Grinnell College

Anthropology Newsletter

Fall 1998

Summer Archaeological Field School

During the past summer, Kathy Kamp and I continued our field school program with excavations at the Bench Pueblo, NA 16, which is a part of the complex of sites at New Caves, near Flagstaff Arizona, where the last two field schools also worked. The Bench Pueblo is only half-way up the mountain, so the climb, while good excercise, was not as arduous as in past years. On a terrace overlooking the open flat of Doney Park, and with views of the San Francisco Peaks and much of their ancient territory, the Sinagua built two pueblo room blocks (3 and 9 rooms), and several pithouses and other structures. With 10 students, our daughter April, and three of her high school friends, we excavated parts of 5 rooms. Rooms 1 and 6 were large deep masonry-lined pithouses attached to the room blocks, possibly serving as ceremonial rooms, or kivas. Rooms 11 and 12 were basalt masonry structures in the larger roomblock. They had been partly disturbed by looters, but had a series of floors with features, and considerable trash. The pottery from these rooms confirmed our suspicion that the site dated to the later 1200s, a time when the Sinagua population was abandoning small villages and gathering in larger communities like New Caves before abandoning the Flagstaff region around 1300. The final structure excavated, Room 21, was an enigmatic shallow basin surrounded by rocks, probably a brush shelter. Field trips this summer included a visit to southeastern Utah, where Jon Till '89 led us on a couple of hikes, and we endured a soaking downpour and wet night in the van at Betatakin, and a visit to sites on the Kaibab National Forest led by Neil Weintraub '86, who is an archaeologist for the Forest.

The team on a typically windy day at the site: Left to Right, Front: Dani Long, Leslie Kadish, "Juice" Longhurst, Sally Graver. Middle: John Whittaker, Kathy Kamp, April Kamp-Whittaker, Laura Graham, Misty Huacja, Erin Williams, Nathan Gingerich, Gregg Lind. Back: Suzi Carroll, Ben Jones, Nora Stick, Graham Gelling.

SPORTS PAGE

The Grinnell College Atlatl Team returned to the ancient site of Cahokia, near St Louis to compete with some 30 other spear-throwing enthusiasts. (Atlatls are essentially sticks with a hook on the end. They add leverage to the arm and can be used to cast a light spear much farther and harder than an unassisted javelin. They were used all over the world before the bow and arrow.) Of the dozen students who made atlatls and practiced with them this fall, only three were able to come to Cahokia, but they performed nobly. Courtney Birkett bettered her scores and appears to have retained her title as the highest scoring American woman in both the International Standard Accuracy Competition, and the European style tournament. "Coach" Whittaker came in third overall in the European tournament. Participation in this eccentric but growing sport gives us a taste of an ancient technology, its capabilities and difficulties, as well as introducing us to many fascinating people with shared interests in prehistoric skills of all kinds.

T-shirts designed by Dani Long were much admired. Departmental athletic supporters canobtain these coveted shirts from John Whittaker for only $12. Turquoise blue, L or XL.

Jaimi Schiff throwing atlatl.

Left to Right: courtney Birkett, Nick (mascot), Jody LaPoint, Jami Schiff, John Whittaker

Faculty News/Publications

Caulkins, Douglas and Elaine S. Weiner, "Finding a Work Culture that Fits: Egalitarian Manufacturing Firms in MidWales." Anthropology of Work Review. Volume XIX, No.1; Fall 1998

Caulkins, Douglas and Elaine S. Weiner "An Entrepreneurial Culture for Wales? The Role of Menter a Busnes in Culture Change." In Michael Thompson (ed.) Proceedings of Third Annual Conference on Welsh Studies, Rio Grande, Ohio, June 27. 1998

Forthcoming: Caulkins, Douglas and Elaine Weiner, "Enterprise and Resistance in the Celtic Fringe: High Growth, Low Growth and No Growth Firms," for Selected Papers of the International Society for the Study of Marginal Regions, Reginald Byron and Stuart Black, editors. 1999

