Comments for Looking for Pumpkin Pie in the Kenyan dirt http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu Just another Blogs @ William and Mary weblog Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:56:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Is It My Body? Or Someone I Might Be by Allison Mickel http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Allison Mickel Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:56:35 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/#comment-31 Rusty-- Your question is really interesting. Actually, at the site, we would often find loose teeth, and in past years, skulls have been found with the front incisors removed. Several ethnic groups in Kenya participated in this behavior for a long time, for cosmetic reasons. The problem of tooth removal and replacement could pose a problem depending on what kind of questions an archaeologist is asking. For us, we're hoping to find out where these people originated, whether it's Africa or the Middle East, using DNA. That means that we can use either teeth, or any other bone containing DNA (which frequently includes the long bones-- femur, etc.), for our analysis. It's not entirely mandatory for us to find teeth still in the maxillary bones to answer these questions. But for researchers looking for wear patterns on teeth, perhaps to determine age or diet, fake teeth definitely pose a problem. Thanks for reading!! Does this answer your question at all? Rusty– Your question is really interesting. Actually, at the site, we would often find loose teeth, and in past years, skulls have been found with the front incisors removed. Several ethnic groups in Kenya participated in this behavior for a long time, for cosmetic reasons.

The problem of tooth removal and replacement could pose a problem depending on what kind of questions an archaeologist is asking. For us, we’re hoping to find out where these people originated, whether it’s Africa or the Middle East, using DNA. That means that we can use either teeth, or any other bone containing DNA (which frequently includes the long bones– femur, etc.), for our analysis. It’s not entirely mandatory for us to find teeth still in the maxillary bones to answer these questions. But for researchers looking for wear patterns on teeth, perhaps to determine age or diet, fake teeth definitely pose a problem.

Thanks for reading!! Does this answer your question at all?

]]> Comment on Is It My Body? Or Someone I Might Be by Allison Mickel http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Allison Mickel Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:07:57 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/#comment-30 Yael-- Yeah, it is super cool! We found the remains based on the mapping of the site called Mtwapa, carried out about 10 years ago. The main mosque in the town was identified, leaving archaeologists like Chap Kusimba to infer that the rectangular stone structures surrounding the mosque were family tombs, a pattern that they've seen at other sites on the coast. I'm treated extremely well at the job site; Chap is both a mentor and a friend to me. I attended his field school last year, and this year I actually got to oversee excavations on some days. It was really fun, really exciting. There really weren't a lot of people there, just me and Chap, the two high schoolers, the Kenyan workers excavating with us, and for the last few days, another one of Chap's students, Ryan, and Ryan's fiancee, Faith. We worked Monday through Saturday, then Sunday was left for fun day trips and things like that. We were working near Mombasa, which is on the Swahili Coast. Then we went on vacation in the Lamu archipelago! Thanks for your questions, it makes me soo happy to know you're reading!! Hope your summer is fantastic!! Yael– Yeah, it is super cool! We found the remains based on the mapping of the site called Mtwapa, carried out about 10 years ago. The main mosque in the town was identified, leaving archaeologists like Chap Kusimba to infer that the rectangular stone structures surrounding the mosque were family tombs, a pattern that they’ve seen at other sites on the coast.
I’m treated extremely well at the job site; Chap is both a mentor and a friend to me. I attended his field school last year, and this year I actually got to oversee excavations on some days. It was really fun, really exciting.
There really weren’t a lot of people there, just me and Chap, the two high schoolers, the Kenyan workers excavating with us, and for the last few days, another one of Chap’s students, Ryan, and Ryan’s fiancee, Faith.
We worked Monday through Saturday, then Sunday was left for fun day trips and things like that. We were working near Mombasa, which is on the Swahili Coast. Then we went on vacation in the Lamu archipelago!

Thanks for your questions, it makes me soo happy to know you’re reading!! Hope your summer is fantastic!!

