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Title: SEX DETERMINATION USING DISCRIMINANT FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF CARPALS FROM MAYA SITES IN BELIZE FROM PRE-CLASSIC TO SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD.
Creator: Labbe, Michelle D, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The sexing of human skeletal remains is important for identification and demographic purposes. It is made more difficult when elements such as the skull and pelvis are not recovered or are in too poor of a condition to assess. Previous studies have used carpal (wrist) bones of contemporary populations to assess the viability of these skeletal elements exhibiting sexual dimorphism, as these bones are small, compact elements that are usually recovered in good condition. This study evaluates the...
Show moreThe sexing of human skeletal remains is important for identification and demographic purposes. It is made more difficult when elements such as the skull and pelvis are not recovered or are in too poor of a condition to assess. Previous studies have used carpal (wrist) bones of contemporary populations to assess the viability of these skeletal elements exhibiting sexual dimorphism, as these bones are small, compact elements that are usually recovered in good condition. This study evaluates the use of carpal bones recovered from an ancient Maya population from Belize to determine the biological sex of individuals. The study sample is part of the Maya Archaeological Skeletal Collection (MASC), which contains individuals from the sites of Lamanai, San Pedro, Altun Ha, and Marco Gonzalez and dates from the Late Maya Pre-Classic (400 BC-AD 250) to the Spanish Colonial period (AD 1521-1821). Multiple measurements were taken on 36 capitate, 34 lunate, 34 scaphoid, 27 trapezium, 24 hamate, 22 triquetral, 22 trapezoid, and 16 pisiform bones from several individuals. Discriminant function analysis was used to determine if sexual dimorphism is measurable in this population using these elements. Previous studies used populations with known identities, assessing individuals from crypts, graveyards, or medical collections from the last few centuries. This study varies from previous studies as it utilizes archaeological remains, making this study one of the first to evaluate non-contemporary remains with unknown sex. Results of this study demonstrate that this population exhibits sexual dimorphism and discriminant function analysis can be used to distinguish between two groups. This demonstrates that carpals could be used to help determine biological sex of archaeological populations as well as a tool to help with identification in forensic cases.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFH2000562, ucf:45645
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000562

Title: Making An Impression: A Formal Analysis of the Contextual and Iconographic Characteristics of Ancient Mexican Ceramic Stamps.
Creator: Peabody, Elizabeth, Barber, Sarah, Callaghan, Michael, Williams, Lana, Starbuck, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Ceramic stamps are a rare, yet widely distributed, artifact class within ancient Mexico. However, there has only been limited scholarly research on these objects and much current research is minimally supported. Depicting a wide range of iconography, including metaphysical, floral, and faunal designs, the function and meaning of these stamps, also known as estampias, pintaderas, and sellos, in ancient Mexican life remain an archaeological mystery. This paper examines the contextual,...
Show moreCeramic stamps are a rare, yet widely distributed, artifact class within ancient Mexico. However, there has only been limited scholarly research on these objects and much current research is minimally supported. Depicting a wide range of iconography, including metaphysical, floral, and faunal designs, the function and meaning of these stamps, also known as estampias, pintaderas, and sellos, in ancient Mexican life remain an archaeological mystery. This paper examines the contextual, chronological, and iconographic characteristics of ancient Mexican ceramic stamps as well as the distributional trends of those characteristics. This study is comprised of 83 stamps of varying design that date to between 1600 B.C.E. and 1520 C.E.: 19 found by the Rio Verde Project in Southern Oaxaca, Mexico, 5 found by Michael Coe in San Lorenzo, and 59 central Mexican stamps with credible, detailed provenience residing in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History and Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology. Examined through the lens of culture history, processual, and postprocessual theory, comparative statistical analysis was conducted to assist the identification of significant trends. These analyses have revealed that stamp use shifted from mainly public to household spaces over time and that stamps predominantly depict nature and metaphysical themed motifs. I have also found that stamps were likely multipurpose artifacts whose use transcended social status. This research greatly expands on the limited literature about Mesoamerican ceramic stamps and provides valuable insight into ancient Mexican household, identity, and possibly religious, practices.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007411, ucf:52699
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007411