Caulkins, Douglas and Susan B. Hyatt, "Measuring Cultural Consensus and Diversity in Organizations and Networks." Center for Leadership and Management, (University of Bergen & Bergen School of Management) Paper Series 9733. 32 pages. 1998

Forthcoming: Caulkins, Douglas and Susan B. Hyatt, "Using Consensus Analysis to Measure Cultural Diversity in Organizations and Social Movements." Accepted with revisions for Cultural Anthropology Methods 1999

Caulkins, Douglas, "Consensus analysis: Do Scottish business advisers agree on models of success?" In Victor DeMunck and Lisa Sobo, editors, Using Methods in the Field: A Practical Introduction and Case Book. Walnut Creek(CA): Altamira Press (175-195). 1998

Caulkins, Douglas, Review of The Culture of Labourism: The East End Between the Wars, by John Marriott. Anthropology of Work Review, XVIII, 4 (44-45).1998

Forthcoming: Douglas Caulkins, "Is Mary Douglas's Grid /Group Analysis Useful for Cross-Cultural Research? "Accepted with revisions, Cross-Cultural Research, 1999

Additional scholarly projects underway by Douglas Caulkins include an essay on Norwegian national culture for a new Encyclopedia of National Cultures, to be published on CD by Macmillan and the Human Relations Area Files, and a collection of biographies of Welsh-Americans for a new ethnic studies reference book.

Kamp, Kathy and John Whittaker 1999 Surviving Adversity: The Sinagua of Lizard Man Village. University of Utah Press. Accepted for publication, as #121 in University of Utah Anthropological Papers Series, projected publication date January 1999.

Whittaker, John and Michael Stafford, 1999 Replicas, Fakes, and Art: The Twentieth Century Stone Age and its Effects on Archaeology. American Antiquity in press.

Whittaker, John, 1998 The Meanings of Atlatls? Robert Hall's Archaeology of the Soul. The Atlatl 11(2):2-3.

Whittaker, John, Douglas Caulkins, and Kathy Kamp, 1998 Evaluating Consistency in Archaeological Typology and Classification. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory5(2):129-164.

Whittaker, John, Kathy Kamp, and Barritt Brenton, 1998 Corn Storage in Simple Pits. Paper presented at Seventy- fifth Annual Meeting, Central States Anthropological Association, Kansas City, MO, April 4, 1998.

Kamp, Kathryn A., Nicole Timmerman, Greg Lind, Jules Greybill, and Ian Natowsky, 1999 Discovering Childhood: Using Fingerprints to Find Children in the Archaeological Record. American Antiquity, in press.

Kamp, Kathryn, 1998 Social Hierarchy and Burial Treatments: A Comparative Assessment. Cross-Cultural Research 32(1): 79-115.

Kamp, Kathryn, 1998 Review of Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest. American Antiquity 63:504-506.

Coralynn Davis, Instructor in Gender and Women's Studies and Anthropology, is on a panel called Women's Work and the Global Economy in South Asia, presenting a paper entitled, "Feminist Tourists and Developing Women: a Transnational Transformation of Women's Development in Nepal." Coralynn also published a piece in Michigan Feminist Studies, called, "The Politics of Purchasing Power: Feminist Tourism and Women's Development in Nepal."

Janelle Taylor, Instructor in Anthropology, spent the first three weeks of the summer participating in a University of Iowa Bridging Project in International Studies [a sort of intensive, interdisciplinary, interinstitutional faculty study group] on the topic of "Gift and Exchange in Contemporary Critical Studies." Three weeks of interesting readings and spirited arguments about "gift" versus "commodity." Janelle also had an essay entitled, "An All-Consuming Experience: Obstetrical Ultrasound and the Commodification of Pregnancy" accepted for publication in Feminist Studies.

