Well, December is here. There are several great things about the arrival of this month. First, it means that November is over and I can finally shave my mustache off! November is also known as 'Movember.' The point of this is similar to 'No Shave Novemeber' but is commonly restricted to just growing a mustache. In order to participate, you are supposed to shave the 1st of November and not again until the month is over. Men participating often get sponsors and all the money raised is donated to men's health causes. Silly contests for good causes. It was fun, but to be honest, I hate this thing on my face. It has to go.
The next thing about the arrival of December is that the weather has finally decided that it is winter. As such, the temperature ranges from cold as shit to fucking freezing (major bonus nerd points if you can identify that quote). I commonly wear a long sleeve shirt, hoodie, and my pea coat when going out. On the really cold days I add a scarf, gloves, and maybe an undershirt. Its times like these that I am happy I have longer hair again as it really help keeping my head warm. The rain has been a little bit more than normal this week. Even got a thunder storm mid week. The temperature during the day has been in the mid to high forties and close to freezing in the evening. It dipped below freezing the other day and looks like it will be doing that several more times in the next few weeks. Snow is becoming more likely as well.
On Monday, I had a meeting with the lady who conducted the original investigation into the mummy and coffin at UCC. The meeting was mostly pointless, more a show of good will on my part. I was able to examine some of the original x-rays and CT scans. Its amazing how far imaging technologies have come in the last decades. The CT scans were practically worthless. This meeting just proved how important it is to get a modern high tech evaluation of the material. I have also been in contact with several of my friends and colleagues back at UCLA who have advised me on several aspect of study that I could possibly pursue with this material. So while things seem to not be moving forward, they are. Just at an immeasurably slow pace.
On Wednesday night, our class celebrated the holidays by having a potluck dinner and a secret Santa gift exchange. The secret part of the secret Santa only lasted about 2 days. Our class sucks at keeping secrets. Being the only guy, I knew I was in for some type of prank. Even more so when I learn who had drawn my name. Of all the ridiculous things I could have imagined, nothing could have prepared me for my gift. I was given a bunny onesie, complete with hood and ears and a pink heart-shaped tail. Yep. Giant bunny onesie. Everyone one else got scarves, stuffed animals, jewelry. Not me. Nope. Even worse, they made me put it on. It felt exactly like the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie is forced to put on his pick bunny onesie. Dignity remaining after that night: none. Wonder where they got the inspiration. Not cool!
So December is off to an interesting and cold start. I have only one more week of class before the Christmas break. That will mark the end of the first semester and I will be that much closer to my master's degree. I will post some more picture from my trip last weekend soon. I took over 80 pictures at the Rock of Cashel so I need to shrink that down into a slideshow. It should be posted in the next few days.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
10 Down
Well, this week wasn't too special so I will avoid the boring stuff related to school and skip ahead to the end of the week. Thanksgiving was this past Thursday and unlike all of you, I spent it in class. In fact, I had a quiz that day. After class, I made myself dinner. No turkey and stuffing for me this year, just a frozen pizza. This Thanksgiving was the first major holiday I have spent away from family and friends. It was odd. Thankfully, I did have a long conversation with my mom and was able to Skype with my dad, uncles, and cousins. It was strange spending a holiday alone. But, I guess that is what I am to expect for the rest of my stay here.
On Friday, all the postgrad students had a trip to Dublin. We were going to visit several places that could aid in our research. These places included the National Museum, the National Library, National Monuments Services, and the National Archives. The trip was a huge waste of time for our class. Nothing about bones was even discussed. Furthermore, we didn't even visit the location where the human remains collections are stored in the National Museum. The trip was an even bigger waste for me as nothing of any value relating to mummies was even mentioned. The museum was at least slightly interesting. After a very brief tour of the collections stored underground in the vaults of the museum (all the stuff not on display) we were given only a few minutes to tour the museum until our next tour at the National Library. Our class ran straight to the room with the bog bodies. Sadly, I did not have my camera so no pictures. After a brief glace at the bog bodies I went upstairs to see the small Egyptian exhibit. I was able to spend only a few minutes in the exhibit attempting to learn about 26th dynasty mummification. I will hopefully be making another trip out there sooner rather than later to spend more time in the museum. I will be sure to bring my camera that time.
The rest of the weekend was spent on a trip with the Archaeology Society. We left Saturday morning, visited several sites in the south of Ireland, spent the night in a hostel, and traveled to another site on Sunday before heading back. I will post pictures in a post following this one. Saturday was spent in and around the town of Cashel. The main place we visited was the Rock of Cashel. This large hill (actually a limestone outcropping) was the site where Irish kings were crowned. Nearby, was an large abbey and the remains of an old ring fort. You can't really make out the ring fort, just the mound it once stood on. Sometimes archaeology requires a lot of imagination. After our tours of the sites, we headed back to the hostel where myself and Simon (another member of the society) somehow became elected chefs and cooked dinner for the whole group of 15. Cooking food for 15 people on a crap stove and using pots with no handles was quite the adventure. Amazingly, dinner was prepared without any major injuries and no one got sick as a result. After dinner we headed to the pub and watched the rugby match. On Sunday, we traveled north to the midlands and visited one of the oldest and best preserved church sites in Ireland, Clonmacnoise. It was a beautiful place located right on the banks of the Shannon. The weather was freezing, but it was quite the picturesque trip. After our tour, we all got on the bus for the long ride back to cork.
So that was my week. Spent 6+ hours per day on a bus and celebrated Thanksgiving alone with a frozen pizza. Sometimes I wonder if coming here was the right choice. Sadly, the more time I spend here, the more I lean towards this being the wrong decision. Sure, I will be getting my master's degree, but at what cost? I guess this is just a period of doubt and I am sure it will pass. Just second guessing myself. Ok, this post just got depressing. I'm going to end it now. Enjoy the pictures!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
An Egyptian Mummy and Coffin
I guess it is time for me to let you all in on the little secret that I have been hinting at over the last few weeks. I am sorry for this, but I had to be elusive as this matter does have the potential for massive political ramifications. I wanted to be sure that this project was going to happen before I let you all in on it. As this project has some elements that the University would rather not have publicized I will keep my discussion about the project to my personal involvement and basic information about it. Furthermore, as this is going to be my thesis project, I will not be elaborating on much of the details via this blog. I am more then happy to discuss the project in greater detail in private (email, skype, etc.). OK, enough of that crap!
My project involves the examination of a 2,500 year old mummy and coffin from Late/ Ptolemaic Period Egypt (747-30 BC). There are several aspects which I am going to study. The primary goal of this examination is that of conservation. The mummy itself is in poor condition. I will be documenting any and all postmortem damage and providing recommendations on how best to halt or even reverse the damage that has been sustained during the 100+ years since its excavation near Thebes, Egypt. The purpose for this is to allow for further studies to be carried out without further harm and damage to the material. Eventually, I would like to see the material officially curated into the college museum, but that is unlikely due to its poor condition. The next phase of the project builds off the first. I will be recording and analyzing the funerary texts inscribed and painted along the outside and inside of the coffin. Much about the coffin's original occupant would have been written on the coffin including his/her name, their occupation, as well as instructions for the afterlife. These texts will be compared with the Book of the Dead as well as several other funerary texts popular at the time. Lastly, I hope to preform a high tech investigation of the mummy. This would include 3D CT scanning and digital X-rays which, in turn, would allow me to conduct a virtual unwrapping of the mummy. I am also hoping to have portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) preformed on several spots within and upon the mummy and coffin in hopes of understanding the elemental composition of the paints and resins used during the mummification and coffin construction.
Much of my time is currently spent reading books on this subject matter. As this is the first Egyptian mummy I have worked with I have a lot of learning to do in regards to Egyptian funerary practices, religion, and technology.
My project involves the examination of a 2,500 year old mummy and coffin from Late/ Ptolemaic Period Egypt (747-30 BC). There are several aspects which I am going to study. The primary goal of this examination is that of conservation. The mummy itself is in poor condition. I will be documenting any and all postmortem damage and providing recommendations on how best to halt or even reverse the damage that has been sustained during the 100+ years since its excavation near Thebes, Egypt. The purpose for this is to allow for further studies to be carried out without further harm and damage to the material. Eventually, I would like to see the material officially curated into the college museum, but that is unlikely due to its poor condition. The next phase of the project builds off the first. I will be recording and analyzing the funerary texts inscribed and painted along the outside and inside of the coffin. Much about the coffin's original occupant would have been written on the coffin including his/her name, their occupation, as well as instructions for the afterlife. These texts will be compared with the Book of the Dead as well as several other funerary texts popular at the time. Lastly, I hope to preform a high tech investigation of the mummy. This would include 3D CT scanning and digital X-rays which, in turn, would allow me to conduct a virtual unwrapping of the mummy. I am also hoping to have portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) preformed on several spots within and upon the mummy and coffin in hopes of understanding the elemental composition of the paints and resins used during the mummification and coffin construction.
Much of my time is currently spent reading books on this subject matter. As this is the first Egyptian mummy I have worked with I have a lot of learning to do in regards to Egyptian funerary practices, religion, and technology.
