Ready for Some Football?

Ready for Some Football?

While living with DMD isn't the end of the world, I hope that one day, there will be a cure for young boys diagnosed with DMD so their muscles work and they can walk -- or even play football with their friends.

Making that happen was the goal of today's Inaugural Tournament to Tackle Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Under blue skies in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, seven co-ed teams competed in two-hand touch football. A portion of their egistration fees as well as money raised from food and raffle ticket sales will go to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. So far, it looks like we raised about $1,200! If you would like to add to that amount, please click here.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work of my childhood friends Sarah and Ken. We would like to thank the folks at Philadelphia Sport and Social Club for coordinating the tournament, all of our sponsors, and everyone who participated, volunteered, or attended.

See you next year!

Geophysical archaeoprospection abstracts from AGU

Here are the abstracts on geophsyical prospection at archaeological sites from the session I co-organized at the just completed American Geophysical Union Joint Assembly:

GP11I-02
Near Surface Magnetic Survey for Investigating the Cultural Relics in Suchon, Gongju, Korea
Islam, M R (mislam62@uwo.ca), Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, 40,Summit Ave. Unit# 50, London, ON N6H4S3, Canada, et al.

A magnetic study by the FM256 Fluxgate Gradiometer was conducted in Suchon, Gongju to measure the vertical magnetic gradient of the Earth's magnetic field and to give further details of the shallow section. The region was divided into two separate areas. The first study area measured 40m by 20m while the second study area was 20m x 20m. Each was subsequently divided into four grids of dimension 20m by 10m and 10m by 10m respectively. Measurements of the vertical magnetic gradient were conducted through successive zigzag traverses. The sample-interval and the traverse-interval were set to specifically record small anomalies at a high resolution. A total of 3200 readings were measured at the first study area and 1600 at the second study area. The data have been downloaded, presented and processed through the Geoplot software to remove the spikes, grid discontinuities, and traverses stripes, and also to enhance the display and smooth the data using the Gaussian low-pass filtering techniques. The vertical gradient of the processed data over the second study area ranges from -34nT to + 21nT, while it ranges from -36nT to + 62nT at the first study area. The gradiometer results defined several positive and negative magnetic anomalies, which revealed the existence of several subsurface features of different shapes and sizes. A comparison between the processed magnetic images suggest that the subsurface features may include a room structure (e.g. hut), a cave-shaped stone chamber tomb, an accumulation of potteries and porcelains common in the Baekje period in the ancient Korean history. The biggest anomaly (3 m in diameter) may illuminate a quartzite tomb chamber. As a result, the study area has great archaeological interest.


GP22A-05 INVITED
The Donegal Sign Tree: A Local Legend Confirmed with Holographic Radar and 3-D Magnetics
Bechtel, T (bechtelt@sas.upenn.edu), Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA , United States, et al.

A tree at a crossroad in Historic Donegal, PA (founded 1722) bears unusual burls. Two are similar in size, and lie on opposite sides of the trunk at a height of six feet. Locals say that the tree engulfed an old road sign, and the geometry of the burls gives this appearance. However, the trunk between these two burls bears no welt where it sealed after swallowing the sign. In addition, there are other burls farther up the tree, which are not consistent with engulfed signs. Although the locals all know the legend of the swallowed sign, none ever actually saw the sign; not even an octogenarian who has lived at the crossroad his entire life, and recalls the tree as a child just as it is today. In order to test the veracity of the legend, this study performed subsurface imaging of the tree using holographic subsurface radar (Rascan), and 3-D measurements of the magnetic field about the tree using cesium vapor sensors. The Rascan system used is a continuous wave subsurface radar that operates at 5 discrete frequencies between 1.5 and 2.0 GHz. Reflections from subsurface objects are recorded as the phase difference pattern between an internal reference signal, and the reflected signal. Thus, it is a microwave analogy for optical holography. Rascan records reflections with two receiving antennae - parallel and perpendicular to the transmitter - so a single set of scans provides ten images; five frequencies at two polarizations. This ensures that an object at arbitrary depth will produce a strong phase difference in one of the images. As a consequence, elongate objects that are angled from the plane of scanning (e.g. a dipping sheet) produce "zebra stripes" of contrast values that vary cyclically with depth. The presence of stripes, and their relative positions in the different frequency images (the movement of which has been dubbed the "zebra shift") is useful for determining the relative depth of different portions of a dipping planar, or curved subsurface object. Rascan images of the tree revealed a reflector that produces a zebra shift pattern reminiscent of a curved reflector. However, given the curvature of the tree trunk, the zebra shift is more likely to represent a flat reflector beneath a curved scanning surface - consistent with the presence of the sign. As an independent confirmatory method, the tree was also subjected to a magnetic survey. First, the tree was swept with a magnetic locator - which indicated a magnetic target within the tree. In order to determine the configuration of this target, magnetic total field measurements were collected at the nodes of a 3-D grid surrounding the tree. The geometry of this survey is quite different from traditional archaeological prospection magnetometer surveys and, despite the relatively high latitude of Donegal PA, the vertical orientation of the suspected target mimics the common difficulties with magnetic surveys at low magnetic latitude. Therefore, the analytic signal was calculated to provide an easily interpreted magnetic anomaly that, together with the Rascan images, suggests that the story of the swallowed Donegal road sign may be true.