Title: An Investigation of the Biomechanical Implications of Lower Limb Fractures and Leg Length Disparity.
Creator: Mills, Elizabeth, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Starbuck, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: One of the primary goals of biological anthropology is to develop an accurate understanding of human anatomy, health, disease, and injury in both modern and archaeological populations. Paleopathological analyses are a fruitful means of identifying disease and injury in skeletal assemblages, but the individual long-term biomechanical effects associated with pathological conditions have not yet been adequately explored in the literature. Leg fractures are a common pathological condition in both...
Show moreOne of the primary goals of biological anthropology is to develop an accurate understanding of human anatomy, health, disease, and injury in both modern and archaeological populations. Paleopathological analyses are a fruitful means of identifying disease and injury in skeletal assemblages, but the individual long-term biomechanical effects associated with pathological conditions have not yet been adequately explored in the literature. Leg fractures are a common pathological condition in both modern and archaeological populations, the effects of which may alter the biomechanics of gait. A growing body of clinical literature demonstrates that abnormal ambulatory function may have far-reaching effects in the rest of the body.To assess the long-term consequences of pathological conditions of the lower extremities, the relationship between lower limb long bone fracture occurrence, incidence of leg length disparity (LLD), and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) was analyzed. A total of 56 adult individuals (29 fractured, 27 unfractured) from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection (HTOC) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (curated between 1912 and 1938) were examined in this study. In total, the sample consisted of 37 males and 19 females (ages 25-76) of either black or white ancestry. LLD was assessed by taking standardized measurements of the lower limb long bones. TMD was analyzed by scoring the presence and severity of osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ OA), dental attrition, and antemortem tooth loss. Kendall's Tau correlation statistics were used to assess morphological integration between all unique pairwise combinations of lower limb and jaw measurements among unfractured and fractured groups. Results indicate that several measures of LLD and jaw dysfunction are correlated differently in the unfractured and fractured groups. Comparisons of the All Unfractured and All Fractured groups most often showed higher absolute correlation values in unfractured individuals. Samples were also subdivided and compared based on known sex. Significant differences in patterns of morphological integration were observed between male and female sub-samples. Significant correlation values were almost always higher in the unfractured sample than in the fractured sample. Females, however, demonstrated both significant increases and significant decreases in absolute correlation values when comparing fractured and unfractured samples. Thus, patterns of significant differences in morphological integration between the lower limbs and jaw differ for males and females, with fairly consistent decreases in integration strength in the former and a mixed pattern of integration strength increases and decreases in the latter, when a leg fracture is involved. It is argued that these differences are explained by fundamental sexually dimorphic morphological and kinematic differences between males and females, such that fractures resulting in LLD affect the two sexes differently. Gendered lifetime social experiences and activity patterns may also explain the different male and female patterns identified in the analysis. These insights are applied to larger anthropological questions of social identity and the long-term injury experience.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006694, ucf:51917
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006694

Title: The Spatial Distribution of Tumuli in the Iron Age Kanak Su Basin, Turkey.
Creator: Paulsen, Paige, Branting, Scott, Walker, John, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This project takes the Iron Age tumuli of the Kanak Su Basin in Yozgat, Turkey as a case study for the application of geospatial methods to reconstruct past perceptions of a mortuary landscape. The tumulus fields (-) landscapes heavily modified by monumental burial mounds (-) of central Anatolia present an opportunity to investigate how burial practices reflect and create places of collective memory, territorial identity, and the social order. Understanding the nature of Iron Age settlement...
Show moreThis project takes the Iron Age tumuli of the Kanak Su Basin in Yozgat, Turkey as a case study for the application of geospatial methods to reconstruct past perceptions of a mortuary landscape. The tumulus fields (-) landscapes heavily modified by monumental burial mounds (-) of central Anatolia present an opportunity to investigate how burial practices reflect and create places of collective memory, territorial identity, and the social order. Understanding the nature of Iron Age settlement in the Kanak Su Basin remains an ongoing subject of study in central Anatolian archaeology, especially in regard to how the large, short-lived city of Kerkenes interacted with the existing long-term settlement history in the basin. This project seeks to understand the role of the tumuli in this landscape by investigating the relationship between the settlement pattern and the burial mounds along axes of proximity, visibility, and accessibility using spatial statistics, viewsheds, and least cost pathways. The spatial distribution of mounds suggests which sites might have participated in constructing tumuli and the possible motivating factors in their location. Larger sites in the study area appear to have participated more frequently in tumulus construction. This analysis also allows us to reconstruct the more general experience of living among the mounds, whether one participated in the practice or not, and results suggest the tumuli were located to increase the number of people who perceived and interacted with them.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007073, ucf:52016
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007073

Title: Exploring Social Identity through Stable Isotope Analysis in the Kellis 2 Cemetery.
Creator: East, Kaitlin, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Toyne, J. Marla, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The material remains of ancient Egypt provide extensive and wide ranging data about the empire throughout its history. However, little evidence is available from ancient Egypt, or any past culture, with which to rebuild an image of social identity or individual experiences. This is especially problematic when the dominant narrative ignores experiences of minorities and minimizes the variation existing throughout the empire. Stable isotope analysis has the potential to reveal variability in...
Show moreThe material remains of ancient Egypt provide extensive and wide ranging data about the empire throughout its history. However, little evidence is available from ancient Egypt, or any past culture, with which to rebuild an image of social identity or individual experiences. This is especially problematic when the dominant narrative ignores experiences of minorities and minimizes the variation existing throughout the empire. Stable isotope analysis has the potential to reveal variability in lived experience of past peoples by acting as a proxy for behavior that can be analyzed from bone. Such an approach has been applied on individuals from the Romano-Christian Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis to explore diversity of lived experiences in relation to age, sex, and gender. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen values from bone collagen of 138 adults revealed a predominately C3 (&)#172;plant based diet with the addition of some animal protein. Statistical analysis of these values uncovered discernable differences in the values of young males and older adults which may suggest differences in the biological experiences of these groups and unique social experiences for those individuals. These findings offer a starting point with which to explore social organization at this site and others in ancient Egypt and the methods provide a useful approach to exploring individual experience in the past in ways not possible from other sources.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005790, ucf:52865
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005790