Jon Andelson attended the 25th Annual Communal Studies Association Conference in Zoar, Ohio, in early October, and presented a paper titled, "Raising Inspirationists: Child-Rearing and Child-Losing in Communal Era Amana." In it he applied elements of social reproduction theory to child-rearing practices in Amana, arguing that the child socialization that occurred in Amana churches, schools, and homes did not instill communal (i.e. common property economic system) values to a significant extent. Child rearing emphasized instead training in religious values and general community values. This helps to explain the high apostasy rates from the Amana group beginning in the 1880s and the reorganization of the community in 1932. The reorganization resulted in discontinuing the communal system while maintaining strong religious and community bonds.

Gautam Ghosh has edited a Special Issue of Social Analysis (Adelaide/Manchester/Toronto) entitled "Partition, Unification, Nation: Imagined Moral Communities in Modernity." He has contributed the Introduction and an article as well. The issue, based on a panel he organized for the American Ethnological Society meetings, includes papers on Ireland, India, Palestine, Korea and Macedonia. Participants in the panel and the publication include faculty members from Chicago, Cornell, George Washington, Harvard, Louisville and Wales. In addition, he presented a paper at U. of Iowa last spring and was a discussant at the "Global Theory and the Future of Area Studies" conference there this fall. A "Response" by him -- on issues of postmodernism and multiculturalism -- was published in the autumn Applied Anthropology newsletter.

RESPONSE TO DOUG CAULKINS' ARTICLE

IN SPRING 1998 NEWSLETTER

Although it's taken me awhile, I'm responding to your article, "Are Grinnell's Values Anti- Business?" in the Anthro. Newsletter. I happen to work at an organization called Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility), which is a non-profit trade organization of over 300 businesses, individuals, and organizations. I can't imagine a better illustration of your point that business' and Grinnell's values are not necessarily in opposition.

Most of the businesses that belong to VBSR are located in Vermont, are small, and have some sort of vision of using their business to improve the situation in Vermont. This could be in the lives of their employees, in the gorgeous environment in which we live here in Vermont, and/or in the communities the businesses are located. VBSR's mission statement is "To foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes the opportunity and the responsibility of the business community to set high standards for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of our citizens."

Most of the businesses that belong to VBSR and take part in our programs you've probably never heard of and most likely won't hear about, but there are a few larger ones such as Ben & Jerry's, Seventh Generation, Burton Snowboards, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Vermont

Pure, and Cabot Creamery that you may know of. The culture of Vermont seems to be ripe for what we call the ability to consider the "dual bottom line," the fiscal bottom line and the natural and human impact. Even though Vermont is one of the smallest U.S. states in terms of population, VBSR has more members than any other statewide socially responsible business group in the U.S. & predates the national organization, Business for Social Responsibility, whose headquarters

are located in San Francisco (and which I believe employs another Grinnell grad).

What we try to do for businesses is 1) provide networking opportunities so that socially responsible businesses can learn from each other & support each other financially, 2) provide educational programs, and 3) lobby our state legislature on sustainable and responsible development and employment policies. Often our public policy stances are counterintuitive to what people expect from the business world. As you can probably imagine, this is fun!

If you or anyone else wants more information about VBSR or is interested in continuing this dialogue, let me know. The various methods of contacting me are listed below.

Lisa Bedinger '90

P.S. If anyone responds via e-mail, please put my name in the subject line as we all share the same address. Thank you.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility

30 Community Drive

South Burlington, VT 05401

802/862-8347 phone

802/863-1535 fax

VBSR@altogether.net

PRIMATOLOGICAL PERILS

by Vicki Bentley-Condit

I knew when I first embarked on the road to becoming a primatologist that I would have to face various discomforts, and perhaps even dangers, along the way. I knew, for example, that there would be times when I would be physically uncomfortable working in East Africa. I didn't realize that, at one point, I'd have to travel sitting in the back of a pickup truck for miles and receive bruises in places I never expected. I knew that there were various biting and stinging insects. I never dreamed that my tent would be invaded periodically by foraging siafu (carnivorous army ants) and that they would force me to quickly evacuate. I knew that there were various predators and "things that go bump in the night" on the African savannah. I never imagined that I would see a lioness grab one of the members of my baboon troop within a few feet of where I was standing or that hippos would graze (and grunt) next to my tent in the middle of the night. However, these trials and tribulations are all part of "doing fieldwork" and merely variations on a theme experienced by most anthropologists.