The primary reason there is so much sensitivity surrounding this mummy and coffin is because its history is practically unknown. No one is sure exactly how it came to University College Cork. Previous investigations have hinted that it arrived some time between 1890-1910. It was originally stored in the Anatomy Department until some time in the 1920s. During this time, for reasons not entirely known, the mummy was stored (or hidden) under the floorboards of the Pathology Department. It wasn't until a remodeling of the department in the 1970s that the mummy was 're-discovered' and moved to the central library on campus, where it has been ever since. A study was conducted on the mummy in the late 1980s by a former master's student in the archaeology department. Since then, no one has had much contact with the mummy until a month ago. As you read in the newspaper article I posted some time back, Egyptian officials visited the campus to examine the mummy and determine its fate. With the opening of a brand new museum in Cairo scheduled for 2013, Egypt is attempting to collect all the mummies from various museums around the world in hopes have centralizing Egyptian archaeology in Egypt. I have many issues with this, and their approach, but that is another rant for another time. However, the recent events in Egypt have put a stall on everything. Only time will determine the true fate of the material at UCC.
So that's the big secret I have been keeping from you all. I will update you on my studies as best I can via this blog. If you have specific questions about the mummy, I would email them to me. For general questions, I am more than happy to answer them publicly. That way I can discuss it at further length with the potential consequences of a public discussion.
Below is a picture of the coffin. As you can see, it's not in great shape. I'm hoping to fix that.
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| Egyptian coffin at UCC. Photo: UCC |
Thursday, November 24, 2011
9 Down
Hi everyone. Just wanted to thank you all for reading this blog. Last week, I hit a record high number of visit to the site in a single day. Close to 30 people logged on to read this thing. I feel pressure now to produce a meaningful and insightful post. Sadly, I doubt that will happen and this blog will continue to just be a rambling chronicle of my time here.
This week was a pretty ordinary week. Just school, school, and more school. Some of the courses are beginning to wrap up as the end of the semester is just a few weeks away. I'll be happy to finish these courses and I'm excited about starting the new ones in January. The osteology course has continued to become more practical. We have been studying how to determine the age of death of neonates, infants, and children. This is accomplished using many different methods. The most common and accurate way to determine age at death is to examine the dentition of the remains. Our teeth erupt at more or less a set age. By comparing which teeth have erupted to those that have not, an accurate age at death can be determined. We also learned methods for estimating the age by using several other bones of the body. In this method we examine the size of the bones along with their developmental stage. Our bones grow and fuse (commonly known as the growth plate) at particular ages, just like dental eruption, and by compiling all the data we can establish an accurate age, typically with in a year or two.
On Friday, we had our first guest lecturer of the year. The talk was about international forensic anthropology. The women, who currently works in the Netherlands as part of the International Criminal Court, presented on her work as a forensic anthropologist analyzing human remains for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as well as her work in Iraq, Rwanda, and other ICC investigations of genocide and crimes against humanity. The talk was absolutely fascinating. I'm sure the general public would disagree with my feelings towards the lecture as most people would not enjoy 2 hours of talk and images about genocide and mass graves. If you are even the slightest bit interested in how genocide is proven in an international criminal trial from a forensic point of view I highly recommend reading The Bone Woman by Clea Koff. Not only is Clea a friend of mine and an incredible writer, her book goes deeper then what you would see on TV shows such as CSI or Bones. She really examines the emotional impact doing this work has on the lives of those who survived the wars and those who study the remains and speak for those who were killed. Its an emotional read but one I think everyone should pick up. She explains everything much better than I can. I hope one day to be able to join on of the teams that investigates this types of crimes. I know they are currently sending in "fact-finding" teams into Lybia and several other African nations. We will see what happens in the next few months or years but given the chance to do it, I would go. Right now, The Bone Woman is less than $10 on Amazon. Here is a link: The Bone Woman by Clea Koff
I got several messages and comments about the little sneak peek I gave you all last week. I will post a separate entry about the upcoming project and my involvement very soon. As it stands now, the project will take place. I am unsure of the exact route that it will follow, but something will be happening. I will let you all know every soon. Well, I think that is it for this week. I trust that everyone is able to view the slideshows that I have posted. If you are having any issues viewing any content I publish here please let me know and I will attempt to address it as best I can. Weather has been really crappy, so no new photos this week. Hope next week will be better.
This week was a pretty ordinary week. Just school, school, and more school. Some of the courses are beginning to wrap up as the end of the semester is just a few weeks away. I'll be happy to finish these courses and I'm excited about starting the new ones in January. The osteology course has continued to become more practical. We have been studying how to determine the age of death of neonates, infants, and children. This is accomplished using many different methods. The most common and accurate way to determine age at death is to examine the dentition of the remains. Our teeth erupt at more or less a set age. By comparing which teeth have erupted to those that have not, an accurate age at death can be determined. We also learned methods for estimating the age by using several other bones of the body. In this method we examine the size of the bones along with their developmental stage. Our bones grow and fuse (commonly known as the growth plate) at particular ages, just like dental eruption, and by compiling all the data we can establish an accurate age, typically with in a year or two.
On Friday, we had our first guest lecturer of the year. The talk was about international forensic anthropology. The women, who currently works in the Netherlands as part of the International Criminal Court, presented on her work as a forensic anthropologist analyzing human remains for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as well as her work in Iraq, Rwanda, and other ICC investigations of genocide and crimes against humanity. The talk was absolutely fascinating. I'm sure the general public would disagree with my feelings towards the lecture as most people would not enjoy 2 hours of talk and images about genocide and mass graves. If you are even the slightest bit interested in how genocide is proven in an international criminal trial from a forensic point of view I highly recommend reading The Bone Woman by Clea Koff. Not only is Clea a friend of mine and an incredible writer, her book goes deeper then what you would see on TV shows such as CSI or Bones. She really examines the emotional impact doing this work has on the lives of those who survived the wars and those who study the remains and speak for those who were killed. Its an emotional read but one I think everyone should pick up. She explains everything much better than I can. I hope one day to be able to join on of the teams that investigates this types of crimes. I know they are currently sending in "fact-finding" teams into Lybia and several other African nations. We will see what happens in the next few months or years but given the chance to do it, I would go. Right now, The Bone Woman is less than $10 on Amazon. Here is a link: The Bone Woman by Clea Koff
I got several messages and comments about the little sneak peek I gave you all last week. I will post a separate entry about the upcoming project and my involvement very soon. As it stands now, the project will take place. I am unsure of the exact route that it will follow, but something will be happening. I will let you all know every soon. Well, I think that is it for this week. I trust that everyone is able to view the slideshows that I have posted. If you are having any issues viewing any content I publish here please let me know and I will attempt to address it as best I can. Weather has been really crappy, so no new photos this week. Hope next week will be better.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sneak Peek
While I still can't personally tell you what I am involved in, I did find a newspaper article that gives you a brief insight into what I am going to be working on. It is still tentative at this point but it is looking promising. I have a meeting next week that will determine the course of the study.
Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/resignation-offers-hope-that-mummy-may-stay-in-cork-172479.html#ixzz1e0Ud5T3P
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Resignation offers hope that mummy may stay in Cork
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
THE case for repatriation of an Egyptian mummy from its current resting place in Cork city has lost one of its most vocal supporters after he stood down as head of Egypt’s Supreme Council for Antiquities.
Zahi Hawass, the world’s foremost authority on ancient Egypt, has previously spoken in favour of returning the mummy to North Africa.
However, he resigned in July, sparking hopes that the ancient remains may be allowed rest in peace as part of the Boole Library Collection at University College Cork (UCC).
In 2002, Mr Hawass was quoted as saying: "This mummy is coming home."
In a newspaper article, Mr Hawass said: "I was in Ireland on a lecture tour in October last year and I had talks with senior staff at UCC. They agreed to let us take Osiris [the mummy’s name] home where he belongs, to the sun and shifting sands of Egypt."
However Mr Hawass’s resignation might work in Ireland’s favour.
Mystery surrounds how the mummy came to UCC.
By 1910, it was illegal to export mummified remains from Egypt, which may explain why there is no record of its delivery to the college.
The mummy is part of a number of artifacts retained by the college from collections amassed when it was Queen’s College Cork (1845 to 1908).
A spokeswoman said the mummy was acquired in the late 19th or very early 20th century by the college and dates to around 305 BC.
The date puts the mummy into the Ptolemaic period, when Egypt was part of a Greek kingdom centred on the eastern Mediterranean.
The college said there is no inscription naming the man but scholarly analysis suggests he would have belonged to the upper echelons of society.
Research conducted by Helen Moloney Davis discovered that the coffin came from Thebes.
The mummy is 1 metre and 69cm long and weighs 24.2kg. X-rays reveal the mummy was a well-built, fully grown male.
The mummy’s coffin dates to around 625 to 600 BC and bears an inscription of a man called Hor whose title was lotus-beater.
However, the mummy itself can be dated back to the Ptolemaic Roman period 305 BC to 500 AD.
Ms Moloney Davis said it is apparent the mummy and the coffin do not belong together.
Ultimately, what becomes of the mummy will depend on the discussions taking place between the Egyptian embassy and UCC.
The Grand Egyptian Museum, also known as the Giza Museum, is planned to contain artifacts of ancient Egypt.
It is scheduled to open in 2013 — and the hunt is on for treasures to fill it up.
It is understood that experts are being drafted in over the coming weeks to assess the mummy and an arrangement will have to be reached with UCC and the Egyptian authorities.
However, he resigned in July, sparking hopes that the ancient remains may be allowed rest in peace as part of the Boole Library Collection at University College Cork (UCC).
In 2002, Mr Hawass was quoted as saying: "This mummy is coming home."
In a newspaper article, Mr Hawass said: "I was in Ireland on a lecture tour in October last year and I had talks with senior staff at UCC. They agreed to let us take Osiris [the mummy’s name] home where he belongs, to the sun and shifting sands of Egypt."
However Mr Hawass’s resignation might work in Ireland’s favour.
Mystery surrounds how the mummy came to UCC.
By 1910, it was illegal to export mummified remains from Egypt, which may explain why there is no record of its delivery to the college.
The mummy is part of a number of artifacts retained by the college from collections amassed when it was Queen’s College Cork (1845 to 1908).
A spokeswoman said the mummy was acquired in the late 19th or very early 20th century by the college and dates to around 305 BC.
The date puts the mummy into the Ptolemaic period, when Egypt was part of a Greek kingdom centred on the eastern Mediterranean.
The college said there is no inscription naming the man but scholarly analysis suggests he would have belonged to the upper echelons of society.
Research conducted by Helen Moloney Davis discovered that the coffin came from Thebes.
The mummy is 1 metre and 69cm long and weighs 24.2kg. X-rays reveal the mummy was a well-built, fully grown male.
The mummy’s coffin dates to around 625 to 600 BC and bears an inscription of a man called Hor whose title was lotus-beater.
However, the mummy itself can be dated back to the Ptolemaic Roman period 305 BC to 500 AD.
Ms Moloney Davis said it is apparent the mummy and the coffin do not belong together.
Ultimately, what becomes of the mummy will depend on the discussions taking place between the Egyptian embassy and UCC.
The Grand Egyptian Museum, also known as the Giza Museum, is planned to contain artifacts of ancient Egypt.
It is scheduled to open in 2013 — and the hunt is on for treasures to fill it up.
It is understood that experts are being drafted in over the coming weeks to assess the mummy and an arrangement will have to be reached with UCC and the Egyptian authorities.
Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/resignation-offers-hope-that-mummy-may-stay-in-cork-172479.html#ixzz1e0Ud5T3P
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, November 01, 2011
8 Down
So two months have come and gone now. Which means I only have 10 months to figure out my Master's project, do said project, and then write a small book about it! Doesn't seem that far off when I think about it. In fact, it's a little bit scary to think that it is that close. Speaking of my Master's project, I will be writing a separate post that will be uploaded shortly explaining everything. Sorry about all the secrecy. Trust me, I want to talk about it. I am just getting a lot of pressure from some very powerful people to keep it very quiet at the moment. I don't want to get on their bad side as it could jeopardize my chance at doing the project. It wouldn't be me if there wasn't some element of controversy involved.
This week was pretty calm. Readings were lighter than usual and lectures were easier. The topics are no longer in the realm of theory and thus the material is much easier to engage with. Topics we are currently discussing include: age and sex, childhood (and its relationship to mortuary practices), and determining the biological sex of a skeleton using various bones of the body. I like the hands on element; I'm good at it.
Friday was our first class field trip! We took a tour around West Cork and viewed several cemeteries that dated from the medieval period to the late 19th century. The weather was less then ideal starting out. It had poured the entire night before and the forecast suggested that it wouldn't let up for the entire day. Luckily, the rain did stop as soon as we left the city center. The wind, however, did not. The wind had the ability to cut through just about everything. Need to invest in a serious wind breaker style jacket. Our locations during the tour were not helping the poor weather. All of the places we visited were right along the southwest coast of Ireland. The wind would pick up the sea water, so even though it wasn't raining, we were still getting wet. It was amazing to see how the cemeteries changed over time. Some burials were very Pagan while others displayed highly Christian themes. Many of these graveyards had the ruins of an old medieval church still partially standing. We also visited the ruins of a late medieval star-shaped fort. It was a little bit of an adventure getting to it which involved a slight bit of trespassing, a fair amount of mud, cattle, and an electric fence. The latter was slightly terrifying. I'm ok with barbed wire but electric fences, in the rain, are a different story.
Towards the end of our trip we stopped for lunch at a cafe/restaurant in a small town. The food was amazing, the dessert even better! The dessert special for the day was Jamesson and Bailey's Creme Burlee and it was one of the best things I have ever had! Our professor surprised us all and picked up the tab for all of our lunches. We are going to have to get him a nice Christmas gift from the class. After lunch we stopped at one last cemetery. This one was just outside of the town where we ate. It was most known for its mass grave dating to the years of the great Irish famine from 1845-1850. It just looked like a large field, but you could see slight depressions where the pits were (top left of picture below). It is unknown exactly how many bodies were buried there, but it is in the order of several hundred. There is a modern memorial erected dedicated to those who lost their lives in the famine (approx 1 million people). You can see the ruins of a church in the upper right of the picture below. It looks like a triangular tree as the remaining structure is fully covered in plant growth.
Well That's it for this week's update. Hopefully I will have good news to share with you all by mid next week and I can stop being so secretive.
This week was pretty calm. Readings were lighter than usual and lectures were easier. The topics are no longer in the realm of theory and thus the material is much easier to engage with. Topics we are currently discussing include: age and sex, childhood (and its relationship to mortuary practices), and determining the biological sex of a skeleton using various bones of the body. I like the hands on element; I'm good at it.
Friday was our first class field trip! We took a tour around West Cork and viewed several cemeteries that dated from the medieval period to the late 19th century. The weather was less then ideal starting out. It had poured the entire night before and the forecast suggested that it wouldn't let up for the entire day. Luckily, the rain did stop as soon as we left the city center. The wind, however, did not. The wind had the ability to cut through just about everything. Need to invest in a serious wind breaker style jacket. Our locations during the tour were not helping the poor weather. All of the places we visited were right along the southwest coast of Ireland. The wind would pick up the sea water, so even though it wasn't raining, we were still getting wet. It was amazing to see how the cemeteries changed over time. Some burials were very Pagan while others displayed highly Christian themes. Many of these graveyards had the ruins of an old medieval church still partially standing. We also visited the ruins of a late medieval star-shaped fort. It was a little bit of an adventure getting to it which involved a slight bit of trespassing, a fair amount of mud, cattle, and an electric fence. The latter was slightly terrifying. I'm ok with barbed wire but electric fences, in the rain, are a different story.
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| Medieval cemetery and church in Castlehaven Harbour, Co. Cork, Ireland |
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| Ruined fort in Castletownsend, Co. Cork, Ireland |
Towards the end of our trip we stopped for lunch at a cafe/restaurant in a small town. The food was amazing, the dessert even better! The dessert special for the day was Jamesson and Bailey's Creme Burlee and it was one of the best things I have ever had! Our professor surprised us all and picked up the tab for all of our lunches. We are going to have to get him a nice Christmas gift from the class. After lunch we stopped at one last cemetery. This one was just outside of the town where we ate. It was most known for its mass grave dating to the years of the great Irish famine from 1845-1850. It just looked like a large field, but you could see slight depressions where the pits were (top left of picture below). It is unknown exactly how many bodies were buried there, but it is in the order of several hundred. There is a modern memorial erected dedicated to those who lost their lives in the famine (approx 1 million people). You can see the ruins of a church in the upper right of the picture below. It looks like a triangular tree as the remaining structure is fully covered in plant growth.
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| Abbeystrewry cemetery and famine memorial, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, Ireland |
Comments on posts - FIXED!
I didn't realize the settings on this blog only allowed comments by people with Google accounts. I have changed that so everyone should now be able to comment on the blogs. I want to hear your comments, questions, and observations! So post away!! If you're still having problems let me know and I will try to fix it.
Monday, November 14, 2011
7 Down
Looks like I forgot to post this one. Thought I did. Oh well, here it is now.
So after last weekend's fun it was time to get back to work. This week wasn't all work. In fact, I got some very cool news! Sadly, I cannot share it with you quite yet. I am still awaiting confirmation from the powers that be. I will tease you with this little nugget: It was found under the floor boards of the university.
Classes this week were nothing special. Just the same old lectures, readings, and discussions. Friday was a bit different. We spent the day examining the skeletal collections here at the university. There are quite a few collections from various regions around Ireland and from time periods ranging from the medieval to the 19th century. The collections are from both urban and rural populations. It is from these collections that we will be producing our master's theses. We might be able to work on material that is held in the national museum in Dublin, but our adviser has recommended that we work with the collections here on campus. This will prevent us from having to constantly travel to Dublin (about 3 hours by bus) and we will have access to the material when we need it. Since my original idea about studying the bog bodies is dead, it looks like I will be studying one of these collections. I am going to try and examine musculoskeletal markers (MSM) as indicators of activity patterns. Its boring, but very easy, and will make a nice thesis. I did learn one interesting fact during the tour of the collections: Crosses Green (where I am currently living) was excavated by UCC several years ago when they were building this apartment complex. While excavating, they discovered at number of burials dating to the 18th century. I would choose the only apartment complex built upon a partially excavated cemetery.
So that's it for this week. Short update for a short and uneventful week. I will hopefully have a very exciting update for you in the near future! Just need to get final confirmation before I get my hopes up too far. One more little hint for you all: I am waiting for experts from another country to say 'OK'. If you have a guess as to what the project may involve, let me hear it!
