REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Biocultural Anthropology

提议工作总结：圣母大学生物文化人类学暑期项目吸引了一群有才华的本科生，他们在体验式学习环境中沉浸在人类学的方法和理论中。利用约旦早期青铜器时代（EBA） Bab edh-Dhra'的大量骨骼作为研究的基石，在城市化早期阶段古代生活的生物文化重建中，综合了考古和地理信息。知识价值：Bab edh-Dhra'遗骸是整个黎凡特南部唯一规模可观、系统挖掘的EBA II-III骨骼收藏。在过去八年的REU资助下，研究人员已经建立了一个专门的团队来研究人类学中的当前问题，特别是为培养优秀的本科生而装备精良。该计划将利用尖端技术来扩展不断增长的主题数据库，如：烧伤骨，亚成人同位素模式和3D非破坏性牙齿形态。巴黎圣母院的三个大型骨骼收藏，与其他博物馆的合作，以及分析设备的使用，使这项工作成为可能。更广泛的影响：该项目将积极寻求女性和未被充分代表的少数民族的参与，以及研究机会有限的机构的学生。该项目加强了女性研究生（GTA）和女性博士后（SRPOC）的教育。与考古政治、文物处理和归还相关的伦理问题的探索将关注集中在科学伦理上，为未来的研究工作提供了重要的基础。学生从事原创性研究，以发展一套科学方法技能，提高他们的合作研究能力。他们一起到实验室和博物馆进行实地考察，体验跨学科研究的各个方面。参与者接受数据分析和介绍方面的技术培训，并为项目网站作出贡献，以加强向广大受众提供的联机信息。最后，一个充满活力的系列讲座明确了研究过去的整体方法的重要性。之前的夏季研究小组已经在专业会议上展示了他们的发现，并与人合作撰写了论文，在评审期刊上发表。因此，拟议中的生物文化暑期项目提供了一种激发智力的学习体验，使参与者具备一套观察周围环境的才能。通过整合实践研究技能、伦理探究和观察人类互动的综合学科范式，学生获得研究生学习所需的工具，他们可以以有意义的方式为人类学领域做出贡献。

Summary of Proposed Work: The Summer Program in Biocultural Anthropology at Notre Dame engages a diverse pool of talented undergraduates in an experiential learning environment that immerses them in anthropological method and theory. Using a large skeletal collection from Early Bronze Age (EBA) Bab edh-Dhra' in Jordan as the cornerstone for study, archaeological and geographic information are synthesized in a biocultural reconstruction of ancient life in the early stages of urbanization. Intellectual Merit: The Bab edh-Dhra' remains are the only sizeable, systematically excavated skeletal collection for the EBA II-III in all of the southern Levant. Over the past eight years of REU funding, researchers have built a dedicated team for studying current questions in anthropology, particularly equipped for training exceptional undergraduates. This program will utilize cutting edge techniques to expand a growing database on topics such as: burned bone, subadult isotope patterns, and 3D nondestructive dental morphology. The three large skeletal collections at Notre Dame, collaboration with other museums, and access to analytical equipment makes this work possible. Broader Impact: This program will actively seek female and underrepresented minority participation, as well as students at institutions with limited research opportunities. The education of a female graduate student (GTA) and a female post-doc (SRPOC) are enhanced by this program. Exploration of ethical issues related to the politics of archaeology, treatment of artifacts, and repatriation focus attention on scientific ethics, providing an important foundation for future research endeavors. Students engage in original research to develop a suite of methodological skills in the sciences and enhance their capability for collaborative research. They share in a field trip program to laboratories and museums to experience various aspects of interdisciplinary study. Participants receive technical training for data analysis and presentation, and contribute to the project website to enhance the on-line information available to a broad audience. Finally, a dynamic lecture series crystallizes the importance of an holistic approach for studying the past. Previous summer groups have presented their findings at professional meetings and coauthored papers for publication in refereed journals. The proposed biocultural summer program thus provides an intellectually energizing learning experience, which equips participants with a suite of talents for viewing their surroundings. Through the integration of practical research skills, ethical inquiry, and the synthesis of disciplinary paradigms for viewing human interaction, students gain the necessary tools for graduate study where they can contribute in a meaningful fashion to the field of anthropology.