005 Brooks, S., and Suchey, J. M. (1990). Skeletal age determination based on the os pubis: a comparison of the Acsádi-Nemeskéri and Suchey-Brooks methods. Human Evolution, 5, 227-238. Colwell, C. (2019). Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the fight to reclaim native america's culture. University of Chicago Press. Rasmussen, M., Li, Y., Lindgreen, S. et al. (2010). Ancient human genome sequence of an extinct Palaeo-Eskimo. Nature. 463, 757–762. Robbins Schug, G., Killgrove, K., Atkin, A., & Baron, K. (2021). 3D Dead: Ethical Considerations in Digital Human Osteology. Bioarchaeology International, 4(3–4). https://doi.org/10.5744/bi.2020.3008 Schug, G. R. (2020). A Bioarchaeology of Climate and Environmental Change. In G. R. Schug (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of the Bioarchaeology of Climate and Environmental Change (1st ed., pp. 1–16). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351030465-1 Stewart, N. A., Gerlach, R. F., Gowland, R. L., Gron, K. J., & Montgomery, J. (2017). Sex determination of human remains from peptides in tooth enamel. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(52), 13649–13654.

This is the first of three episodes in the Bioarchaeology, past, present, and future series. This series answers the question "what is bioarchaeology" in an understandable yet nuanced way. This episode, Addressing the Past, covers the basics of bioarchaeology, including how it differs from archaeology, basic methods used, and the history of physical anthropology. It also includes interviews with several prominent bioarchaeologists (Dr. Jane Buikstra, Dr, Clark Larsen, and Dr. Haagen Klaus) about their take on the development of this field of study. The cover art was designed and created by Jona Schlegel, follow her on instagram @archaeoink or check out her website https://jonaschlegel.com/ Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram References: Agarwal, S. C. (2024). The bioethics of skeletal anatomy collections from India. Nature Communications, 15(1), 1692. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45738-6 Armelagos, G. J., & Cohen, M. N. (Eds.). (1984). Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture. Orlando, FL: Academic Press.  Buikstra, J. E. (1977). Biocultural dimensions of archaeological study: a regional perspective. In Biocultural adaptation in prehistoric America, pp. 67-84.  Cook, D. C. (2006). The old physical anthropology and the New World: a look at the accomplishments of an antiquated paradigm. In Buikstra, J. E., and Beck, L. A. (eds.) Bioarchaeology: The Contextual Analysis of Human Remains. Routledge.  de la Cova, C. (2022). "Ethical issues and considerations for ethically engaging with the Robert J. Terry, Hamann-Todd, and William Montague Cobb anatomical collections." In American Journal of Biological Anthropology, vol. 177, pp. 42-42. Wiley. de la Cova, C. (2020a). Making silenced voices speak: Restoring neglected and ignored identities in anatomical collections. In C. M. Cheverko,J. R. Prince-Buitenhuys, & M. Hubbe (Eds.), Theoretical Perspectives in Bioarchaeology. Routledge, pp. 150–169. de la Cova, C. (2019). Marginalized bodies and the construction of the Robert J. Terry anatomical skeletal collection: a promised land lost. In Mant, M. and Holland, A. (eds.) Bioarchaeology of Marginalized People. Orlando: Academic Press, pp. 133-155.   Larsen, C. (2015). Bioarchaeology: Interpreting Behavior from the Human Skeleton. Cambridge University Press. Morton, S. (1839). Crania Americana or a Comparative View of the Skulls of Various Aboriginal Nations of North and South America: To Which Is Prefixed an Essay on the Varieties of the Human Species; Illustrated by Seventy-Eight Plates and a Colored Map. Philadelphia: J. Dobson. Stienne, A. (2022). Mummified: The stories behind Egyptian mummies in museums, Manchester: Manchester University Press. van der Merwe NJ, Vogel JC. (1978). 13C content of human collagen as a measure of prehistoric diet in Woodland North America. Nature. 276: 815–816. Washburn, S. L. (1951). SECTION OF ANTHROPOLOGY: THE NEW PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences, 13(7 Series II), 298–304. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2164-0947.1951.tb01033.x

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

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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

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. 

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.

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

Today we have guest Dr. Joe Alcock here to tell us about his journey and life experiences as an emergency room physician and researcher in evolutionary medicine. We will begin with his undergraduate at UCSB and how I met him, then discuss how he chose medicine as his career path. Throughout the whole episode we emphasize the role of evolutionary thinking in medicine and specifically how he thinks about issues he sees in the emergency room like sepsis. He completed his MD at UCLA, and now works at the University of New Mexico as a teacher and physician. He covers why he chose emergency medicine and how he avoids burnout in such an intense job. Lastly, we spend a great deal of time talking about microbes and the microbiome's effect on immune function, his research in this area as well as his thoughts on the evolution of sepsis. His podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evolutionmedicine/id1150684245 His blog: https://evolutionmedicine.com/about-joe-alcock-author-of-this-blog/ 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