So after last weekend's fun it was time to get back to work. This week wasn't all work. In fact, I got some very cool news! Sadly, I cannot share it with you quite yet. I am still awaiting confirmation from the powers that be. I will tease you with this little nugget: It was found under the floor boards of the university.
Classes this week were nothing special. Just the same old lectures, readings, and discussions. Friday was a bit different. We spent the day examining the skeletal collections here at the university. There are quite a few collections from various regions around Ireland and from time periods ranging from the medieval to the 19th century. The collections are from both urban and rural populations. It is from these collections that we will be producing our master's theses. We might be able to work on material that is held in the national museum in Dublin, but our adviser has recommended that we work with the collections here on campus. This will prevent us from having to constantly travel to Dublin (about 3 hours by bus) and we will have access to the material when we need it. Since my original idea about studying the bog bodies is dead, it looks like I will be studying one of these collections. I am going to try and examine musculoskeletal markers (MSM) as indicators of activity patterns. Its boring, but very easy, and will make a nice thesis. I did learn one interesting fact during the tour of the collections: Crosses Green (where I am currently living) was excavated by UCC several years ago when they were building this apartment complex. While excavating, they discovered at number of burials dating to the 18th century. I would choose the only apartment complex built upon a partially excavated cemetery.
So that's it for this week. Short update for a short and uneventful week. I will hopefully have a very exciting update for you in the near future! Just need to get final confirmation before I get my hopes up too far. One more little hint for you all: I am waiting for experts from another country to say 'OK'. If you have a guess as to what the project may involve, let me hear it!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sad Day For Anthropology
I learned this morning of the passing of the world's foremost expert on Gibbons. Mr. Alan Mootnick was a friend, both personal and academic. His passion for his work was the likes which I have never seen. There is a huge void in the anthropological world now. Here is the statement issued by his institution, The Gibbon Conservation Center:
Alan Richard Mootnick—one of the world’s foremost specialists and conservationists of gibbons—passed away on Friday, November 4, 2011, from complications following heart surgery. He was 60 years old.
Mootnick founded the non-profit Gibbon Conservation Center (GCC) in Santa Clarita, CA, in 1976, with the purpose to prevent the extinction of gibbons—small Southeast Asian apes—and to advance the study, propagation, and conservation of the species.
What started as a childhood fascination with gibbons developed into an important sanctuary, housing the largest gathering of endangered apes in the Western Hemisphere. Completely self-taught in primatology, Mootnick was one of a team responsible for the identification and naming of the highly endangered Hoolock Gibbon.
He published more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and offered advice to zoos, government agencies, veterinary universities, and gibbon rescue centers throughout the world. He was the studbook keeper for five species and Husbandry Advisor for the Gibbon Species Survival Plan.
Mootnick and his work touched countless individuals and institutions. Hundreds of school children and students visit the Gibbon Conservation Center yearly, and the general public enjoys the annual “Breakfast With the Gibbons” fundraiser. Known for an eccentric style—gray-spotted beard, constant suspenders, and dry sense of humor—Mootnick was a person not easily forgotten. Strangers would approach him on the street, recognizing him from a long-ago school trip to the Gibbon Conservation Center.
A Los Angeles native, Mootnick is survived by his sister Ronnie Weinberger, nephews Paul and Steve Weinberger, aunt Jean Galanti, cousins Geri-Ann Galanti, and William and Kenneth Benbassat, and 44 gibbons currently residing at the Gibbon Conservation Center.
Funeral services will be held at Groman Eden Mortuary, 11500 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, at 10am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Gibbon Conservation Center, www.gibboncenter.org/contribute/contribute.html
Alan Richard Mootnick—one of the world’s foremost specialists and conservationists of gibbons—passed away on Friday, November 4, 2011, from complications following heart surgery. He was 60 years old.
Mootnick founded the non-profit Gibbon Conservation Center (GCC) in Santa Clarita, CA, in 1976, with the purpose to prevent the extinction of gibbons—small Southeast Asian apes—and to advance the study, propagation, and conservation of the species.
What started as a childhood fascination with gibbons developed into an important sanctuary, housing the largest gathering of endangered apes in the Western Hemisphere. Completely self-taught in primatology, Mootnick was one of a team responsible for the identification and naming of the highly endangered Hoolock Gibbon.
He published more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and offered advice to zoos, government agencies, veterinary universities, and gibbon rescue centers throughout the world. He was the studbook keeper for five species and Husbandry Advisor for the Gibbon Species Survival Plan.
Mootnick and his work touched countless individuals and institutions. Hundreds of school children and students visit the Gibbon Conservation Center yearly, and the general public enjoys the annual “Breakfast With the Gibbons” fundraiser. Known for an eccentric style—gray-spotted beard, constant suspenders, and dry sense of humor—Mootnick was a person not easily forgotten. Strangers would approach him on the street, recognizing him from a long-ago school trip to the Gibbon Conservation Center.
A Los Angeles native, Mootnick is survived by his sister Ronnie Weinberger, nephews Paul and Steve Weinberger, aunt Jean Galanti, cousins Geri-Ann Galanti, and William and Kenneth Benbassat, and 44 gibbons currently residing at the Gibbon Conservation Center.
Funeral services will be held at Groman Eden Mortuary, 11500 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, at 10am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Gibbon Conservation Center, www.gibboncenter.org/contribute/contribute.html
I encourage everyone to visit the Gibbon Conservation Center. It is an absolutely amazing place. Alan will be greatly missed as he was truly a wonderful person.
Here is a link to another article: http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_19273288
Here is a link to another article: http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_19273288
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Dylan Moran Live!
Tonight was a great night! I got to see one of my all time favorite comedians, Dylan Moran, perform live! It was fantastic. I have not laughed that hard for a very long time. He performed in the Cork Opera House which is an amazing venue. I want to see other shows in the Cork Opera House just to have an excuse to go back to the venue. Dylan Moran's style of comedy is hard to explain. He is a native Irishman, so seeing him perform in Ireland was very special. I have included a short clip of a previous performance of his below. That one was filmed earlier this year when he was preforming in Australia. The audio and video are every so slightly off but it's one of my favorite segments from the show. Enjoy!
Halloween and Jazz Festival Weekend
Sorry I am posting this a little late. But as we have learned with this blog, everything is posted about a week late. So yeah. This past weekend was quite an adventure. First off, it was the Cork Jazz Festival. The Jazz Festival is a 4 day long celebration of jazz music. There were tons of special events being held at all the pubs and venues in town. Most of the pubs had live bands preforming all types of jazz music throughout the day. It was really nice to listen to live music while having a pint of Guinness.
On Saturday, I went to a pub/ venue called Fred Zeppelins. It is a different sort of pub then most of those as it is home to the alternative crowd in Cork. I very much felt at home in there. I was there to see a friend's band play. I met Jimmy randomly in Hot Topic back in Hollywood. It was his first day in the USA and happened to stop in the store. He is originally from a town nearby Cork. I saw on Facebook that his band was touring Ireland and was going to be playing one show in Cork. It was great to meet up with him and see him perform. I had a lot of fun and met some of his friends who were all great.
Halloween ended up being a very fun day for me. It was a Bank Holiday so I had no class. In the early afternoon I went for a walk through St. Finbarre's Cemetery. The cemetery has many graves from the late 19th century and early 20th century. I took lots of pictures and I will post them in a slide show on this side soon. They are already up on Facebook. The cemetery was very cool in a creepy way. Just being around so many old graves and seeing how worn and weathered many of the grave stones were was a strange feeling. You would see a grave that had been completely forgotten about right next to one with fresh flowers. This dichotomy got me thinking about life and death and what happens when we are gone. I hope to go back soon and take more photographs of the cemetery. Let me know what you think of the pictures so far. I am trying to teach myself Photoshop and applied some of what I have learned to the photographs I took.
Later that night, I met up with two of the girls from my master's program and one of their flatmates. We had a few drinks at home before heading out to the city centre. All the pubs and clubs were pack with people dressed in various costumes. This is how the older crowd celebrates Halloween here. It is relatively a new thing for college aged kids to dress up, but it is defiantly catching on. It still has a long way to come before it approaches the scale of Halloween in the USA. We ended up at a pub named The Crane Lane where we sat around, socialized, and had a few pints. The night was a lot of fun but I did miss working my haunted houses and all that craziness that is my normal Halloween. I'll have to make up for missing this year next Halloween!
On Saturday, I went to a pub/ venue called Fred Zeppelins. It is a different sort of pub then most of those as it is home to the alternative crowd in Cork. I very much felt at home in there. I was there to see a friend's band play. I met Jimmy randomly in Hot Topic back in Hollywood. It was his first day in the USA and happened to stop in the store. He is originally from a town nearby Cork. I saw on Facebook that his band was touring Ireland and was going to be playing one show in Cork. It was great to meet up with him and see him perform. I had a lot of fun and met some of his friends who were all great.
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| Jimmy and I at Fred Zeppelins |
Halloween ended up being a very fun day for me. It was a Bank Holiday so I had no class. In the early afternoon I went for a walk through St. Finbarre's Cemetery. The cemetery has many graves from the late 19th century and early 20th century. I took lots of pictures and I will post them in a slide show on this side soon. They are already up on Facebook. The cemetery was very cool in a creepy way. Just being around so many old graves and seeing how worn and weathered many of the grave stones were was a strange feeling. You would see a grave that had been completely forgotten about right next to one with fresh flowers. This dichotomy got me thinking about life and death and what happens when we are gone. I hope to go back soon and take more photographs of the cemetery. Let me know what you think of the pictures so far. I am trying to teach myself Photoshop and applied some of what I have learned to the photographs I took.
