Gift Giving Guide 21: Ideas for Presents for Your Favorite Anthropologist(s)

Biannually I dedicate blog posts to the presentation of gifts that may be suitable for anthropologists or individuals interested in anthropology (any and all subfields).  As we are nearing the end of the traditional semester and quickly approaching graduation season it seems appropriate to dedicate a post to this very topic.  Below are some of the latest additions to the list of gift ideas that may be appropriate for your anthropologically interested person.

 

Gifts for the Cultural Anthropologist

Cultural anthropologists study various aspects of living cultural groups, making the possibilities for gifts endless.  As cultural anthropology is also the foundation of all of the remaining anthropological subfields this gift may be just right.  It is a customizable anthropology poster, and you can change up the color scheme and the name.  The gift receiver need not be a Ph.D. holder, so the Dr. Name need not apply.  It is available through Twenty3Stars. 

For the Linguistic Anthropologist

Linguistic anthropologists are all about language and culture, and there are various places that they may go to complete their fieldwork.  Many linguistic anthropologists, however, do a lot of work behind a computer screen, be it recording, transcribing, conducting background research, or even communicating with informants.  This sticker that shows a love for linguistic anthropology, particularly for introverts, may be the perfect piece for the linguistic anthropologist you know.  You can acquire this from SpaceDogLaika.

For the Biological Anthropologist

The broadest of the four subfields is biological anthropology, which means that finding the appropriate gift for the biological anthropologist you know may be difficult.  If, however, the biological anthropologist you know is in any way tied to genetics this pencil holder shaped like a double helix (the form of DNA) could do just the trick!  This special gift is available through 3DAmerica.

For the Archaeologist

Archaeologists can be found in the summer months working out in the field, surveying and excavating archaeological sites.  They do, however, deserve something special to showcase their talents.  While this option may not help them work it is a reminder of their greatness that they can view while working in the lab or filing out necessary paperwork.  Purchase this customizable name plate through BuzzyCraft.

 

Medicine in Antiquity: The Earliest Identified Ear Surgery

 

Figure 1: El Pendón site, located in northern Spain

 

Humans have been performing and perfecting various technological advancements for millennia.  Be it building monumental structures, creating works of art, or intentionally mummifying the dead there have been few limits placed on the human imagination and the ingenuity that springs from it.  Today’s post features another example of early inventiveness: evidence of the world’s oldest ear surgery.

 

The discovery was made at the El Pendón site, located in northern Spain (Figure 1).  Excavations at the site began in 2016, and it was realized that the site was used for as a burial site between 3,800 and 3,000 B.C.  A large limestone and soil structure was the interment site for the deceased.  As new individuals were laid to rest within the structure previously interred individuals were moved to other parts of the structure, leading to the comingling of disarticulated remains. 

 

Various skeletal elements were recovered for later analysis.  It was a team of archaeologists from the University of Valladolid in Spain and the Spanish National Research Council in Italy who in 2018 began their analyses of some of the skeletal remains, leading to a remarkable and surprising discovery.  While examining the skull of an elderly woman they noticed man-made perforations created through intentional circular, abrasive drilling around her left and right ear canals.  Further analysis of the ear canals and surround bone demonstrated that the woman had suffered several ear infections or more serious pathological conditions, which may have led her to seek relief through a trephining procedure.  Further analysis demonstrated that the surgeries occurred within a short period of time from one another, although it was unclear if lapsed time was days or months.  Remarkably, the woman survived both painful procedures.

 

Given the age of the site (as it was used in the 4^th century B.C.) and the evidence of intentional manipulation of the woman’s ear canals it was concluded that this is the first evidenced ear surgery in the world.  Unfortunately, it is unclear how specifically the surgery took place.  There is no solid evidence that any painkillers were used, and while flint blades were found adjacent to the skull it is unclear if they were used in the procedure.  One of the blades had evidence of being used to cut bone, but there was insufficient evidence to link that blade to the woman’s skeletal remains.  Regardless, this discovery demonstrates the resourcefulness of humans, as well as the long history of medical interventions that existed among modern humans.

