REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Biocultural Anthropology

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ABSTRACT0649088Susan Guise SheridanREU Site Undergraduate Research in Biocultural AnthropologyThis Research Experiences for Undergraduates REU Site is an eight week summer program at the University of Notre Dame. The Site focuses on the study of ancient health and disease in a large 6,000 year old skeletal collection from southern Jordan. Study of the Early Bronze Age remains from Bab edh Dhra will synthesize biological, archaeological and geographic information for a reconstruction of ancient life in the early stages of urbanization. Students engage in original research to develop skills in the sciences and enhance their capability for collaborative research. They share in a field trip program to research laboratories, museum collections, and libraries to experience numerous dimensions of interdisciplinary investigation as well as possible career paths. A dynamic lecture program delivered by a team of scholars in the fields of anthropology, biology, chemistry, geography, and Near Eastern studies will compliment the hands-on research dimension of the program. Exploration of ethical issues related to the politics of archaeology, treatment of artifacts, and reburial focus attention on scientific ethics, providing an important foundation for future research endeavors. Previous summer groups have subsequently presented their findings at professional meetings and coauthored papers for publication in refereed journals. This intellectually energizing experience will allow participants to integrate of practical research skills, ethical inquiry, and synthesize information from numerous fields for viewing human interaction. Students will gain the necessary tools for graduate study, cognizant of the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective.