The Code of Pangolins Ishii, Miho
Current anthropology,
10/2021, Letnik:
62, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
More than two decades ago, Lévi-Strauss argued that bovine spongiform encephalopathy was the result of forced cannibalism among cattle. He pointed out that not only the consumption of cattle organs ...by cattle but also the eating of beef by humans is a kind of cannibalism among animals. His argument highlighted the negative aspects of connection and assimilation in the act of eating. Today, several anthropological responses have been evoked to address the social, (bio)political, and economic problems caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Although this article is part of that wider corpus, it focuses not on the novel aspects of the phenomenon but on relatively familiar aspects using “classic” anthropological ideas such as substance code, dividual personhood, and taboo. By comparing the circulation of viruses within and beyond species boundaries with the circulation of substance codes observed in South Asian societies, I point out the imaginariness not of dividual personhood but of our existence as individuals. These examinations raise the significance of the anthropological understanding of people’s practices regarding boundary making and unmaking between the human and the wild to consider the problem of zoonoses originating from wild animals.
The dynamic processes of knowledge production in archaeology and elsewhere in the humanities and social sciences are increasingly viewed as the collaborative effort of groups, clusters and ...communities of researchers rather than the isolated work of so-called ‘instrumental’ actors. Shifting focus from the individual scholar to the wider social contexts of her work and the dynamic creative processes she participates in, this volume critically examines the importance of informal networks and conversation in the creation of knowledge about the past. Engaging with theoretical approaches such as the sociology and geographies of knowledge and Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and using examples taken from different archaeologies in Europe and North America from the seventeenth to the mid-twentieth century, the book caters to a wide readership, ranging from students of archaeology, anthropology, classics and science studies to the general reader.
The characterization of inter-species variation in bone mineral (b-HAP) is of relevance to forensic science and archeology, but has not previously been widely explored. Results of an investigation ...into unheated bone mineral and behavior of bone upon heating for 12 animal species (including human) demonstrate that b-HAP characteristics, quantitatively measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, exhibit significant inter-species variation. Human bone was found to be significantly different to all other species in terms of b-HAP lattice parameter values from unheated and heated bone and in terms of recrystallization behavior of b-HAP upon heating bone to 600 degree C. The amounts of b-HAP thermal decomposition products were also significantly different for human bone heated to 1400 degree C compared to those obtained for most other species. Therefore, there is potential for the development of an XRD-based method of species identification, particularly one that distinguishes human from non-human bone.
Archaeobotany is the study of plant remains from archaeological contexts. Despite Australasian research being at the forefront of several methodological innovations over the last three decades, ...archaeobotany is now a relatively peripheral concern to most archaeological projects in Australia and New Guinea. In this paper, many practicing archaeobotanists working in these regions argue for a more central role for archaeobotany in standard archaeological practice. An overview of archaeobotanical techniques and applications is presented, the potential for archaeobotany to address key historical research questions is indicated, and initiatives designed to promote archaeobotany and improve current practices are outlined.
Capturing the Senses Landeschi, Giacomo; Betts, Eleanor
eSSENCE: The e-Science Collaboration,
2023
eBook, Book
Odprti dostop
This open-access book surveys how digital technology can contribute effectively to improving our understanding of the past, through a sensory engagement based on the evidence of material culture. In ...particular, it encourages specialists to consider senses and human agency as important factors in studying ancient space, while recognising the role played by digital tools in enhancing a human-centred form of analysis. Significant advances in archaeological computing, digital methods, and sensory approaches have led archaeologists to rethink strategies and methods for creating narratives of the past. Recent progress in data visualisation and implementation, as well as other nascent digital sensory methods, means that it is now easier to explore and experience ancient space from a multiscalar perspective, from the individual body or single building to the wider landscape. The chapters in Capturing the Senses: Digital Methods for Sensory Archaeologies present innovative methods for representing an embodied experience of ancient space, simulating (but not recreating) ancient behaviours and social interaction. Chapters cover topics including the potentials and pitfalls of visualising, recreating, and re-enacting/experiencing the senses in Virtual Reality environments and also digital reconstructions and auralisations of ancient spaces to study sound sensory perception. Overall, the book demonstrates that multisensory approaches can give a new perspective on how ancient spaces were intended to be used by inhabitants to fulfil a series of purposes including conveying messages and regulating movement. This is an open-access book.
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