However, I thought when I began research with a captive baboon colony in Texas that things would be different. After all, there would be no major predators with which to contend, no hippos, no siafu, and no rides in the back of trucks. Of course, there would be discomfort. After all, I'm working inside a steel-walled, 6-acre corral in the south Texas heat with a population of over 500 baboons. It's much like working in a giant rock-strewn litter box. As well, there's always some danger when I'm in the midst of 60-70 adult male olive baboons -- each of which weighs more than me, is significantly stronger than me, and has approximately 2-inch canines. However, I quickly acclimate to the heat and the smell and I know how to deal with male primates. There was one danger, though, which I didn't expect. South Texas juvenile baboons pack weapons! I had just entered the corral one morning when, as on every other morning, many of the juveniles came running up to the door where I entered. They were always intrigued by my presence and, at any point during the day, several would be trailing me around the corral. This particular

day was strangely different. As I gazed out over the sea of baboon faces watching my every move, I noticed that one juvenile had something in its mouth. At first, I thought little of it. Juvenile baboons, like human children, love to play and treat anything in their environment as a toy. They carry around sticks, balls, pieces of wire broken off their climbers, anything they can find. As this particular juvenile ran towards me, I saw that this time it was different. The juvenile was clutching a large metal butcher knife between its teeth! Given a costume and an eye-patch, it would have looked much like a pirate from an old movie. This was truly a first. I've been threatened by baboons, hit by baboons, and had them drop various excretions on me. Never, though, have I had a baboon approach me with a weapon! (Of course, the one day I'm not carrying a camera something truly unique occurs...) Luckily for me, juvenile baboons really aren't swash-bucklers and have short attention spans. The knife was eventually dropped and I was able to remove it from the corral. I later discovered that when a technician had thrown a crate of fruit into the corral from the observation platform he had inadvertently thrown his knife as well. So, this story has a happy ending. No one was hurt and the baboon was successfully disarmed. It only goes to show, though, how varied are the perils of primatology.

Student/Alumni News

Laurie Kauffman, 99

Last summer, with the help of an Environmental Studies Grant from Grinnell, I spent two months at Jardin Gaia wildlife rescue center in Quepos, Costa Rica. The center rehabilitates and re-releases birds and monkeys that were once pets. They also give medical care to wild animals that are injured. The wild animals are then released as quickly as possible and as close as possible to where they were found. The main focus, though, is on the rehabilitation of former pets and on education on the unsuitability of wild animals as pets. I began every day (except my one day off a week) at 7:00 when I went out with the volunteers and started cleaning the cages of the animals awaiting release. After the cages were clean, we fed the animals, and then we had breakfast. Depending on the number of volunteers, the morning routine took about 2 hours. My activities for the rest of the day varied. I helped give tours of the facility, assisted in the vet clinic, repaired and built cages, and did anything else that needed to be done. I also worked on my special project which was acclimating two infant monkeys, a spider and a howler, to being outdoors in trees. I put them out in a tree each day and then watched them to keep track of their progress and make sure they did not get into trouble. Both improved immensely from being terrified to be in a tree alone to exploring and climbing independently. My experience really solidified my interest in primate rehabilitation and also taught me a lot about how to be independent, self sufficient, and work without a lot of resources. I also will never forget the first hand experience I gained with many animals not found in the U.S.

Sara Meinhard, '98, received an alumni service award from Grinnell College. She was honored for her scholarhip as a student and her leadership in campus activist organizations such as GEAR and FEARLESS.