GP22A-06
3-D Modelling of Magnetic Data from an Archaeological Site in Northwestern Tlaxcala State, Mexico
Chavez, R E (exprene@geofisica.unam.mx), Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, CD Universitaria Circuito Exterior, Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico, et al.

In Archaeology, geophysical methods had been applied usually in a qualitative form, limited only to the use of filters that enhance the data display. The main objective in this work is the implementation of a modeling technique that allows us to reconstruct the geometry of buried bodies and the determination of their depths. This is done by means of the estimation of the magnetic moments of archaeological objects using a three- dimensional mesh of individual magnetic dipoles using the least squares method and the singular value decomposition of a weighted matrix to solve the linear problem. The distribution and shape of the underlying archaeological remains can be inferred. This methodology was applied to an archaeological site called Los Teteles de Ocotitla, in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico. A high-resolution magnetic prospection was carried out in three selected areas (terraces). The most important total field anomalies found on each area were inverted, obtaining results that were corroborated by archaeological excavations. This investigation demonstrates the potential of quantitative geophysical methods for the characterization of archaeological structures, in extension and in depth.


GP22A-07
Archaeometric Prospection Using Electrical Survey Predictive Deconvolution (ESPD)
Glover, P W (paglover@ggl.ulaval.ca), Université Laval, Département de géologie et de génie géologique, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada

Once upon a time archaeological prospection was carried out mainly using electrical techniques. These days magnetic techniques and GPR are used by preference. However, we have shown that electrical surveying combined with the technique of predictive deconvolution is very effective at finding buried features where the shape of the feature can be predicted in advance. One such type of feature is the Grubenhaus (or sunken-featured, sunken-floored building, or SFB). Grubenhaüser exist in the archaeological record as individual well-defined oblong pits that have been filled and buried with other material. Aerial photographs at New Bewick in Northumberland, northern England (UK Grid reference NU061206) showed quasi-rectangular features similar to those on aerial photographs at the nearby Anglo-Saxon palace of Milfield (NT941339) which had been confirmed by excavation to be Grubenhaüser. Several electrical resistivity surveys were carried out over the area with an ABEM Mk II Terrameter and a multiplexing box serving 31 electrodes in line at any given time. Both double-dipole and Wenner configurations were used with an electrode spacing of 1 m. Data was acquired in blocks of 30 m by 30 m during a period of dry summer weather while the field was under young winter wheat. The Wenner array produces a characteristic 'M' or 'W' shaped response over filled in excavations such as those expected to represent a Grubenhaus. While this seems a disadvantage in the first instance, it can be used to improve the data. Such anomalies were present in the raw New Bewick data. The resulting data were analysed using 1D and 2D predictive deconvolution in order to remove the Wenner response. The deconvolution was carried out using an inverse matrix element method. The filtered results indicated the presence of an anomaly that is consistent with a Grubenhaus measuring about 5 m by 4 m and with a pit depth of 0.6 m below 0.5 m of topsoil. The results also showed broader areas of increased resistivity which have been attributed to compaction resulting from human and animal movement. Following the geophysical study the site was excavated (T. Gates and C. O'Brien "Cropmarks at Milfield and New Bewick and the Recognition of Grubenhaüser in Northumberland." Archaeologia Aeliana 5th series, Vol XVI, 1988, 1-9) and a Grubenhaus was discovered at the site. The excavated Grubenhaus measured 4.7 m by 3.9 m with a pit depth of 0.5 m below the base of the topsoil. The deconvolved Wenner data performed better than the double-dipole resistivity survey but was marginally slower.