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| Halloween must be a Gaffney thing! I swear this is not me pretending to be an 8 year old to win a pumpkin carving contest! |
Later that night, I met up with two of the girls from my master's program and one of their flatmates. We had a few drinks at home before heading out to the city centre. All the pubs and clubs were pack with people dressed in various costumes. This is how the older crowd celebrates Halloween here. It is relatively a new thing for college aged kids to dress up, but it is defiantly catching on. It still has a long way to come before it approaches the scale of Halloween in the USA. We ended up at a pub named The Crane Lane where we sat around, socialized, and had a few pints. The night was a lot of fun but I did miss working my haunted houses and all that craziness that is my normal Halloween. I'll have to make up for missing this year next Halloween!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
6 Down
So I have reached the mid way point of the first semester here. I feel like I am settling in well and adjusting to everything alright. Classes have stayed fairly light but we have been assigned more readings. Some of them are interesting. Most, are painfully boring! Oh well. I only have a few more classes of my Biocultural Theory course. I can't wait to be finished with that one. I will have to start writing a paper for it soon. I think I have a topic already selected which shouldn't be too hard to write. Not too much else to report on the school front.
I do have some good news! I am now an immigrant to the Republic of Ireland. I finally got all the immigration stuff finalized and finished. I have permission to remain the the country until the end of September 2012. So I don't have to worry about any of that crap for a while anyways.
I am looking forward to this weekend. First, Monday is a bank holiday so no school on Monday! Second, This weekend is the Jazz Festival in Cork. It's a huge, city-wide, music festival. There will be lots of live music in all the pubs and from what I am told all the music is really good. Third, a friend I met back in Hollywood will be in town with his band on Saturday. I am going to see him play. He is originally from Ireland so I am looking forward to being with some local counter culture people. And lastly, Monday is Halloween. I am not sure what I am going to do, but I am going to try to have some fun, some how. I am really missing all the haunted house stuff though. I can't wait until I am more stable and can really devote more time and energy into improving my haunts, props, and effects.
So that's it for this little post. I'll give an update after the weekend is over so tune in then - same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
5 Down
Well, I have come to the end of yet another week here. Classes are going strong and the work load is starting to pick up a bit. I had my second anatomy cadaver laboratory this week. Things were a bit better then the first time around. I think it was because we were dealing with an easier topic and had some idea of how to conduct ourselves in the lab. Supervision and direction were still missing from the staff in the lab, but I think we are adapting to the situation. My other classes are moving along as well. They are still primarily lecture classes with associated readings that we discuss after each lecture. They are still very much in the theory and ethics realm of study and less of the practical realm. As much as I dislike theory and ethics, it is fundamental to any Master's and/ or PhD dissertation. I will have at least one chapter of my dissertation devoted to theory so I best just suck it up. I am going to begin writing my first paper for the course later this week or early next week. The paper must relate to the course 'Biocultural Approaches to Human Osteoarchaeology.' Sounds like fun, huh? I am planning on writing about the relationship between individual vs population based studies of human skeletal systems. I am hoping to knock out two birds with a single stone by writing a paper now that I will then be able to use, with only slight modification, in my final dissertation. One of the theoretical approaches I am going to be using and criticizing is the bases of individual vs population based studies. So if all goes well, I should have a jump start on the theoretical background section of my master's dissertation before I even begin on it.
In other news, I am still working towards getting my green card. I am hoping that by the end of the month everything will be sorted out and I will no longer have to deal with the Irish government for a while. I have adjusted to life pretty well now. I am still getting used to the slow pace of things. I have made a few friends. Everyone in the Master's program is getting along very well. The other archaeology Master's program (Master's in Archaeological Excavation) and our group have also been getting together so I have met a few more people there. I also joined the UCC Archaeology Society as a means by which to become a little more involved and meet more people.
So that's pretty much the summary of this last week. I have a busy week ahead of me. Lots and lots of reading to be finished by Thursday. I am hoping to have a meeting with my adviser to discuss my project and decide on a good skeletal population for me to work with. Also, I need to start inquiring about access to a CT scanner. I think I have figured out a way to incorporate some CT images into my master's thesis. This way I stay connected to my original research ideas while pursuing a different course of application.
I have added several photographs from my first month in Ireland to Facebook. I am going to try and add a slideshow or image gallery to this webpage as well, just have to figure out the easiest way to do that. But for now, just check them out on Facebook.
In other news, I am still working towards getting my green card. I am hoping that by the end of the month everything will be sorted out and I will no longer have to deal with the Irish government for a while. I have adjusted to life pretty well now. I am still getting used to the slow pace of things. I have made a few friends. Everyone in the Master's program is getting along very well. The other archaeology Master's program (Master's in Archaeological Excavation) and our group have also been getting together so I have met a few more people there. I also joined the UCC Archaeology Society as a means by which to become a little more involved and meet more people.
So that's pretty much the summary of this last week. I have a busy week ahead of me. Lots and lots of reading to be finished by Thursday. I am hoping to have a meeting with my adviser to discuss my project and decide on a good skeletal population for me to work with. Also, I need to start inquiring about access to a CT scanner. I think I have figured out a way to incorporate some CT images into my master's thesis. This way I stay connected to my original research ideas while pursuing a different course of application.
I have added several photographs from my first month in Ireland to Facebook. I am going to try and add a slideshow or image gallery to this webpage as well, just have to figure out the easiest way to do that. But for now, just check them out on Facebook.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
It's Getting Cold
Went for my evening run tonight. This being Ireland, I first had to wait for the rain to stop. Within 3 nanoseconds after stepping outside I realized what a grave error I had made. It was freezing cold, still slightly raining, and windy. I, being well prepared for this type of weather, was in soccer shorts. Luckily, I had a long sleeve Under Armour type shirt on. It did nothing! I was only able to run a few miles before I couldn't feel my toes. But, I could feel every bit of metal in my knee. I never even developed a sweat, the increase in body temperature was barely keeping me warm enough. On the way back home, my iPod died. I think it passed due to hypothermia. Once home, I quickly changed into warm clothes and checked the temperature on my computer. 40 degrees Fahrenheit! That's not counting the mist and the wind. I know that's not very cold, but its been a while since I have been in the cold. Missing So Cal weather right about now (just not those 90+ days).
So, conclusions from tonight's run:
1. No more running in the evenings. Must now run in the mornings or better yet mid day
2. Check out on campus gym facilities for indoor aerobic machines
3. Need to invest in long running pants
4. Buy sweater for the iPod
People are saying its going to be a bad winter this year. I don't know what that means. I am slightly nervous.
So, conclusions from tonight's run:
1. No more running in the evenings. Must now run in the mornings or better yet mid day
2. Check out on campus gym facilities for indoor aerobic machines
3. Need to invest in long running pants
4. Buy sweater for the iPod
People are saying its going to be a bad winter this year. I don't know what that means. I am slightly nervous.
A Video About Vanishing Cultures
A friend of mine passed this video on to me. Please take a moment to watch it. It is by a man, Dr. Wade Davis, who is partially responsible for my pursuit of anthropology. I based a lot of my research off of his mentor, Dr. Richard Evans Schultes, and hope to one day continue looking into that line of study. The video is about 20 minutes long and was filmed back in 2003. However, his talk is just as important today as it was back then. If you like his ideas, I highly recommend his books as he is a very gifted writer. The Wayfinders (2009) or Light at the Edge of the World (2007) are good places to start as it develops the ideas discussed in this talk. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1985) is amazing and goes into depth about Voodoo culture and the zombie poison also mentioned in the talk. Feel free to comment as I would love to hear your view points on this matter. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
4 Down
Well, I have finished my first month here in Cork. So far it has been pretty easy. I am very much not used to this light workload. Even though I was constantly tired, I do miss my 50+ hour weeks. I have so much down time right now. I hope that changes soon.
This week was a bit different then the other thus far. On Monday, we had our first cadaver lab. The specimens were already dissected, so, sadly, we don't get to do any of that. Its been a while since I have been around preserved bodies and body parts. Almost forgot the lovely smell of formaldehyde. The other girls in the program did well with their first experiences. I don't believe anyone fainted or anything. Kind of a bummer. Laguna Pathology had a good record of making people pass out so I was hoping that would continue. The laboratory facility they have is very nice. It just opened and we are one of the first classes to use the facility. Working in brand new labs is always nice. The staff on the other hand was a different story. There was almost no direction, it felt like a self exploratory lesson. There were staff members to answer questions, but you had to approach them and ask specific questions. Even with experience, I was confused on some issues. I can only imagine how the other students, who have never seen a dead body, felt. I ended up assuming the role of a tutor or something for several other students who were confused. They weren't getting help from the staff and I was already explaining it to some of the girls in my program. So yeah, that was anatomy. I have that lab every Monday from now on.