Title: Analyzing Pre-Inhumation Breakage Ceramics at Lamanai, Belize: A Conjunctive Approach.
Creator: Enger, Ryan, Callaghan, Michael, Kovacevich, Brigitte, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: During the Terminal Classic period (9th-10th centuries A.D.), the ancient Maya at Lamanai, Belize, began to practice pre-inhumation breakage of ceramics in mortuary contexts. Previously, the custom had been to bury whole vessels with the deceased. This conspicuous shift in behavior suggests important changes in beliefs regarding the role of ceramics in death and interment at a pivotal moment in ancient Maya culture history. Despite this significant change, there has been no published research...
Show moreDuring the Terminal Classic period (9th-10th centuries A.D.), the ancient Maya at Lamanai, Belize, began to practice pre-inhumation breakage of ceramics in mortuary contexts. Previously, the custom had been to bury whole vessels with the deceased. This conspicuous shift in behavior suggests important changes in beliefs regarding the role of ceramics in death and interment at a pivotal moment in ancient Maya culture history. Despite this significant change, there has been no published research conducted specifically on these vessels. In fact, there has been no clearly delineated set of characteristics for what qualifies as a pre-inhumation breakage vessel (PBV). This study offers a working definition for PBVs and converts the original Lamanai grave descriptions of those that contain PBVs to a classification system for ease of future comparative analyses. Finally, the sex and age of individuals buried with PBVs are considered. The result is a conjunctive analysis that provides data not only on PBV forms and quantities, grave types, and the sex and age of those interred with PBVs, but also several statistically significant correlations among these variables. I argue that the conjoined data suggest that one of the primary purposes for the pre-inhumation breakage of ceramics in mortuary contexts was a strategic one, a method selected by Lamanai leadership, and enacted community-wide, as a way to protect the community from potentially harmful energies and to maintain communal confidence at a time of great uncertainty in the southern Maya lowlands.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007801, ucf:52343
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007801

Title: Trace Element Analysis of Human Dentition from the Elite Meroitic Cemetery at Sedeinga, Sudan to Determine Dietary Consumption and Cultural Behaviors.
Creator: Lee, Tiffany, Dupras, Tosha, Schultz, John, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Minimal research has been conducted on the human skeletal remains from this site, and this research is aimed toward adding knowledge of the Nubian culture for the period between the 1st c. AD to the 4th c. AD, particularly focusing on answering the following questions: 1) Was intra- individual variation present in dietary consumption or cultural behaviors based on elements found within an individual's multiple molars after analysis; 2) Was an inter-individual variation apparent, based on...
Show moreMinimal research has been conducted on the human skeletal remains from this site, and this research is aimed toward adding knowledge of the Nubian culture for the period between the 1st c. AD to the 4th c. AD, particularly focusing on answering the following questions: 1) Was intra- individual variation present in dietary consumption or cultural behaviors based on elements found within an individual's multiple molars after analysis; 2) Was an inter-individual variation apparent, based on developmental age through permanent molars, that indicated a distinction between dietary consumption against all individuals; and 3) Based on known medicinal and cosmetic use of kohl in neighboring societies, as well as archaeological evidence found at Sedeinga, if individuals will have used kohl based on observed increased levels of lead or antimony? A trace element analysis was performed on an archaeological sample from 13 individuals consisting of 21 first, second, and third permanent molars excavated from the elite Nubian Meroitic Cemetery of Sedeinga, located in northern Sudan. Elemental analysis was performed using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). A total of 13 trace elements including Ca44 and P31; minor elements Mg24, S32, C13, and Sr88; metals Fe56, Cu63, Zn66, Sb121, and Pb208; and La139 and U238 were analyzed for each sample with concentration values mapped and analyzed. The data collected during laser ablation was utilized to create two-dimensional detection and concentration maps of each tooth using MATLAB(&)#174; software. Analysis of concentration values confirmed dietary change from early childhood to late adolescence across the population. Probable use of antimony and lead-based kohl was determined from high concentration values mapped in dentition. Two-dimensional mapping of trace elements within teeth have revealed cultural and dietary changes across the population.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007579, ucf:52580
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007579

Title: A Landscape of Death: A Comparison of Non-adult to Adult Burials at the Late Bronze Age Site of Tell el-Far'ah (South).
Creator: Reeves, Rebecca, Branting, Scott, Walker, John, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study aims to determine whether there are any differences in the burial practices for non-adults and adults at the Late Bronze Age site of Tell el-Far'ah (South) in modern day Israel. The archaeology of childhood together with various methods of analyses, including geospatial and statistical techniques, were utilized to address the main research question focused on the spatial differences and relationships between non-adult and adult burials. There are missing children in the...
Show moreThis study aims to determine whether there are any differences in the burial practices for non-adults and adults at the Late Bronze Age site of Tell el-Far'ah (South) in modern day Israel. The archaeology of childhood together with various methods of analyses, including geospatial and statistical techniques, were utilized to address the main research question focused on the spatial differences and relationships between non-adult and adult burials. There are missing children in the archeological record. Tell el-Far'ah (South) is an example of this phenomenon. Reasons vary from taphonomy to potential infanticide. Based on the currently available data, it seems that the people of Tell el-Far'ah (South) understood non-adults as both similar to and dissimilar from adults. In sum, this is not a comprehensive or conclusive study, but rather serves to shed light on the lack of attention in the archaeology of childhood and more generally on the need for greater integration of the anthropological subfields.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007359, ucf:52095
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007359

