Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica

Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica presents work from both Mesoamerican-based and U.S.-based researchers who use a combination of cultural ethnohistorical, (bio)archaeological, dental, and chemical data in an interdisciplinary approach to research population history in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The goals for such a project are threefold: 1) to encourage more cross-fertilization of work between fields and subfields, in order to more appropriately address large regional questions of population history; 2) to explicitly address the theoretical and methodological challenges and rewards of interdisciplinary research; and 3) to introduce a larger audience to the state of interdisciplinary work in Mesoamerica. The volume is organized into three primary sections. First, the editors discuss the theory and methods of interdisciplinary research, with a particular focus on bioarchaeological research. Then, we present authored case studies using interdisciplinary methods to analyze the population dynamics of migration and mobility (section two) and explore reconstructions of ethnicity and social identity (section three). A concluding chapter integrates these studies and places them into a broader research framework to guide future research.

AmS-Varia ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 45-59
Author(s):  
Laura Bunse

In recent years, soapstone research has developed into a multidisciplinary field encompassing a broad range of topics and methodological approaches. Interdisciplinary research now attracts more interest and has contributed significantly to theidentification of quarries and understanding of the distribution and use of soapstone. Most collaborative projects have related to certain geographic or thematic areas. As the research on soapstone deposits in Northern Norway illustrates,interdisciplinary work can make important contributions also to other and little explored types of soapstone utilisation. In order to realise the full potential of interdisciplinary research, an expansion of the areas covered and a rethinking ofapproaches to collaboration and disciplinary compatibility are required. One problem is the use of modern scientific criteria and classification schemes to identify and interpret stone sources, as such methods do not necessarily capture all the aspects of the material that were crucial to past users and production. 


Author(s):  
Cathy Willermet ◽  
Andrea Cucina

Chapter 1, written by Cathy Willermet and Andrea Cucina, introduces the volume and its interdisciplinary approach to bioarchaeology. The volume editors encouraged a problem-oriented, rather than disciplinary, approach to showcase interdisciplinary research questions related to population history in Prehispanic Mesoamerica. Mesoamerica contains a rich and complex ethnohistorical and archaeological record from which many data sources and perspectives can be brought to bear on questions of ethnicity and past migrations. The editors asked authors to focus on questions such as: How much did people move around? How much did their cultural affiliation reflect their biological history? How were people related to one another? How did people interact with one another? How did people view themselves? The resulting volume explores these issues from cultural ethnohistorical, (bio)archaeological, biological, biogeochemical, dental morphological, iconographic, and linguistic perspectives. The editors argue that approaching past societies from an interdisciplinary lens is sometimes more difficult, but ultimately more constructive.


Author(s):  
David J. Weisberg

This chapter deals with various definitions and implementations of a case study from the literature and focuses on the utility of case study for interdisciplinary research and education. Along with beneficial aspects of case study theory, misconceptions and conflicting definitions abound and will be highlighted in order to present a clearer picture of the perceptions of case study researchers and educators and how this affects implementation. Four case studies dealing with the integration of mathematics and music are closely examined. The definitions, methodology and implementation for each are discussed and compared, to shed light on the issues outlined above. The results of the studies shed light on the implications for interdisciplinary work in the two subjects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 27-51
Author(s):  
Julia A. Jennings ◽  
Corey S. Sparks ◽  
Timothy Murtha

The North Orkney Population History Project is a multidisciplinary data collection, digitization, and analysis effort that aims to reconstruct longitudinal demographic, environmental, and economic change. We describe the motivation, methodological approach, data sources, and some initial findings of the project. Detailed contextual information about a single community allows for the joint analysis of the changing population and changing landscape. The combination of diverse data sources and disciplinary approaches has resulted in findings that would not have been possible if each source had been considered in isolation. The approach adopted by the project offers a way to examine the interaction of a population with its landscape over a period of change.


Author(s):  
Rogers Matama ◽  
Kezia H. Mkwizu

The purpose of this study was to explore the antecedents of family conflict in Uganda. A qualitative approach was used in this study. A sample size of 139 participants provided data which was subjected to content analysis. Results revealed that the core themes associated with family conflict are finances and priority of resources. Further findings show that differences in tastes and interests, selfishness and lack of communication played a key role as causes of family conflicts. The implication of this study is that finances and priority of resources are antecedents of family conflict in the context of Uganda. Therefore, the antecedents of family conflict that emerged from this study can be understood, defined and analyzed through the lens of social identity theory. Future research may include conducting quantitative studies with a particular demographic using the themes that have emerged from this study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 2691-2698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Liu