Tuesday and Wednesday were busy as we had our normal classes and then we had to make up for the two classes that we had skipped last week. Lots of lecture and discussion of the readings. Not very fun. On Tuesday night the immigration office was having extended hours for students to apply for their green cards. I headed there after class and stood in the very long line. After 3 hours of waiting, and with only 3 people in front of me, they informed us that they weren't going to see any more people. 3 hours wasted. After I got back home, I changed and got ready to meet up with some of the girls from the program at a pub for a drink. It was a very fin night out. There was a pub quiz going on. We missed the first round but did well anyways. I think next week we are going to try again, and be a tad earlier.
Thursday I went to Dublin along with the rest of the archaeology program and a few other students to attend a conference at the Royal Irish Academy. We had to meet at the department at 6am, then sit on a bus for 3+ hours. Not the most fun way to start off the day. I saw a little bit of Dublin from the window. Passed by the Guinness Storehouse. The talks were pretty boring for the most part. Except for one experimental archaeology paper that looked at the effectiveness of an early bronze age weapon. They tested the weapon against sheep heads (left overs from a slaughterhouse). They were quite effective. The wooden bench-like chairs we had to sit on didn't help the boring nature of the talks and knowing that when it was all over we had another long bus ride back to cork made the day seem like a year.
Friday was an even longer and more annoying day. I woke up early again to head down to the immigration office to apply for my green card. There was already a huge line. I made it all the way to the front when they said they were gong to close for lunch. 3 hours of standing in line already and now I had to wait 2 hours for them to re-open. Once they re-opened, I was first one up. They reviewed my paperwork and informed me that my letter of financial aid from the college is not acceptable as proof of finances. This sucks. Spent 5 hours in line waiting, plus the 3 from earlier in the week, only to be turned away after 30 seconds. Now I have to figure out how I am going to secure the money I need to demonstrate proof of finances. If only my bug would have sold then there would be no issue.
So finally, after I thought I was getting adjusted and settled in, I am back to square one. Let's just hope I still have a few tricks left.
3 Down
Yet another week has come to pass. Classes are starting to pick up a little bit but not by much. We have had a few bone quizes and more reading. Everything is still mostly theory and review. We had a short week as our adviser was in Dublin for both Thursday and Friday. Things will start to pick up soon I think/ hope.
My original master's project idea was to use alternate light sources to investigate the skin of the bog bodies. However, this looks like it is not going to happen. I guess it can take months, up to a year, to get permission to preform a study on the bog bodies. Furthermore, those studies are reserved for well known and experienced archaeologist and scientists. I have to be finished and done by the end of next September, so I need to find a new project. Looks like I am going to have to go back to something less exciting. We'll see. I am hoping to have my project narrowed down in the next week or so. That way I can begin searching for a good skeletal data set and begin my literature review.
Sorry there isn't much to report from this week. Next weeks report should be a little bit more involved as I will have my first anatomy cadaver lab and I will be traveling to Dublin to attend an archaeology conference at the Royal Irish Academy.
I just want to wish my sister the best of luck while she travels to Tanzania. She is living her dream of living and working in Africa. If you haven't already checked out her blog, please do so. You can find a link to it in my 'Links' section of my main page.
My original master's project idea was to use alternate light sources to investigate the skin of the bog bodies. However, this looks like it is not going to happen. I guess it can take months, up to a year, to get permission to preform a study on the bog bodies. Furthermore, those studies are reserved for well known and experienced archaeologist and scientists. I have to be finished and done by the end of next September, so I need to find a new project. Looks like I am going to have to go back to something less exciting. We'll see. I am hoping to have my project narrowed down in the next week or so. That way I can begin searching for a good skeletal data set and begin my literature review.
Sorry there isn't much to report from this week. Next weeks report should be a little bit more involved as I will have my first anatomy cadaver lab and I will be traveling to Dublin to attend an archaeology conference at the Royal Irish Academy.
I just want to wish my sister the best of luck while she travels to Tanzania. She is living her dream of living and working in Africa. If you haven't already checked out her blog, please do so. You can find a link to it in my 'Links' section of my main page.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Some Site Updates
As you may have noticed, I updated the site a little bit. In case you were wondering where exactly I was living, I added a map to the main page. I added a clock with the local time here. I also created a few links. One of these has my mailing address should you wish to write me or send me goodies.
As many of you know, and many do not, my sister Stephanie is leaving next week for a 2 year deployment with the United States Peace Corp. I included a link to her personal blog page under the 'Links' section on my page. I highly recommend you follow her blog as well as I am sure she will be having many more adventures then I will be having here (she has no running water, electricity, etc.). I wish her the best of luck and I know she will enjoy herself immensely.
There are also links for you to check out if you care. I will try making a few more adds and such to the site in the coming days. If there is anything you want to see on the site or have questions about please let me know!
As many of you know, and many do not, my sister Stephanie is leaving next week for a 2 year deployment with the United States Peace Corp. I included a link to her personal blog page under the 'Links' section on my page. I highly recommend you follow her blog as well as I am sure she will be having many more adventures then I will be having here (she has no running water, electricity, etc.). I wish her the best of luck and I know she will enjoy herself immensely.
There are also links for you to check out if you care. I will try making a few more adds and such to the site in the coming days. If there is anything you want to see on the site or have questions about please let me know!
2 Down
Well, I have finished my second week here in Cork. Everything seems to be falling into place as it should. I am still learning the city, but I have a pretty good grasp on it now. I can navigate around without getting too lost. As long as I can fins the river I am good (I just pray that it is the south fork of the river that I'm following).
My classes this week have focused primarily on readings. Nothing to exciting to report on that front. Just theory on top of more theory. I cannot wait to be done with all this theory crap. In my previous post, I expressed my joy at not having a lecture in which Franz Boas was mentioned. Alas, I was mistaken as Thursday's lecture was devoted to the American side and view points of anthropological and archaeological theory. I knew it had to be too good to be true. Sadly, at this point all I can really say is that class is incredibly boring. Nothing is new. I am hoping that that will change soon.
Not much else to report from this week. Its been raining pretty heavily for the past 2 days, haven't even left the apartment. I don't have class tomorrow but I have some errands to do and I think I might go in to the bone lab and study for a bit as I have a bone quiz on Thursday afternoon. So yeah...short post. I will get better at posting more frequently I promise!
My classes this week have focused primarily on readings. Nothing to exciting to report on that front. Just theory on top of more theory. I cannot wait to be done with all this theory crap. In my previous post, I expressed my joy at not having a lecture in which Franz Boas was mentioned. Alas, I was mistaken as Thursday's lecture was devoted to the American side and view points of anthropological and archaeological theory. I knew it had to be too good to be true. Sadly, at this point all I can really say is that class is incredibly boring. Nothing is new. I am hoping that that will change soon.
Not much else to report from this week. Its been raining pretty heavily for the past 2 days, haven't even left the apartment. I don't have class tomorrow but I have some errands to do and I think I might go in to the bone lab and study for a bit as I have a bone quiz on Thursday afternoon. So yeah...short post. I will get better at posting more frequently I promise!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
1 Down
...and 51 to go. Hooray! I finished my first week as a graduate student! Dare I say it wasn't that hard. I have most likely jinxed the rest of my year by saying that. But, that's how my life goes.
Not everyone in your group felt that way. We had our first causality. Arriving to class on Thursday morning we were informed that we were now a class of 6. The girl, never did learn her name, that I mentioned in the previous post, the one who I didn't think would make it, dropped out. It's unfortunate, but these things happen. I guess it is good that she got out early and didn't waste time. Oh well, enough about that.
On Thursday, I had my first course on Biocultural Approaches to Human Remains. I am not too excited about this course. First off, it's a theory course. Second, it's rooted in a cultural approach to archaeology. Finally, it's partially an ethics course. All of that adds up to a very dull class with a lot of reading. And the first class didn't disappoint. Straight off the bat we began examining the history of archaeology and how it had to fit into the context and timeline set forth by the Old Testament. Over the next 3 hours I tried to keep my focus and at least look like I gave a shit. When it was done, I was surprised I made it. I also knew that I had 7 more three hour lectures in course. On a positive note, it was the first time I have ever taken a theoretical history course and the name Franz Boas was not mentioned. Thank you non-American education!
After that course ended I had more fun administrative stuff to do with the International Students Office. This primarily involved waiting in lines. Having sorted out my paper work on Tuesday (which could have easily been done while we were waiting in the lines), I only had to have my photo taken for my student ID. It took over an hour. With the stupid and idiotic amounts of redundancy the administration of the International Students Office produces it was amazing that I was there for only an hour. Like all my student ID cards before, this one is yet another mug shot. However, this one may be the best one yet as I was allowed to keep my black skull cap (beanie) on. I look like a biker thug. Got to find joy in the little things, right? With that out of the way, it was almost time to head over to a International Student reception and information session. I was only going because food and alcohol were being provided free of charge. But first I had an hour to kill. I figured I would get my student loan check from the finance office. What began as a simple office visit turned into a scavenger hunt all around the main building of the university. Mind you that the main building is a freaking castle! With no signs or directions. Needless to say, it was easy to get lost. Soon I was joined by another equally confused and lost student. Eventually, we made it to the correct office and I got my loan check.
The reception and information session was nothing special. As promised, there was food and wine afterwards. Met a few people as we snacked and drank. Eventually, I called it a night and headed back home. I am still on a very different time zone and I was surprised I was still moving.