Archaeomagnetism abstracts from AGU, Toronto

Here are the abstracts on archaeomagnetism from the session I co-organized at the just completed American Geophysical Union Joint Assembly:

Archaeomagnetic Study performed on Early Medieval Buildings from western France
Chauvin, A (Annick.Chauvin@univ-rennes1.fr), Géosciences-Rennes, Université Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6118, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes, France et al.

A multiple dating study, involving a collaboration between specialists of dating techniques (thermoluminescence (TL) and radiocarbon), historians of art and archaeologists, has been carried out on several early medieval buildings from western France. The early medieval period is not well known especially in France where there is a lack of visible evidence that identifies pre-Romanesque architecture. The majority of buildings to have survived from this period are religious ones, considered important enough to be made of strong, non-perishable material such as stone or brick, as for example the churches of Notre-Dame-sous- Terre in the Mont-Saint-Michel or St Martin in Angers. Due to their significance in architectural history, it is imperative to position them accurately in the chronology of the history of art. Bricks are often used to build up round-headed arches or to reinforce the frame of a wall with bonding courses in those churches. TL dating and archeomagnetic analysis were performed on cores drilled within bricks while radiocarbon dating were undertaken on coals found within mortars. In order to increase the number of data during the early Middle Ages, archeointensity determinations using the classical Thellier technique with anisotropy of thermal remanence and cooling rate corrections were performed. Archaeomagnetic directions were used to recognize the firing position of bricsk during manufacture. Reliable and precise ages were obtained on the church Notre-Dame-sous-Terre; they indicate two phases of building in 950±50AD and 990±50AD. Mean archeointensities obtained on 17 (21) samples from the first (second) phases appears very closed 69.1±1.2 and 68.3±1.6 microTesla. Ages and archeomagnetic results obtained on 4 other sites will be presented and compared to the available data in western Europe.
News story on Chauvin presentation


European Archaeomagnetism: Progress and Problems
Evans, M E (evans@phys.ualberta.ca), Institute for Geophysical Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada et al.

Much progress has been made since the seminal work of Giuseppe Folgheraiter (1856-1913) in the late 19th century. So much so that recent advances now make it possible to draw up complete isogonic and isoclinic maps for Europe and adjacent areas spanning the last three millennia (Pavon-Carrasco et al., 2009). Results based on multiple independent studies, with high precision and good age control are crucial and should be recognized as "anchor points" (e.g. Pompeii). On the other hand, the nagging problem of outliers persists. Among the possible causes are magnetic refraction, physical distortion, and inadequate chronological control. Some examples, drawn from our own investigations over the last 30 years, will be discussed in detail. These include previously unpublished data from a detailed study (more than 100 samples) of a kiln in southern Italy, and an apparently good (but aberrant) archaeodirection from a kiln in southern Spain.


Regional Archeomagnetic Model for Europe for the Last 3000 Years: Application to Dating

Pavón-Carrasco, F (fjpavon@fis.ucm.es), Grupo de Paleomagnetismo. Dpto. de Geofísica y Meteorología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid., Avda. Complutense, s/n., Madrid, 28040, Spain et al.

Recently a new regional archeomagnetic model in Europe for the last three millennia has been proposed. This model, SCHA.DIF.3K (Pavón-Carrasco et al., 2009, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., doi:10.1029/2008GC002244, in press), is based on a Spherical Cap Harmonic Analysis (SCHA) for spatial representation and sliding windows method in time. The model provides information of both directional and intensity variation of the Earth's Magnetic Field for the last 3000 years in the European region. One of the immediate applications of SCHA.DIF.3K regional model is its use as tool for archeomagnetic dating. So far the PalaeoSecular Variation Curve (PSVC) determined for a region has been used for archeomagnetic dating. The limitation of this application is the distance from the dating point to the location of the reference curve (the relocation error). In addition it must be borne in mind that the PSVC are individually generated for each region, so there is no consistency enforced between curves from neighboring areas. The use of the SCHA.DIF.3K model as a tool for archeomagnetic dating represents an improvement for several reasons. First of all, the regional model has been generated considering all elements of the geomagnetic field (declination, inclination and intensity). Second, the regional model is built with an in situ archeomagnetic database. Furthermore, the database covers the whole time period from 1000 BC to 1900 AD, while the database used in the PSVC has gaps of data for any time interval. Finally, and more important, we can generate a PSVC at the location of the archeological structure, avoiding in this way the relocation error associated with traditional PSVC. To demonstrate the utility of the regional SCHA.DIF.3K model, we have used it to date several archeological structures and we have compared results with the archaeological information and/or archeomagnetic dating provide by the use of the PSVC.


