Tradition Archives - The Rockstar Anthropologist

Category : Tradition

Anthropology Burial Culture Disease Forensic Anthropology Osteology Skeletal biology The Body Tradition

Black History Series: The Liberated African Graveyard of St. Helena, Part Two

This is part two of the 2019 Black History Month series on two important sites- the African Burial Grounds in NYC and a tiny island called St. Helena. In this second part, I’ll discuss the burials on the island. Quick Recap: How did St. Helena Island become the final resting place for 1000s of freed […]

Anthropology Art and Politics Culture Media Social Justice Tradition

Deviant Beauty: The Ageless Fashionista

The mass media has many functions, but one of its primary functions is to communicate social expectations or norms. The lack of older people represented in mass media can imply that aging is undesirable. George Gerbner, founder of the cultivation theory, coined the term symbolic annihilation to describe the erasure of certain identities within mass […]Read More

Anthropology Archaeology Documentary Fun Media Social Justice Social Media The Body Tradition

Deviant Beauty: “The Latina Bibliophilic Feminist Bioarchaeologist”

Photography by Damari McBride Photography The sun was barely up when Krista arrived at the studio on a cold Monday morning. A bioarchaeologist and college student working towards her Ph.D., she greeted me with a big hug, even though this was our first time meeting. Her, then, chin length hair and glasses appeared conservative and […]Read More

Anthropology Art and Politics Culture Tradition

Introducing a new series about people: “Deviant Beauty”

In our search for beauty ideals and physically pleasing aesthetics, humans have navigated complex social and cultural obligations and expectations that come to represent social norms. The social norms help us to take the temperature of what is acceptable, and in contrast, what isn’t. These norms and ideals change from culture to culture and overtime. […]Read More

Anthropology Fun Tradition

Reflections on 2016

In that moment, battered, bruised, limping on one leg, head raised, the hero goes towards the beast, for they have "already come through what they've come to." As do I walk towards 2017...Read More

Anthropology Art and Politics Culture Documentary Tradition

Japanese art of Hikaru Dorodango

Buck the Cubicle series from P2 Photography American, Bruce Gardner, was motivated to learn Dorodango, a Japanese art form in which soil and water are shaped into a delicate shiny sphere. The word doro-dango translates as mud (doro-), dumpling (dango). Hikaru means shining. The shining refers to the glossy finish of the sphere. [vimeo 130927316 […]Read More

Anthropology Art and Politics Tradition

On a Personal Note: My Story of Grief During The

The first dead body I ever touched was my father’s. Incidentally, it also corresponded with my first comparative culture study. But I wouldn’t recognize what I did as such until years later- actually until last year. I was just searching for myself, or a community that didn’t make me feel so weird. My father, Rev. […]Read More

Anthropology Culture Fun Geek Love Tradition

Gifts for Culture and Macabre Lovers: The Sweet Edition

I tend to look for ANY excuse to celebrate. Valentine’s Day is no exception! Sometimes I bring cupcakes to class, candies to work, take my mom out for dinner, or treat myself to something nice. I’ve also had the flu this week. So when I was lucid, that meant internet surfing Check out some neat […]Read More

Anthropology Art and Politics Forensic Anthropology Osteology Social Justice Tradition

The 2014 Rockstar Anthro Year End Review!

From the time I thought of starting this blog, I’ve had a few false starts, but 2014 was my first full year as ‘The Rockstar Anthropologist’ and it was AWESOME! Here a few of my favorite posts! My Favorite in a Series I have to start with my first series of posts. I did a 4 […]Read More

Anthropology Disease Forensic Anthropology Osteology Skeletal biology The Body Tradition

The Bones of Monsters: Mutants (Part 3)

This is the last in my series on the The Bones of Monsters! When you think “mutant” do you think about ninja turtles or perhaps the sewer creatures of New New York? The term mutant has often been associated with supernatural, extraordinary or deviant characteristics that change ones biology so much that they are either consider […]Read More

Anthropology Burial Osteology Skeletal biology Tradition

The Bones of Monsters: Witches (Part 2)

I was in middle school when “The Craft” came out. The movie went as follows: A high school girl transfers into a seedy Hollywood high school and meets 3 outcasts. They befriend her as they soon discover that she may contain some magic and would be the perfect addition to complete their ‘circle’ (coven?). Anyway, the […]Read More

Anthropology Burial Osteology Skeletal biology Tradition

The Bones of Monsters: Vampires (Part1)

A few days ago, an article began to circulate about a medieval burial that revealed evidence that the people of the time and area had laid a vampire to rest. This is exciting for all parties involved! Even if the archaeological aspect of the story doesn’t get you worked up, vampires have been a significant part of our […]Read More