Friday was much the same. Except this time the course was the Archaeology of Life and Death aka Mortuary Theory. I will be very happy when all this theory crap is over with and done. This course sounds slightly interesting as it will be dealing with how and why people dispose of the dead the way they do and how it has changed over time. The first class was quite boring, as it was yet another examination of archaeology theory through history.
Friday night was Culture Night in Cork. I had no idea what that involved but I had a mini-guide and I tried to find something fun to do near my house. Just a few blocks away was St. Fin Barre's Cathedral. According to my guide they were open late and giving tours. I decided that I would check it out. I have walked by the cathedral many times and I am always impressed by its medieval Gothic architecture. The tour was quite basic but the building was amazing. It was impressive even without being able to see all the stained glass. I must come back during a sunny day to see the glass. The pictures I took from that evening are poor as it was dark and raining (imagine that!). I promise to post better ones soon. That was my culture night. Nothing else was really going on near me. I returned home and both my house mates had some friends over. They invited me to join them and we talked for a bit then decided to go out. The evening ended up being a lot of fun. Met a lot of people. None of them Irish. I guess that's what I should expect when living with a Spaniard and German.
So over all it was a good first week. Plenty of bumps and I am sure I can expect plenty more. 51 more weeks. Seems like such a far ways away.
Not everyone in your group felt that way. We had our first causality. Arriving to class on Thursday morning we were informed that we were now a class of 6. The girl, never did learn her name, that I mentioned in the previous post, the one who I didn't think would make it, dropped out. It's unfortunate, but these things happen. I guess it is good that she got out early and didn't waste time. Oh well, enough about that.
On Thursday, I had my first course on Biocultural Approaches to Human Remains. I am not too excited about this course. First off, it's a theory course. Second, it's rooted in a cultural approach to archaeology. Finally, it's partially an ethics course. All of that adds up to a very dull class with a lot of reading. And the first class didn't disappoint. Straight off the bat we began examining the history of archaeology and how it had to fit into the context and timeline set forth by the Old Testament. Over the next 3 hours I tried to keep my focus and at least look like I gave a shit. When it was done, I was surprised I made it. I also knew that I had 7 more three hour lectures in course. On a positive note, it was the first time I have ever taken a theoretical history course and the name Franz Boas was not mentioned. Thank you non-American education!
After that course ended I had more fun administrative stuff to do with the International Students Office. This primarily involved waiting in lines. Having sorted out my paper work on Tuesday (which could have easily been done while we were waiting in the lines), I only had to have my photo taken for my student ID. It took over an hour. With the stupid and idiotic amounts of redundancy the administration of the International Students Office produces it was amazing that I was there for only an hour. Like all my student ID cards before, this one is yet another mug shot. However, this one may be the best one yet as I was allowed to keep my black skull cap (beanie) on. I look like a biker thug. Got to find joy in the little things, right? With that out of the way, it was almost time to head over to a International Student reception and information session. I was only going because food and alcohol were being provided free of charge. But first I had an hour to kill. I figured I would get my student loan check from the finance office. What began as a simple office visit turned into a scavenger hunt all around the main building of the university. Mind you that the main building is a freaking castle! With no signs or directions. Needless to say, it was easy to get lost. Soon I was joined by another equally confused and lost student. Eventually, we made it to the correct office and I got my loan check.
The reception and information session was nothing special. As promised, there was food and wine afterwards. Met a few people as we snacked and drank. Eventually, I called it a night and headed back home. I am still on a very different time zone and I was surprised I was still moving.
 |
| Side view of main building of University College Cork |
Friday was much the same. Except this time the course was the Archaeology of Life and Death aka Mortuary Theory. I will be very happy when all this theory crap is over with and done. This course sounds slightly interesting as it will be dealing with how and why people dispose of the dead the way they do and how it has changed over time. The first class was quite boring, as it was yet another examination of archaeology theory through history.
Friday night was Culture Night in Cork. I had no idea what that involved but I had a mini-guide and I tried to find something fun to do near my house. Just a few blocks away was St. Fin Barre's Cathedral. According to my guide they were open late and giving tours. I decided that I would check it out. I have walked by the cathedral many times and I am always impressed by its medieval Gothic architecture. The tour was quite basic but the building was amazing. It was impressive even without being able to see all the stained glass. I must come back during a sunny day to see the glass. The pictures I took from that evening are poor as it was dark and raining (imagine that!). I promise to post better ones soon. That was my culture night. Nothing else was really going on near me. I returned home and both my house mates had some friends over. They invited me to join them and we talked for a bit then decided to go out. The evening ended up being a lot of fun. Met a lot of people. None of them Irish. I guess that's what I should expect when living with a Spaniard and German.
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| St. Fin Barre's Cathedral |
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| Inside St. Fin Barre's Cathedral |
So over all it was a good first week. Plenty of bumps and I am sure I can expect plenty more. 51 more weeks. Seems like such a far ways away.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
First Day of Graduate Studies
My class was scheduled to begin on Tuesday morning at 10AM, less then 20 hours after arriving in Cork. I left my apartment early. I was convinced I was going to get lost. Miraculously, I found the archaeology department with ease. The building is located only 5 minutes away from where I am living. I'm sure this will come in handy when I am inevitably running late. The building itself is nothing special. I was one of the first students there. Soon, the other students arrived at the Human Remains Laboratory. There are 7 students in total. All, but myself, are female. There is one other American student who graduated from UCSB. She doesn't fully count as a foreign student as she did one year of her undergraduate studies at Cork. That makes the group 5 Irish girls who all know each other (except one), one half-American girl who knows Cork well, and me, who knows nothing at all about anything going on.
Shortly after all the students arrived, I meet the professor of the program. He seems very nice and approachable. He welcomes us all to the program and passes out a packet containing the overview of the courses. We spend the next hour going over each of the courses that we will be taking. In total, I will have to take 7 courses plus a dissertation. Those courses include:
Regional and Topographical Anatomy (aka Gross Anatomy)
Mortuary Theory
Archaeogenetics
Biocultural Approaches to Human Remains
Paleopathology Seminar
Quantitative Methods in Bioarchaeology
Osteoarchaeology Laboratory (aka Osteology)
None of the classes worry me too much as I have been exposed, in some degree, to each of them already. Each course is graded by a multiple choice examination, an essay/ paper, or a combination of both. The professor made a point to emphasize the difficulty of the anatomy course. This scared everyone in the room, except for me. I am hoping my previous anatomy course and the 5 years in pathology will help me out.
After wrapping up the introductory session, a group of us went to one of the food areas on campus and got lunch together. Everyone seems very friendly and I think the group will get along just fine over the next year. There is one girl who has already distanced herself from the group. She is difficult to figure out and declined our invitation to join us at lunch.
After lunch, we had our first lecture in Anatomy. The class is located in a brand new building and took us about 10-15 minutes to walk to from the Archaeology building. It's a large course with approximately 75 students in it. The course is made up of students from 3 different programs, 1st-year physiotherapy, 3-year neuroscience, and master's osteology students. This further calmed my nerves as I figured if 1st-years are in this class then it can't be that difficult. But, I am not going to become lazy because of that. The class had begun and the student who did not join us for lunch was not there. She finally arrived several minutes after the class had begun. I'm not sure how well she is going to do in the program. Over the next hour, I tried to entertain myself as I listened to a very boring lecture on anatomical position and directions. I hope the course stays this easy. We were informed that the class schedule for Wednesday (tomorrow) was canceled. As that is my only class on Wednesday, I now had a day off.
Class ended and I had one final thing to do before I could go home and sleep. I had to sign and submit some papers to the International Students Office. It didn't take too long and soon I was back at my apartment.
I think the program is going to be a good fit for me. However, I am afraid that it will be mostly review and I wont actually be learning new material. I guess that is to be seen. Its easy to underestimate a course in the beginning. Either way, I will be getting my Master's Degree and that all I really care about.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Don't Panic
Don't Panic. These two words are quite possibly the most useful advice when traveling the galaxy. Or in my case just to Ireland. Though, not panicking is much easier said then done. My day of traveling began long before I got on a plane at LAX. It began in my mom's kitchen nook, where my sister and I were packing my suitcases. After checking the new international baggage rules and regulations, which are purposely designed to prevent international traveling, we had to unpack half of my suitcase, scrap a few clothes, and pack a 2nd carry on (which we could not figure out if it was allowed or not). With no scale to weigh anything, it was anyone's guess if I was under the weight limit. Once finished with that ordeal, I attempted to sleep, eventually achieving a mere 2 hours. At 5:30AM we were off to LAX. After a brief but tearful goodbye, I entered the long line to get my boarding passes and weigh my baggage. My suitcase weighed in at 50.5lbs, 0.5lbs over limit. By a sheer stroke of luck, or a blessing of the travel Gods, the flight agent said, "we'll let that one slide" as if she was being nice and doing me a favor.
So hurdle one has been overcome. Now onto the security checkpoint. It's a long line, but seems to be moving quickly. As I near the end of the line, the line begins to split into 5 lines. I pick the shortest. Mistake #1! Its shortest because it is the only line that is using the new full body scanners and thus each individual take 3 times as long to go through when compared to a standard metal detector. While awaiting my turn I turn to my right and notice a dog going through security. This is not to be confused with a highly trained police security dog. No, this is someone's pet that they are apparently attempting to bring on board a modern aircraft. And it's not one of the small yappy type dogs either! It must have weight 40lbs! Unfortunately, I did not see the conclusion to that episode as it was my turn in the machine. "Oh joy," I say to myself, "at least my knee wont set this one off." Mistake #2! As I exit the machine I hear over the radio of the TSA officer in front of me, "Male, anomaly, waist." I haven't the slightest clue what the machine thinks it saw in my waist line. Now, I have to get a person to give me a pat down inspection. Amazingly, they find nothing in my waist line. Stupid machines. But, at least I was through security. Now to just find my plane.