Title: Stable Isotopes and Multiple Tissue Analysis: Reconstructing Life Histories for Individuals from Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt.
Creator: Johns, Noel, Dupras, Tosha, Walker, John, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Stable isotope analysis is often used to evaluate elements of the lives of past peoples, such as diet and health status, at a societal level. Analysis at an individual level is exceptionally rare, and has not been conducted using a variety of tissues representing both early life and life approximate to death. In this study, ?13C and ?15N isotope signatures are used to create life histories for single individuals from Romano-Christian period Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt....
Show moreStable isotope analysis is often used to evaluate elements of the lives of past peoples, such as diet and health status, at a societal level. Analysis at an individual level is exceptionally rare, and has not been conducted using a variety of tissues representing both early life and life approximate to death. In this study, ?13C and ?15N isotope signatures are used to create life histories for single individuals from Romano-Christian period Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Samples are obtained from several different tissues, including tooth dentin, bone collagen, hair, nail, skin, and gut content, all of which have been previously researched, but have not been studied at such an individualistic level. By using data and previous research conducted by Drs. Tosha Dupras and Lana Williams, this research uses isotopic values from the aforementioned tissues, and the differing turnover rates of these tissues, to develop lifetime timetables for 15 individuals (female, male, and juvenile). Results show that individual analysis is possible, informative, and can enlighten researchers not just concerning the individual, but about the population as a whole. The methods presented can serve as a model for reconstructing individual life histories using isotope data from multiple tissues.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004216, ucf:49020
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004216

Title: Age as a factor in inter-tissue spacing of stable carbon isotope values in juvenile human remains from the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt.
Creator: Norris, Annie, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Mcintyre, Matthew, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Although stable isotope analysis is routinely utilized in bioarchaeology and relies on principles that are well-understood, there are still fundamental issues that have not been thoroughly investigated. This thesis examines the relationship between inter-tissue spacing of carbon stable isotope values (?13C) and age in juvenile human remains. Analyses of tissues within the same individual reveal disparate isotopic values for a variety of physiological and biological reasons discussed herein....
Show moreAlthough stable isotope analysis is routinely utilized in bioarchaeology and relies on principles that are well-understood, there are still fundamental issues that have not been thoroughly investigated. This thesis examines the relationship between inter-tissue spacing of carbon stable isotope values (?13C) and age in juvenile human remains. Analyses of tissues within the same individual reveal disparate isotopic values for a variety of physiological and biological reasons discussed herein. This project examines the distance between the ?13C values in bone collagen, skin, hair, and nail, and examines how these distances vary between different age groups, utilizing data collected from 52 well-preserved human remains from the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt: 28 individuals between the ages of 1 and 4 years, 14 between 5 and 10 years, and 10 between the ages of 11-15 years. The mean carbon isotope values for each tissue were compared across each age group, and used to calculate the differences between each tissue type. Although distances between tissues were found to vary across all age categories, the distances between collagen and hair, collagen and skin, and collagen and nail are all substantially greater in the 11-15 year old category than those in the 1-4 and 5-10 year categories. Possible physiological, developmental and social factors are discussed in an effort to explain this discrepancy.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004418, ucf:49403
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004418

Title: Crafting Craft Beer Brands: An examination of identity, community, and growth in Orlando area craft breweries.
Creator: Fehribach, Dylan, Matejowsky, Ty, Williams, Lana, Geiger, Vance, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Beer is a commodity that has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia. Within the U.S., the craft beer industry has grown considerably over the last decade, accounting for 19% of all beers sales in 2014. Despite this increased market presence, craft beer marketing and production has received little anthropological consideration. To address this dearth of case studies, I consider the local craft brewery scene, or area of activity, in Orlando Florida. My 2016 ethnographic research...
Show moreBeer is a commodity that has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia. Within the U.S., the craft beer industry has grown considerably over the last decade, accounting for 19% of all beers sales in 2014. Despite this increased market presence, craft beer marketing and production has received little anthropological consideration. To address this dearth of case studies, I consider the local craft brewery scene, or area of activity, in Orlando Florida. My 2016 ethnographic research reveals that the local craft brewery scene exhibits both variation in identity and community locations. Interactions among breweries present opportunities for local breweries to build and grow their brands. Collected data elucidate the choices and decisions that craft brewery operators consider when producing beer, developing facilities, and promoting their beers and brand images. I conclude that the breweries create brand identity and grow their customer base and distribution through planned decisions as well as reactionary choices based on outside events. Such considerations are relevant for understanding the formation of a business's identity and brand identity while producing a craftwork product, as well the communities of each brewery interact with communities outside of the specific scene.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006589, ucf:51267
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006589