 

Bibliography

Díaz-Navarro, S., Tejedor-Rodríguez, C., Arcusa-Magallón, H. et al. The first otologic surgery in a    skull from El Pendón site (Reinoso, Northern Spain). Sci Rep 12, 2537 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06223-6

Recker, J. (2022, February 24). 5,300-Year-Old Skull Offers Earliest Known Evidence of Ear Surgery. Smithsonian Magazine.

Yirka, B. (2022, February 23). Earliest evidence of ear surgery 5,300 years ago. Phys.org.

 

 

Spotlight on Students: Origins and Meanings of American Idioms

 This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify the origins and meanings of time of a specific American phrase that they selected. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

The phrase "Hail Mary" was popularized by football games (Image Source: YouTube)

 

By: Ahmesha Johnson

I decided to choose the sports phrase “ Hail Mary.” I chose this phrase because when I think of "Hail Mary" personally, I think of a last resort that may or may not work, but you have to take the chance. A lot of times I hear the term "Hail Mary" in television shows with doctors. 

What I think this phrase means based on context clues from the ways that I have heard it I think that it means desperation.  You have no other plan or idea of what to do, and you just have to go with what your gut is telling you.  When it comes to sports the phrase "Hail Mary" came into the Sports World because of the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Roger Staubach, in 1975. Roger Staubach used the term to describe a miracle touchdown that he threw to Drew Pearson in the playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. 

The original term "Hail Mary" came from The Gospel of Luke in the Bible where they are praying about blessing the woman's womb. Today, the term "Hail Mary" is used to describe a desperate chance to get a winning outcome against all odds in any circumstance.

 I was unable to find a clear reason why the phrase "Hail Mary" changed over the years, but by using some context clues within the reading "Hail Mary" was used because the Virgin Mary was pregnant with Jesus and they wanted to praise her.  In 2024 it means taking a big risk or praying for a miracle, so I am kind of conveying that they took the term instead of praying for the miracle of Jesus being born into praying for a miracle in different scenarios and situations.

Sources cited 

“The Biblical Roots of the Hail Mary.” Ascension Press Media, media.ascensionpress.com/podcast/the-biblical-roots-of-the-hail-mary/#:~:text=Luke%201%3A26%2D28%20%E2%80%93.

 

  Sheridan, Phil. “How Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson Made the “Hail Mary” Pass Famous.” HISTORY, Phil Sheridan, 6 Aug. 2021, www.history.com/news/hail-mary-pass-roger-staubach-drew-pearson-1975. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.

 

The phrase "come out swinging comes from boxing (Image source: Princeton University Press)

By: Devin White

I chose the phrase, "Come out swinging.". I chose this phrase because I have heard it from coaches before in the past. I also chose the phrase because I think it is a good saying to get someone pumped up for what they are going to do. I think what it means is to come out ready and aggressive in a way. Also, it means to not be scared of the moment and to be confident in yourself. The origin of the phrase comes from boxing. According to Huong (2021), "It refers to a boxer who starts a match by firing fists unrestrainedly." Back then it meant that the boxer was out of control and just throwing punches. Now I think it means to just be aggressive and to have determination that you can get whatever is done. I think time changed the meaning of the phrase because it was first perceived as someone just going out erratic, but I look at it as being more aggressive than passive, not out of control.  I do not know specifically what changed the meaning, but I like what it stands for. One thing the meaning says about our culture is we do not like to back down and we also show encouragement to others.