The Mesoamerica Secular Variation Curve. A continuous research since 1999
Soler-Arechalde, A M (anesoler@geofisica.unam.mx), Universidad Nacional AUtonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Geofisica, Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacan, Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico et al.

Since 1999 we have been working on improving the Mesoamerica Secular Variation Curve. We re-sampled some sites that Wolfman initially used in its first proposal of this Curve, such as Teotihuacan, Teopancazco and Tula. Wolfman 's curve only had 4 radiocarbon dates directly associated with the sampled sites; the other dating were actually stratigraphic and ceramic correlations. More than 28 radiocarbon dates have been incorporated from AD 60 to 560 from samples associated to Teotihuacan civilization, 13 more from Xochicalco and 10 from Tula. More than 1000 specimens, from 12 twelve sites were fully processed with alternated field demagnetization We have been working during the excavation campaigns and training the archeologist to get their samples. A 100-year moving window was employed to get the average poles. A Bayesian statistic has been employed in order to improve our curve. We still denote a lack of data from two time intervals: from 0 to 200 and from 1000 to 1600. We are now working on it, collecting samples from these periods, such as those from La Joya, Ver, which are now been processing and from which some preliminary results will be reported.


Dating Post-Medieval Archaeology: Which Global Geomagnetic Field Model to use?
Lodge, A (a.lodge@liv.ac.uk), University of Liverpool, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Jane Herdman Laboratories, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GP, United Kingdom et al.

The scientific dating of Post-Medieval archaeology (16th Century onwards) is problematic as most methods cannot provide any better resolution than may be apparent from contextual or stylistic considerations. As high resolution global geomagnetic field models exist for this period, archaeomagnetism offers the possibility of bi-decadal dating of burnt in situ structures, with implications for the management of cultural heritage. The question arises as to which global geomagnetic field model is most appropriate for this dating? Should the high resolution historical field model, gufm (Jackson et al., 2000, Four centuries of geomagnetic secular variation from historical records, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. A, 358, 957- 90.) which covers the period 1590-1990 AD and is based on data from ship's logs be used, or should an archaeomagnetic model such as GMADE2K.2 (Lodge & Holme, 2008, Developing a global geomagnetic field model for archaeomagnetic dating in Europe for the last 2000 years (updating GMADE2K.1 to GMADE2K.2), Geophys. Res. Abstr., 10, Abstract EGU2008-A-03470) be used? In general a higher accuracy can be expected from the historical model, but the modeling strategy for gufm is aimed at investigating the magnetic field evolution at the core-mantle boundary, whilst GMADE2K.2 is developed to serve as an archaeomagnetic dating tool. If we compare secular variation curves in Europe for declination at this time, then the two models agree very well. For inclination however, there is a discrepancy pre-1800 AD between the two models, with the historical model tending to higher inclinations. Here we study the possible causes of this discrepancy: How reliable are the early historical inclination data? How reliable is the historical model at this time - is the inclination being affected by the domination of declination data? Finally, are the archaeomagnetic data systematically low, possibly caused by undetected magnetic refraction? The advantage of constructing global geomagnetic field models is that the inter-dependence of the components is taken into account. However, if we cannot reconcile the archaeomagnetic models and data with the historical model and data, then dating remains problematic.

My Unforeseen And Unrecognizable "Feelings"?

Probably the only thing more inappropriate than her behavior, was my reaction to it. I didn’t throw a full blown hissy fit, but I did act a little childish, throwing out snide remarks here and there. I just couldn’t drop it and I certainly should have. I have a bad habit of that, letting things fester inside of me. Although I suppose it’s healthier to let it out than to harbor it. Healthier for me that is, not for her. Afterall, who really wants to hear that crap? All it does is make me look pathetic and immature, a look that surely isn’t sexy on me. What I was hoping I could play off as a little harmless teasing, she saw right thru. Yes, part of me was joking around, but another part of me...well I can’t even explain that because I for one don’t even know what it is, let alone where it came from. If I didn’t know better, I would say it masqueraded itself as "feelings". Feelings? Feelings! I don’t have feelings for her. I barely know her! So why was I suddenly annoyed that she blurted out to me that she had a one-night stand over the weekend?