Title: Diagenetic Changes in Long Bones in Central Florida: A Preliminary Macro- and Microscopic Comparison of Sun and Shade Microenvironments.
Creator: Overholtzer, Mikayla, Schultz, John, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In forensic investigations, the estimation of time since death is of utmost importance when examining decomposing bodies and skeletal remains. Current methodology typically focuses on the gross and macroscopic changes to human remains. Surprisingly, microscopic analysis of diagenetic change has not been fully researched in regards to time since death. The current study involved the analysis of diagenetic change in 15 pig (Sus scrofa) long bones from two microenvironments (sun and shade) in...
Show moreIn forensic investigations, the estimation of time since death is of utmost importance when examining decomposing bodies and skeletal remains. Current methodology typically focuses on the gross and macroscopic changes to human remains. Surprisingly, microscopic analysis of diagenetic change has not been fully researched in regards to time since death. The current study involved the analysis of diagenetic change in 15 pig (Sus scrofa) long bones from two microenvironments (sun and shade) in the subtropical environment of Central Florida. While the control bone was not placed in the field, seven bones were placed in the sun microenvironment and seven in the shade microenvironment. One bone was collected from each micro environment every other week for a duration of 14 weeks. The samples were then analyzed for gross and macroscopic taphonomic changes, which included soil staining, hemolysis staining, loss of bone grease, and penetration of hemolysis staining into the bone cortex. Microscope slides were then prepared using thin sections of the 15 long bones. Slides were then stained with Periodic Acid Schiffer's stain and Hemotoxylin and Eosin stain and analyzed for Non-Wedl microscopic focal destruction (MFD), Wedl tunneling, and Haversian canal inclusions using standard light microscopy. While gross and macroscopic changes were not significant due to the short time interval studied, microscopic diagenetic changes that were observed included MFD and Wedl tunneling as early as four and six weeks, respectively. Group A (sun) demonstrated a greater occurrence of diagenetic change and greater diameter of MFD. Additionally, the maximum diameter of MFD steadily increased over time, suggesting a correlation between size of MFD and time since death. This pilot study demonstrates the possibility for future research to establish standards for estimating time since death using microscopic analysis. For example,further research should consider implementing a larger sample size, a longer postmortem interval, additional environments, comparative human samples, and a standardized methodology for preparing and analyzing the histological samples.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006366, ucf:51516
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006366

Title: Vulture Scavenging of Child-sized Pig Carcasses in Central Florida: Utilizing GIS to Analyze Site Variables Affecting Skeletal Dispersal.
Creator: Mitchell, Alexander, Schultz, John, Williams, Lana, Dupras, Tosha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Scavengers can significantly alter a forensic scene and consume, modify, disarticulate, and disperse bodies. However, little research exists regarding scavenging in Central Florida, specifically scavenging involving Black and Turkey Vultures (Coragyps atratus, Cathartes aura respectively). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of vulture scavenging on consumption, disarticulation, and dispersal of child-sized carcasses in the Central Florida region. The research sample consisted...
Show moreScavengers can significantly alter a forensic scene and consume, modify, disarticulate, and disperse bodies. However, little research exists regarding scavenging in Central Florida, specifically scavenging involving Black and Turkey Vultures (Coragyps atratus, Cathartes aura respectively). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of vulture scavenging on consumption, disarticulation, and dispersal of child-sized carcasses in the Central Florida region. The research sample consisted of four pig (Sus scrofa) carcasses weighing approximately 25kgs that were deposited in two distinct sites (shaded and unshaded) at the Deep Foundations Geotechnical Research Site located on the UCF campus. Two field cameras were placed at each site to record the scavenging, decomposition, and dispersal. The dispersal data was mapped and analyzed using ArcGIS v. 10.2.2 spatial analyst tools. Additionally, the scavengers recorded during the research period were noted, and their effect on disarticulation, consumption and dispersal were analyzed. Overall, while the canopy at the shaded sites did not impact vulture scavenging, grass height, the site perimeter fence, and the ground surface foliage density impacted vulture dispersal patterns. The majority of elements were dispersed within 6m of the initial carcass deposition. Through analysis of recorded video it was determined that vultures were able to completely skeletonize a child-sized carcass in approximately 8 hours of feeding time. In addition to vulture activity, opossums were recorded further dispersing and modifying skeletal remains after vulture activity had ceased.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006358, ucf:51498
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006358

Title: Cafeteria Culture: An Anthropological Approach to Lunchtime in a Central Florida Elementary School.
Creator: Herrington, Emily, Matejowsky, Ty, Williams, Lana, Geiger, Vance, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Public school cafeterias are used by nearly 51 million children (ages 4-17) in the United States every day. With over 40% of the approximately 73 million children (ages 0-17) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), public school lunches carry resounding nutritional, social, and educational significance for their consumers. This fact, coupled with frequent media attention to school lunch food, notwithstanding, a notable lack of social scientific engagement with both students...
Show morePublic school cafeterias are used by nearly 51 million children (ages 4-17) in the United States every day. With over 40% of the approximately 73 million children (ages 0-17) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), public school lunches carry resounding nutritional, social, and educational significance for their consumers. This fact, coupled with frequent media attention to school lunch food, notwithstanding, a notable lack of social scientific engagement with both students' perspectives and NSLP operators persists. Divided into two studies, this research utilizes ethnographic methods to explore students' lunchtime experiences within a Central Florida public elementary school cafeteria. Both works are grounded in information collected from 22 semi-structured and unstructured interviews with students, parents, cafeteria workers, school faculty, and a county official while also participating in a one-month lunchtime observation period in Spring 2017. The first study utilizes ethnographic methods to investigate students' food selection, social practices, and mealtime behaviors within the cafeteria. In this work, I argue that student's preferences are most often informed by taste and familiarity, though both age and personal belief systems strongly outline students' experiences. In the second study, I focus on the top-down priorities of nutrition, food production, and student feedback that guide how institutions construct lunch menus for elementary students. Specifically, I investigate what role public institutions play in forming elementary school students' understandings of food and expectations for mealtimes. Synthesizing findings from both studies, I assess how social, economic, and industry pressures are tangible within local cafeteria and governmental contexts. This research contributes to academic scholarship and public policy regarding childhood nutrition in institutionalized settings and advocates for the inclusion of elementary-aged children as important social actors in their call for increased and dietarily-inclusive food options.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006882, ucf:51732
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006882