 

Youridioms.com, J. H. (n.d.). Come out swinging explanation, meaning, origin - the biggest idioms dictionary. Your Idioms. https://www.youridioms.com/en/idiom/come-out-swinging

Martin, G. (n.d.). Phrases, sayings and proverbs we use everyday - with their meanings and origins explained. Phrasefinder. https://www.phrases.org.uk/

 

 

Spotlight on Students: A Discussion on Cultural Appropriation

 This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify an example of cultural appropriation and explain how the cultural elements could be appreciated instead. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

Image Source: Lakota People's Law Project

 

By: Laniya Stevens

One example of cultural appropriation is those who use the term “spirit animal” and not use it correctly. The term comes from the Native American tradition that started centuries ago that described sacred tribal practices. When a child is born “the spirit animal comes to a person in a dream, vision or spiritual experience,” (Fauna 2024).  Those spirit animals are assigned at birth. Many people use spirit animals to describe how they are as a person, for example many use a lion or a tiger to show that they are brave or strong. Another form of appropriation that ties into this example is tattoos where as people get their “spirit animal” and don’t know the full meaning (same as tribal tattoos in a sense). These are examples of cultural appropriation because people are using and getting these symbols and animals without fully g understanding the concept and taking over the true meaning that was placed centuries ago. If someone is not a part of those tribes, they should research and find the proper way to display their knowledge of such. Getting a tattoo of a lion on a place where the sun doesn’t shine and showing someone of the Native American Culture, they’d find it extremely disrespectful. It’s a tricky situation when it comes to animals, but as long as someone isn’t traveling and being disrespectful then that’s the way to show they understand and appreciate the culture. 

 

Editor's Note: There are some that suggest one uses the term "familiar" or "patronus" rather than continuing to appropriate American Indian culture and terms inappropriately. 

Dechaine MOUNTPLANE, M. (2023, June 8). The importance of spirit animals in Amerindian cultures. Fauna. https://fauna-protect.com/en-us/blogs/blog/spirit-animal-importance-for-amerindians#:~:text=Some%20Native%20Americans%20believe%20that,dream%2C%20vision%20or%20spiritual%20experience.

 

Chinese women wearing qipoa (circa 1600s).  Image Source: May Boo Clothing

 

 

By: Alainnah Anthony

 

Cultural appropriation is adopting or taking an aspect of a culture different from your own in an offensive, disrespectful way, often using stereotypes and is very exploitative. One example of cultural appropriation starts in April of 2018, where a teen, Keziah Daum, made a Twitter post of her and her friends at their prom. There were two problems in all of the photos she posted that night: the dress and the stereotypical poses in the photos. The dress Daum wore to prom is specifically known as the Qipao, which is a Chinese dress originating from the 17th century during the Manchu rule in China (Mack, 2019).

 Women wore Qipaos daily during this time, however it is currently only worn during big formal events and special occasions, such as celebrations, weddings, etc. The majority of the people who viewed Daum's Twitter post were furious and expressed their frustration in the comments, one of them being “My culture is not your (censored) prom dress” (Jer, 2018).  

Contrary to Daum's angry defense on Twitter mentioning she was showing admiration, that it is just “a (censored) dress,” saying it was beautiful, and accusing the viewers who were upset of spreading negativity, the reason why this is cultural appropriation is because it seems her only goal or purpose for wearing the Qipao is to look good for prom, while not fully knowing that the Qipao itself is a huge traditional symbol of the Chinese culture.  This was made blatantly clear in her defense as she referred to it as just “a (censored) dress” (Daum, 2018).  Daum did not understand that the reason many people were upset and disgusted was because she treated a very meaningful symbol of the culture as only an accessory to a high school event, when she could have chosen an actual prom dress.  In other words, she exploited the Qipao for prom.

 

To express admiration and appreciate another culture and prevent appropriation, do research and educate yourself on said culture. Make sure you know the meaning and the beliefs. Acknowledging this will help you have a better understanding of what is respectful, and what is not. Do not use aspects of a different culture only for exploitation, or benefits. 

 

Wong, Brittany. “Here’s What You Get Wrong When You Culturally Appropriate Asian Fashion | HuffPost Life.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 14 May 2019

 

Mack, Lauren. “What Is a Qipao in Chinese Fashion?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 9 Jan. 2011