Joel Robbins, '83, has joined the anthropology faculty at University of California, San Diego.

Richard Grinker '83, received an alumni achievement award from Grinnell College. He is Associate Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University, and the author of Korea and its Futures: Unification and the Unfinished War (St. Martins, 1998). Although forty years have passed since the Korean conflict, north and south Korea remain technically at war. Grinker argues that a fundamental obstacle to peace on the peninsula is that South Korea has become a nation in which identities are defined largely in opposition to North Korea. Thus, in spite of its status as a sacred goal for all Koreans, the idea of unification threatens the worlds of South Koreans. Through a detailed empirical investigation, Grinker explores issues the broader theoretical issues of unity and diversity in society. His other books include Perspectives on Africa : A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation (Blackwell 1996) and Houses in the Rainforest (Berkeley 1994).

Malcolm Sturgis '00, interned with the Office of the State Archaeologist in Iowa City, performing a variety of activities involved in cultural resource management. He was able to work in field, laboratory, and administrative settings. This work included projects such as the processing and cataloging of artifacts, analysis of cut marks on human bones, and the integration of Global Positioning System technology into the OSAs mapping procedures.

Courtney Birkett '99, spent five weeks in June and July doing an archaeology internship at the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home in Tennessee. She excavated in and around some of the slave cabins and explained what they were doing over and over to about ten thousand tourists, including a biology professor from Grinnell College. She found a lot of artifacts, which was fun. Some of them could be connected to the slaves who had lived there, like blue beads and a pierced coin that would have been worn as a charm. Others, like a bathtub-shaped object the size of a gravy boat, were more mysterious. Even though she suffered from extreme temperatures and from violent storms, it was a fun summer and good experience.

Mike Neeley '82, began a one-year visiting assistant professor position at Montana State University, Bozeman.

Mike Galaty '91, is beginning a temporary position in the Department of Anthropology at Mississippi State University.

Jay Stevenson '83, is the author of 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Philosophy".

Dan W. Figgins '62, taught a course about "Global Environmental Politics" at North Carolina State University this spring. He works for the Tri-county Community Health Center, Dunn, N.C., and is the Raleigh Historical Districts Commissioner.

David D. Herren '79, conducted a workshop for foreign language faculty at Grinnell College, November 7 - 12, 1997, as part of his Andrew W. Mellon Grant on language and technology.

Julie M. Luner '82, is an occupational therapist for Nov Care, Peoria, Ill.

Sharon F. McKee '82, is an associate at Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, a Philadelphia law firm.

Brian Ross '82, is an energy policy and economic development consultant in a small urban planning consulting firm. He lives in Minneapolis.

Jennifer M. Nugent '89, is media supervisor for NKH&W, Inc., Kansas City, MO.

Thomas J. Klouda '91, is legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, handling business, tax, energy, and social security policy.

Jeremy S. Alexander '94, was an intern in the political affairs department of the White House from January 7 - May 8, 1998.

Jodine Perkins '96, is a historical interpreter/guide at the Oliver Kelley Farm, a Minnesota Historical Society site north of Minneapolis.

Bruce Emond '91, is an editor at 'The Jarkarta Post" in the riot-torn capital of Indonesia, which he has called home the last six years.

Amy Naughton '90, received an M.L.S. in May 1998 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Joel Robbins '83, has received a tenure track position at UC-San Diego.

Karie Wiltshire '99, who was struck by a car while on the ACM Costa Rica program last spring, is recovering well and expects to return to Grinnell next semester.

Steve Hingtgen '88, is a Progressive Party candidate for Vermont's House of Representatives. "We are part of a progressive, independent grassroots movement dedicated to fighting for economic and social justice for low-income and working people" as an alternative to Democrats and Republicans "who are tripping over each other to pander to corporations and special-interest lobbys." Steve ran for this seat two years ago and nearly unseated the incumbent, who is not running this time. He could use financial and moral support for his campaign!