Title: A Preliminary Assessment of Steroid Reproductive Hormones in Archaeological Human Hair Utilizing a Modified Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Technique.
Creator: Tisdale, Elisha, Schultz, John, Williams, Lana, Wheeler, Sandra, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Hair has become an invaluable resource in forensic, clinical, and bioarchaeological research. The unique interaction between the growing hair fiber, the hair follicle, and the endocrine system inundates the growing hair fiber with an incremental record of many of the discreet physiological processes of the body. Recently, a novel study by Webb et al. (2010) demonstrated that endogenous records of cortisol, the (")stress hormone("), are capable of being extracted from archaeological human hair...
Show moreHair has become an invaluable resource in forensic, clinical, and bioarchaeological research. The unique interaction between the growing hair fiber, the hair follicle, and the endocrine system inundates the growing hair fiber with an incremental record of many of the discreet physiological processes of the body. Recently, a novel study by Webb et al. (2010) demonstrated that endogenous records of cortisol, the (")stress hormone("), are capable of being extracted from archaeological human hair through a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, thus providing insight into the (")invisible(") stress experiences of an individual that would otherwise not be detectable through skeletal analysis. The present study seeks to apply this novel ELISA technique to archaeological hair to determine whether endogenous patterns of secretion are detectable for the steroid reproductive hormones estradiol and testosterone. Here, hair from 10 individuals from the Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt is analyzed for endogenous concentrations of the steroid hormones cortisol, estradiol, and testosterone. A control sample consisting of hair from 10 modern cadavers is also assessed for each hormone to ensure method efficacy. Cortisol, estradiol, and testosterone were successfully identified in all 10 archaeological individuals and in each of the 10 individuals in the modern control group. Results revealed that archaeological preservation of each hormone was favorable, and incremental patterning of each hormone seem to reflect endogenous hormone secretion in life. Values for cortisol, estradiol in pre-menopausal females, and testosterone extracted from the archaeological and modern control samples fall within reference values taken from archaeological and clinical research; however, estradiol values for males and postmenopausal females exceeded projected reference values. Explorations for variables which could contribute to discrepancies between reported and observed estradiol values are provided, along with two case studies on female individuals from the archaeological sample. The results of this study demonstrate that steroid reproductive hormones can be preserved in archaeological human hair, and that these hormones can be analyzed to create additional lines of inquiry into bioarcheological studies of ancient health and fertility.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006921, ucf:51700
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006921

Title: An Assessment of Trace Elements Distribution in Teeth Utilizing a Sample Group from Postclassic Lamanai: The Application of LA-ICP-MS in Bioarchaeology and Forensics.
Creator: Hawkins, Michelle, Schultz, John, Williams, Lana, Baudelet, Matthieu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Trace element analysis of skeletal remains and teeth is a common research technique in biological and forensic anthropology. In particular, LA-ICP-MS has become a widely-accepted tool for analyzing and mapping the distribution of trace elements in teeth. Investigation into the relative spectral intensities and spatial distribution of thirteen trace isotopes (13C, 24Mg, 27Al, 31P, 44Ca, 47Ti, 52Cr, 55Mn, 56Fe, 66Zn, 88Sr, 138Ba, 208Pb) within teeth was undertaken using LA-ICP-MS. The total...
Show moreTrace element analysis of skeletal remains and teeth is a common research technique in biological and forensic anthropology. In particular, LA-ICP-MS has become a widely-accepted tool for analyzing and mapping the distribution of trace elements in teeth. Investigation into the relative spectral intensities and spatial distribution of thirteen trace isotopes (13C, 24Mg, 27Al, 31P, 44Ca, 47Ti, 52Cr, 55Mn, 56Fe, 66Zn, 88Sr, 138Ba, 208Pb) within teeth was undertaken using LA-ICP-MS. The total archaeological sample of teeth (N=26) was comprised of four tooth types (UCI, ULI, UPM1, and UPM2) and 18 individuals from a Postclassic Lamanai site. In preparation for analysis, teeth sectioned down the center using a low-speed saw. Maps were created using the laser ablation system and MATLAB(&)#174; software. The frequency of each isotope detected at low, moderate, and high intensities at each of the six defined tooth locations was calculated. The inner dentine and the outer root border were the two areas that most commonly exhibited the highest intensities of isotopes. Detection of major structural isotopes (44Ca and 31P) was similar in both spatial locations and relative intensity across all teeth. In comparison, detection of more minor isotopes, while similar in spatial locations across all teeth, varied in relative intensity per individual sample. The frequency that each isotope was detected also varied by tooth type. These findings demonstrate the disparities between different types of dental tissue for retaining trace elements and serve to illuminate possible sources of external exposure and internal bioavailability influencing interindividual variation within the Lamanai sample population. Variation in isotope frequency based on tooth type may be due to developmental properties and/or changes in diet during early life. Ultimately, teeth act as storehouses of trace elements, and maps of isotopic distribution in teeth help reveal how individuals are influenced by both biological processes and cultural activities.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006881, ucf:51722
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006881