Abstract The prehistoric demography of human populations is an essential piece of information for illustrating our evolution. Despite its importance and the advancement of ancient DNA studies, our knowledge of human evolution is still limited, which is also the case for relatively recent population dynamics during and around the Holocene. Here, we inferred detailed demographic histories from 1 to 40 ka for 24 population samples using an improved model-flexible method with 36 million genome-wide noncoding CpG sites. Our results showed many population growth events that were likely due to the Neolithic Revolution (i.e., the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement). Our results help to provide a clearer picture of human prehistoric demography, confirming the significant impact of agriculture on population expansion, and provide new hypotheses and directions for future research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1351010X2098690
Author(s):  
Romana Rust ◽  
Achilleas Xydis ◽  
Kurt Heutschi ◽  
Nathanael Perraudin ◽  
Gonzalo Casas ◽  
...  

In this paper, we present a novel interdisciplinary approach to study the relationship between diffusive surface structures and their acoustic performance. Using computational design, surface structures are iteratively generated and 3D printed at 1:10 model scale. They originate from different fabrication typologies and are designed to have acoustic diffusion and absorption effects. An automated robotic process measures the impulse responses of these surfaces by positioning a microphone and a speaker at multiple locations. The collected data serves two purposes: first, as an exploratory catalogue of different spatio-temporal-acoustic scenarios and second, as data set for predicting the acoustic response of digitally designed surface geometries using machine learning. In this paper, we present the automated data acquisition setup, the data processing and the computational generation of diffusive surface structures. We describe first results of comparative studies of measured surface panels and conclude with steps of future research.


Author(s):  
Roberto Falanga ◽  
Andreas Cebulla ◽  
Andrea Principi ◽  
Marco Socci

Worldwide, active aging policy calls for greater participation of senior citizens in the social, economic, and political realms. Despite emerging evidence of initiatives engaging senior citizens in social activities, little is known about the use of participatory approaches in the design and/or implementation of policies that matter to older citizens. This article identifies initiatives facilitating the civic participation of older people in policy-making in European Union member and associate states, drawing on a review of the literature, consultation of national policy experts, and exemplary case studies. Four main patterns of senior civic participation are identified: adopting consultative or co-decisional participatory approaches in policy design or policy implementation. The four are represented to varying degrees at different geographical levels (national, regional, local), with different actor configurations (appointed, elected/nominated, corporate representation), and with varying degree of institutionalization (temporary/permanent). Case studies illustrate approaches taken to enhance the quality and effectiveness of public services for senior citizens. Future research should strengthen this line of enquiry to cast further light on conditions facilitating the civic participation of senior citizens.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110190
Author(s):  
Josephine Lukito ◽  
Luis Loya ◽  
Carlos Dávalos ◽  
Jianing Li ◽  
Chau Tong ◽  
...  

While music as an artistic form is well studied, the individuals behind the art receive relatively less attention. In this article, we provide evidence of celebrity advocacy with a systematic examination of musicians’ political engagement on Twitter. This study estimates the extent to which musicians use Twitter for political purposes, with particular attention to whether such engagement varies across music genres. Through a computational-assisted analysis of 2,286,434 tweets, we group 881 musicians into three categories of political engagement on Twitter: not engaged (comprising the majority of artists), circumstantial engagement, and active political engagement. We examine the latter categories in detail with two qualitative case studies. The findings indicate that musicians from different genres have distinct patterns of political engagement. The Christian music genre shows the most engagement as a whole, especially in philanthropy. On the contrary, the most active accounts are rock and hip-hop artists, some of whom discuss political issues and call for mobilization. We conclude with suggestions for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Fei Chen ◽  
Duming Luo ◽  
Tao Xiang ◽  
Ping Chen ◽  
Junfeng Fan ◽  
...  

Recent years have seen the rapid development and integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. The market is providing various consumer-oriented smart IoT devices; the mainstream cloud service providers are building their software stacks to support IoT services. With this emerging trend even growing, the security of such smart IoT cloud systems has drawn much research attention in recent years. To better understand the emerging consumer-oriented smart IoT cloud systems for practical engineers and new researchers, this article presents a review of the most recent research efforts on existing, real, already deployed consumer-oriented IoT cloud applications in the past five years using typical case studies. Specifically, we first present a general model for the IoT cloud ecosystem. Then, using the model, we review and summarize recent, representative research works on emerging smart IoT cloud system security using 10 detailed case studies, with the aim that the case studies together provide insights into the insecurity of current emerging IoT cloud systems. We further present a systematic approach to conduct a security analysis for IoT cloud systems. Based on the proposed security analysis approach, we review and suggest potential security risk mitigation methods to protect IoT cloud systems. We also discuss future research challenges for the IoT cloud security area.


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