The flight from LAX to JFK was not too bad. There was a very young baby right behind me but surprisingly only cried for a minute or so right after take off. This being an American airline company, breakfast was offered for the price of $8.00. A glass of water was free. I had the water. Who the hell would pay $8 for crappy airplane eggs. Oh well, no breakfast. A little time passes and it is time for the inflight move to begin. Now I typically have good luck with airplane movies so I was hopeful. Mistake #3! Not today. I was subjected to 'Something Barrowed.' A romantic-drama of epically horrible proportions! Even without my headphones in I could not escape the movie as the TV was right in front of me. I fought back to urge to smash it with my fists.
After 5 hours of flying I land in New York. I have 1.5 hours until my flight to Shannon, Ireland leaves. Getting off the flight there is no airline representative to assist me or anyone in an information booth to tell me where my connecting flight is. I eventually leave the terminal after making several rounds and determining its not there. I randomly asked a employee at a ticket counter and he responded I needed to go to Terminal 4. He offered no other direction and seemed very pissed off that I disrupted his few precious minutes of not dealing with any living human being. I headed out of the building and looked for a bus or something to take me to Terminal 4. I found a train. Eventually, I made it to Terminal 4, got my boarding pass, went downstairs, and began the whole security process over again. The line is long, very long, and moving at a pace that would make a snail think he's The Flash. Once closer I see why the line is going so slow. They are pushing everyone through 3 of the 5 available metal detectors. It wasnt a staffing issue the prevented the other two from being used as there were loads of extra TSA agents just standing around chatting. I now have 20 minutes to get to my flight before it takes off. I can hear them calling for passengers over the loud speaker. I'm at least 30 minutes from the plane. With about 5 people left in front of me, TSA decides it should open the other 2 metal detectors. Finally, I think I'm going to get through. Mistake #4! The guy in front of me gets his bag flagged in the x-ray machine. Three TSA agents now are staring at a screen trying to figure out if he has a bomb or a pack of gum. While waiting, an Aer Lingus representative came to security and announces it's final boarding on my flight and asks anyone on the flight to the front of the line. TSA doesn't care. They aren't letting me through until the guy in front of me has been fully searched. With a little more negotiating by the airline rep she gets me through security. I am now running down the terminal, without my shoes on, to the plane. Check in, put shoes on, get on plane. Nearly had a 'Dumb and Dumber' moment. But, at last, I am on the plane to Ireland.
What a difference being on a non-American airline makes. First, I have my own TV. I have my own remote. I have a selection of 25+ movies to pick from and 20+ TV shows to watch. For FREE! We are served a FREE dinner and snacks. However, the flight was not all perfect. There was yet another baby on this flight. I wasn't getting lucky twice. In fact, it wasn't even a baby, it was a toddler, who was hell bent on making everyone's life a living nightmare for the entire 5.5 hours we were in the air. My solution: volume on movie up and attempt to block it all out. Maybe got a half hour of sleep on the flight.
We land in Shannon and now I have to catch a bus to Cork. I buy a ticket and head to the bus stop. Its currently 6:30AM, freezing, and raining. Welcome to Ireland. I find the bus, get on, and think about going to sleep. Then I remembered I have no idea when I'm getting off this bus. No sleeping for me. Thankfully I didn't. The bus ride was incredibly scenic as it took me right through the heart of the Irish countryside. Everything is so green! And there were so many castles and medieval ruins! Just like a postcard or movie. Taking pictures would have been a great idea. But I didn't take any as it was too dark and they would not have turned out.
Finally, I arrive in Cork. Get a taxi to my apartment. Get my keys (not until I find out that they haven't received my wire transfer yet, just another headache to deal with) and find my room. I meet one of my roommates as I enter. He is from Germany, that's all I can remember. I send my email letting my family know I made it, then proceed to pass out for about 10 hours.
Every travel guide should mimic the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and include the words "Don't Panic" written in large red letters across its cover. It's the most important thing to remember while traveling. That, and never go anywhere without your towel.
So hurdle one has been overcome. Now onto the security checkpoint. It's a long line, but seems to be moving quickly. As I near the end of the line, the line begins to split into 5 lines. I pick the shortest. Mistake #1! Its shortest because it is the only line that is using the new full body scanners and thus each individual take 3 times as long to go through when compared to a standard metal detector. While awaiting my turn I turn to my right and notice a dog going through security. This is not to be confused with a highly trained police security dog. No, this is someone's pet that they are apparently attempting to bring on board a modern aircraft. And it's not one of the small yappy type dogs either! It must have weight 40lbs! Unfortunately, I did not see the conclusion to that episode as it was my turn in the machine. "Oh joy," I say to myself, "at least my knee wont set this one off." Mistake #2! As I exit the machine I hear over the radio of the TSA officer in front of me, "Male, anomaly, waist." I haven't the slightest clue what the machine thinks it saw in my waist line. Now, I have to get a person to give me a pat down inspection. Amazingly, they find nothing in my waist line. Stupid machines. But, at least I was through security. Now to just find my plane.
The flight from LAX to JFK was not too bad. There was a very young baby right behind me but surprisingly only cried for a minute or so right after take off. This being an American airline company, breakfast was offered for the price of $8.00. A glass of water was free. I had the water. Who the hell would pay $8 for crappy airplane eggs. Oh well, no breakfast. A little time passes and it is time for the inflight move to begin. Now I typically have good luck with airplane movies so I was hopeful. Mistake #3! Not today. I was subjected to 'Something Barrowed.' A romantic-drama of epically horrible proportions! Even without my headphones in I could not escape the movie as the TV was right in front of me. I fought back to urge to smash it with my fists.
After 5 hours of flying I land in New York. I have 1.5 hours until my flight to Shannon, Ireland leaves. Getting off the flight there is no airline representative to assist me or anyone in an information booth to tell me where my connecting flight is. I eventually leave the terminal after making several rounds and determining its not there. I randomly asked a employee at a ticket counter and he responded I needed to go to Terminal 4. He offered no other direction and seemed very pissed off that I disrupted his few precious minutes of not dealing with any living human being. I headed out of the building and looked for a bus or something to take me to Terminal 4. I found a train. Eventually, I made it to Terminal 4, got my boarding pass, went downstairs, and began the whole security process over again. The line is long, very long, and moving at a pace that would make a snail think he's The Flash. Once closer I see why the line is going so slow. They are pushing everyone through 3 of the 5 available metal detectors. It wasnt a staffing issue the prevented the other two from being used as there were loads of extra TSA agents just standing around chatting. I now have 20 minutes to get to my flight before it takes off. I can hear them calling for passengers over the loud speaker. I'm at least 30 minutes from the plane. With about 5 people left in front of me, TSA decides it should open the other 2 metal detectors. Finally, I think I'm going to get through. Mistake #4! The guy in front of me gets his bag flagged in the x-ray machine. Three TSA agents now are staring at a screen trying to figure out if he has a bomb or a pack of gum. While waiting, an Aer Lingus representative came to security and announces it's final boarding on my flight and asks anyone on the flight to the front of the line. TSA doesn't care. They aren't letting me through until the guy in front of me has been fully searched. With a little more negotiating by the airline rep she gets me through security. I am now running down the terminal, without my shoes on, to the plane. Check in, put shoes on, get on plane. Nearly had a 'Dumb and Dumber' moment. But, at last, I am on the plane to Ireland.
What a difference being on a non-American airline makes. First, I have my own TV. I have my own remote. I have a selection of 25+ movies to pick from and 20+ TV shows to watch. For FREE! We are served a FREE dinner and snacks. However, the flight was not all perfect. There was yet another baby on this flight. I wasn't getting lucky twice. In fact, it wasn't even a baby, it was a toddler, who was hell bent on making everyone's life a living nightmare for the entire 5.5 hours we were in the air. My solution: volume on movie up and attempt to block it all out. Maybe got a half hour of sleep on the flight.
We land in Shannon and now I have to catch a bus to Cork. I buy a ticket and head to the bus stop. Its currently 6:30AM, freezing, and raining. Welcome to Ireland. I find the bus, get on, and think about going to sleep. Then I remembered I have no idea when I'm getting off this bus. No sleeping for me. Thankfully I didn't. The bus ride was incredibly scenic as it took me right through the heart of the Irish countryside. Everything is so green! And there were so many castles and medieval ruins! Just like a postcard or movie. Taking pictures would have been a great idea. But I didn't take any as it was too dark and they would not have turned out.
Finally, I arrive in Cork. Get a taxi to my apartment. Get my keys (not until I find out that they haven't received my wire transfer yet, just another headache to deal with) and find my room. I meet one of my roommates as I enter. He is from Germany, that's all I can remember. I send my email letting my family know I made it, then proceed to pass out for about 10 hours.
Every travel guide should mimic the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and include the words "Don't Panic" written in large red letters across its cover. It's the most important thing to remember while traveling. That, and never go anywhere without your towel.
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