Title: Diet and Migration in Coastal Oaxaca: Identifying Effects of Political and Social Collapse through the Utilization of Stable Isotope Analysis.
Creator: Rumberger, Jacklyn, Barber, Sarah, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study involves the investigation of diet and mobility among people living in the lower R(&)#237;o Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Late Classic (AD 500-800) and Early Postclassic (AD 800-1200) periods. Specifically, this research focuses on how political and social collapse affected subsistence practices and diet, particularly maize agriculture and consumption, as well as human migration. Archaeological evidence suggests that R(&)#237;o Viejo, the region's largest urban center...
Show moreThis study involves the investigation of diet and mobility among people living in the lower R(&)#237;o Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Late Classic (AD 500-800) and Early Postclassic (AD 800-1200) periods. Specifically, this research focuses on how political and social collapse affected subsistence practices and diet, particularly maize agriculture and consumption, as well as human migration. Archaeological evidence suggests that R(&)#237;o Viejo, the region's largest urban center before AD 800, experienced multiple periods of political fragmentation and instability during its long history, specifically during the Early Classic (AD 250 - 500) and Early Postclassic periods, making it an ideal place to test these relationships. Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopic analyses of human bone and tooth samples were used to reconstruct diet and create a life history for sampled individuals. Samples were extracted from the skeletal remains of individuals dating to the Late Classic (n=11) and Early Postclassic (n=11) periods. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values provide insight into maize consumption; in addition stable nitrogen isotope values also indicate the extent that aquatic resources were being exploited. Stable oxygen isotope values are used to determine if any of the individuals were foreigners and had migrated to the valley during their lifetime. Results demonstrate collapse following the Classic period led to a slight dietary shift that included a wider variety of resources, possibly aquatic. Human mobility also increased during this time as oxygen values display a wider range and indicate movement within the valley and along the coast.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006491, ucf:51399
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006491

Title: Intrinsic Factors Affecting Decomposition Changes in Archaeological Head Hair from Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt.
Creator: Cole, Kathleen, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Groff, Amanda, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Post-mortem hair root degradation, and associated characteristics such as post-mortem root banding, brush-like ends, and hard keratin points, has remained a little understood phenomenon in the forensics discipline since its discovery in the 1800's. At present, the underlying causes of these characteristics are still unknown. In addition, there is no standardization for preparing samples for forensic or archaeological analysis. In this study, 1200 hairs from a total of 51 individuals (males, n...
Show morePost-mortem hair root degradation, and associated characteristics such as post-mortem root banding, brush-like ends, and hard keratin points, has remained a little understood phenomenon in the forensics discipline since its discovery in the 1800's. At present, the underlying causes of these characteristics are still unknown. In addition, there is no standardization for preparing samples for forensic or archaeological analysis. In this study, 1200 hairs from a total of 51 individuals (males, n = 22; females, n = 29) ranging in age from 16 to 60+ and interred at the Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt are examined microscopically for evidence of post-mortem hair root degradation. These remains date from ~50AD to ~450AD, and all were naturally mummified. The purposes of this thesis are two-fold; 1) to determine the efficacy of two preparation methods, and 2) to examine the intrinsic and extrinsic variables in each hair in order to ascertain the factors that affect the degradation of the human hair root after death. The preparation methods include a dry sample, where the hair is directly removed from the scalp tissue using tweezers, and a wet sample, where a 1cm portion of the scalp was first rehydrated using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 48 hours before the hairs were extracted. Results indicate that when working with naturally mummified remains the wet method provides for easier acquisition of the sample and less chance of breakage before the hair is mounted for observation. This, therefore, provides a larger sample size for analysis.Each hair was observed using polarizing microscopy to determine whether postmortem root degradation was present, the growth stage of the hair, color, pigment density and distribution, pigment aggregate size and shape, medulla continuity and opacity, cuticle scale profile and thickness, inner cuticle margin, and the presence of ovoid bodies. Significant correlations were found between the incidence of postmortem root degradation and the growth stage, hair color, cuticle thickness, cuticle scale profile, and individual's age. The remaining variables did not show any significant correlations.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006577, ucf:51342
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006577