]]> Comment on Is It My Body? Or Someone I Might Be by Rusty http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Rusty Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:18:11 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/#comment-24 Wow, it really sounds like you are getting some very great, first hand experiences. The issue of teeth is very interesting. If you rely heavily on them to investigate the past, what will happen when future generations may have to do the same to us? Now, many people's bodies outlive their teeth (i.e. dentures). Some people even chose to remove their teeth early on in life to replace them with something more visually appealing. Do you think this could cause future problems for people investigating us? Wow, it really sounds like you are getting some very great, first hand experiences. The issue of teeth is very interesting. If you rely heavily on them to investigate the past, what will happen when future generations may have to do the same to us? Now, many people’s bodies outlive their teeth (i.e. dentures). Some people even chose to remove their teeth early on in life to replace them with something more visually appealing. Do you think this could cause future problems for people investigating us?

]]> Comment on Is It My Body? Or Someone I Might Be by ygilboa http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/comment-page-1/#comment-23 ygilboa Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:53:38 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/18/is-it-my-body-or-someone-i-might-be/#comment-23 Wow, this is incredibly impressive!! So you actually get to handle the remains of people hundreds of years old--super cool!! ....How did you find them and also how well are you treated on the job site?? Are there a lot of people there? Do you go out every day? And is this all in Rift Valley? Wow, this is incredibly impressive!! So you actually get to handle the remains of people hundreds of years old–super cool!! ….How did you find them and also how well are you treated on the job site?? Are there a lot of people there? Do you go out every day? And is this all in Rift Valley?

]]> Comment on Pumpkin…Tarts? Seeds? At least a pie tin. by mercerd http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/07/pumpkintarts-seeds-at-least-a-pie-tin/comment-page-1/#comment-20 mercerd Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:15:05 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/07/pumpkintarts-seeds-at-least-a-pie-tin/#comment-20 interesting material, where such topics do you find? I will often go interesting material, where such topics do you find? I will often go

]]> Comment on The Element of Surprise by » The Element of Surprise Looking for Pumpkin Pie in the Kenyan dirt | Kenya today http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/08/the-element-of-surprise/comment-page-1/#comment-12 » The Element of Surprise Looking for Pumpkin Pie in the Kenyan dirt | Kenya today Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:11:12 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/07/08/the-element-of-surprise/#comment-12 [...] here to read the rest: » The Element of Surprise Looking for Pumpkin Pie in the Kenyan dirt Tags: a-room-means, bumbled-through, drink-the-tea, handshake, Lifestyle, room-means [...] [...] here to read the rest: » The Element of Surprise Looking for Pumpkin Pie in the Kenyan dirt Tags: a-room-means, bumbled-through, drink-the-tea, handshake, Lifestyle, room-means [...]

]]> Comment on The Language Barrier by KonstantinMiller http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/29/the-language-barrier/comment-page-1/#comment-8 KonstantinMiller Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:11:27 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/29/the-language-barrier/#comment-8 How soon will you update your blog? I'm interested in reading some more information on this issue. How soon will you update your blog? I’m interested in reading some more information on this issue.

]]> Comment on The International Terminal at O’Hare by Emma http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/25/the-international-terminal-at-ohare/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Emma Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:27:22 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/25/the-international-terminal-at-ohare/#comment-5 I love your pop culture references. They are diverse and amazing. I love your pop culture references. They are diverse and amazing.

]]> Comment on The International Terminal at O’Hare by Jake Nelson http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/25/the-international-terminal-at-ohare/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Jake Nelson Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:24:55 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/25/the-international-terminal-at-ohare/#comment-4 I feel lucky to be blogrolled to you. What a fun, approachable but still academic writing style. I feel lucky to be blogrolled to you. What a fun, approachable but still academic writing style.

]]> Comment on Why would there be pumpkin pie in African dirt? And if you found it, would you eat it? by Sara http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/20/why-would-there-be-pumpkin-pie-in-african-dirt-and-if-you-found-it-would-you-eat-it/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Sara Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:06:54 +0000 http://ajmickel.blogs.wm.edu/2009/06/20/why-would-there-be-pumpkin-pie-in-african-dirt-and-if-you-found-it-would-you-eat-it/#comment-2 Pretty nice post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon! Pretty nice post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed browsing your posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!

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