Title: An Anthropological Study of Eating Perspectives, Meal Composition, and Food Choices Among Diverse Student Populations.
Creator: Daws, Chelsea, Matejowsky, Ty, Williams, Lana, Geiger, Vance, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: My thesis explores the factors that shape or reinforce international college students' perceptions of food. This research not only examines how cultural values affect individual nutrition and maintenance of eating behaviors, it also addresses the extent to which accessibility impacts eating behaviors. Notably, the research endeavor uses the concept of dietary habitus as an underlying directive mechanism for study. This study finds that most students experience a reduction in their fruit and...
Show moreMy thesis explores the factors that shape or reinforce international college students' perceptions of food. This research not only examines how cultural values affect individual nutrition and maintenance of eating behaviors, it also addresses the extent to which accessibility impacts eating behaviors. Notably, the research endeavor uses the concept of dietary habitus as an underlying directive mechanism for study. This study finds that most students experience a reduction in their fruit and vegetable intake. Another finding suggests that international students eat healthier and are more structured in comparison to domestic students if they hybridize their dietary habitus. Research findings also suggest that most participants perceive food on campus to be both equally healthy and unhealthy, with limited accessibility to national cuisines and affordable healthy foods.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006581, ucf:51348
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006581

Title: "An Examination of the Progression of Fracture Propagation in Long Bones During the Postmortem Period in Central Florida".
Creator: Green, Ashley, Schultz, John, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The forensic anthropologist is often tasked with analyzing skeletal trauma and determining time since death. Differentiating between perimortem and postmortem fractures can be difficult when bone retains fresh characteristics in the postmortem interval. As a result, it is important to conduct research that investigates timing of injury in the postmortem period by observing fracture characteristics created at known postmortem intervals. Investigation into the timing of injury was undertaken in...
Show moreThe forensic anthropologist is often tasked with analyzing skeletal trauma and determining time since death. Differentiating between perimortem and postmortem fractures can be difficult when bone retains fresh characteristics in the postmortem interval. As a result, it is important to conduct research that investigates timing of injury in the postmortem period by observing fracture characteristics created at known postmortem intervals. Investigation into the timing of injury was undertaken in this study over a four month time period. By fracturing bones using a custom impact device, specific morphological characteristics that are typically used in trauma analysis were created for analysis. Long bones of pigs (Sus scrofa) (N=140) were placed in two separate outdoor environments: full sun and full shade. Five bones were collected from each environment weekly and subsequently fractured. A control group consisting of 5 fresh bones was fractured to simulate perimortem trauma. Analysis of fracture characteristics was completed using a standardized protocol that was modified from previous studies, evaluating the fracture angle, fracture surface, and fracture outline. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between and among these variables. The results of this study denote a discernable relationship between fracture characteristics and the postmortem interval, indicating a significant shift in the occurrence of these variables as the postmortem interval increases. As the postmortem interval increases, there is a trend toward primarily dry fracture characteristics. Additionally, statistical analysis indicates that the environment in which the bones are deposited has a significant effect on the fracture surface and outline as the postmortem interval increases. This study found that intrinsic dry fracture characteristics were observed as early as two weeks postmortem. These results suggest that it is possible to distinguish wet from dry fracture characteristics earlier in the Central Florida region than previously reported in the literature. These findings support the use of taphonomic models developed according to geographic region. Environmental factors are regionally specific, potentially complicating reconstruction of post-depositional history. The use of taphonomic models and standardized protocols for analysis provides increased accuracy in taphonomic analyses and estimation of the post-mortem interval in forensic casework.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006219, ucf:51062
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006219

bioarchaeology (7)	+ -
diet (6)	+ -
stable isotope analysis (6)	+ -
Bioarchaeology (5)	+ -
Egypt (3)	+ -

GIS (3)	+ -
LA-ICP-MS (3)	+ -
Maya (3)	+ -
Dakhleh Oasis (2)	+ -
Forensic (2)	+ -
Forensic Anthropology (2)	+ -
Histology (2)	+ -
Lamanai (2)	+ -
Lithuania (2)	+ -
Medieval (2)	+ -
Taphonomy (2)	+ -
anthropology (2)	+ -
archaeology (2)	+ -
ethnography (2)	+ -
inter-tissue spacing (2)	+ -
migration (2)	+ -
nutrition (2)	+ -
paleopathology (2)	+ -
stable isotopes (2)	+ -
?13C and ?15N isotopes (1)	+ -
Acculturation (1)	+ -
Alytus (1)	+ -
Anatolia (1)	+ -
Austronesian (1)	+ -
BMI (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (33)	+ -
Honors Collection (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (34)	+ -
Williams, Lana (34)	+ -
Dupras, Tosha (20)	+ -
Schultz, John (17)	+ -
Wheeler, Sandra (6)	+ -

Geiger, Vance (4)	+ -
Matejowsky, Ty (4)	+ -
Starbuck, John (4)	+ -
Barber, Sarah (3)	+ -
Baudelet, Matthieu (3)	+ -
Branting, Scott (3)	+ -
Callaghan, Michael (3)	+ -
Walker, John (3)	+ -
Toyne, J. Marla (2)	+ -
Biernaski, Adam (1)	+ -
Branson, Jennifer (1)	+ -
Chasse, Georgina (1)	+ -
Cole, Kathleen (1)	+ -
Daws, Chelsea (1)	+ -
East, Kaitlin (1)	+ -
Enger, Ryan (1)	+ -
Fehribach, Dylan (1)	+ -
Green, Ashley (1)	+ -
Groff, Amanda (1)	+ -
Gugora, Ariana (1)	+ -
Hawkins, Michelle (1)	+ -
Herrington, Emily (1)	+ -
Holder, Sammantha (1)	+ -
Izzo, Victoria (1)	+ -
Johns, Noel (1)	+ -

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