I need to retract my first statement about her behavior being inappropriate, because in a way, it’s not. That’s just me having my man-period and acting like a little bitch again. Besides, I am in no position to judge since I’ve had my fair share of one-night stands as well. These are usually not proud moments one reflects on in life. And the realization usually hits you as soon as the sun rises. More often than not, a one-night stand occurs because you acted upon your sexual urges rather than a well thought out decision making process, obviously. Throw some alcohol into the mix and you can see where this is headed - straight to the bedroom. She doesn’t have a boyfriend and it’s not like we are dating. So really, why should I care what she does? Seriously, someone tell me why I do? Not only does this "whatever it is called" feel ridiculous to me, but it’s sort of scaring me as well. Look, I couldn’t even say the word! It’s that f-word, but not fuck, the other more offensive word. Feelings. Ugh. Just writing it out sends a cold shiver down my spine.

After she told me about her hookup, the message quickly transmitted, but it took about 30 minutes before the light went off in my head in terms of what it meant to me. At first I was puzzled. And then it hit me, like a giant neon sign flashing in my skull. FEELINGS. FEELINGS. FEELINGS. I had barely digested it, but it was already making me a tad nauseous. But why? This is crazy! So how do I handle it? I have a fling or two myself and be sure to inform her about it...because I decided to be super mature like that, note the sarcasm.

I’m a glutton for punishment, so I stupidly asked her if he was a good lay. A RHETORICAL question I might add! Unfortunately for me, she took it literally and answered! The kind thing would have been NOT to answer, or better yet, lie to me. It’s not like I would know any different. However, how is she supposed to know I would be bothered by the details? We are "pals" - nothing more, nothing less. And one of my guy buddies bragging about a recent hookup doesn’t bother me, so this shouldn’t either, right? Right? This is totally unacceptable.

Feelings? I don’t have feelings. I’m perfectly fine with it. (And don’t debate me on that.)

Internet Famous

Perez Hilton, iJustin, and Julia Allison all come to mind when I hear the term "Internet Famous". They’ve basically made a name for themselves by shamelessly self-promoting who they are and what they do via the Internet. While some may applaud them for being so bold, others find their antics appalling. How you see these three characters is a matter of personal opinion and everyone is entitled to theirs. So let’s all just agree to disagree on whether or not being Internet Famous is a good thing or a bad thing, or if such a thing even exists! Is there such a thing as being Internet Famous? If so, who would qualify for this title and what does it entail? Your guess is as good as mine. Because you see, I find the term "Internet Famous" to be funny. I don’t take it seriously and I don’t think anyone else should either, especially the person to whom the Internet Famous label is placed upon.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I’ll be the first to admit that I whored myself out to the staff at Blogger.com when I Tweeted..."Who do I have to sleep with to become a Blog Of Note?" (FYI: Blogs Of Note is a list of interesting and noteworthy Blogger-powered blogs, compiled by the Blogger Team.) While no one knows for sure if that single Twitter update did or didn’t have something to do with me becoming a Blog Of Note this past Tuesday, I’m certain it didn’t hurt! I really didn’t think much would come from that Tweet, but since that day, my blog has been blowing up with activity! In a matter of just 5 days, my blog has received a couple thousand hits per day and is quickly closing in on having 700 subscribers! As narcistic as it is, I’ll admit even I am impressed.

While all this newfound and sudden attention to my writing is extremely flattering, it’s also a bit overwhelming. Just weeding thru my e-mail inbox lately feels like a part-time job. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the feedback and I do read every comment left on my blog. However, I simply can’t respond to all the comments and e-mails. I wish I could though, but I’m only one man and there’s only so much free time in the day. Personally, I think this is a good problem to have. The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame. If it comes at all it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after.

So am I now "Internet Famous"? No, I don’t think so. But I am very happy about all the exposure my writing has received lately! With my readership base growing, I feel like my writing needs to grow as well. And I would be lying if I said I don’t feel just a little pressure now to write more fluently.

To help me with that, I’ve pitched the idea to a friend of mine about being a guest blogger here. I’ve never had anyone write a post for my blog before, but I thought it might be nice to switch things up a bit. The details aren’t completely worked out just yet and I'm withholding her identity for now, but I can assure you that whatever she writes is a worthy read. She’s a freelance writer out of NYC and a pretty damn talented one at that. Actually, she’s the one that started referring to me as "Internet Famous", saying that she felt like she was talking to a celebrity or something. Of course she’s kidding and of course I laughed it off because being Internet Famous sounds so silly to me. However, now that I think about it, I should have taken advantage of the situation and asked her if she wanted to whip out her titty for me to autograph! Damn it. I let a perfect opportunity pass me by.

Note To Self: Fame is short lived, seize the moment.

New method for pottery dating?

Three people emailed me this story within a day. Sounds too good to be true. What do you think? Will this be any better than other clocks dependent on local and material conditions (think obsidian hydration)?

From the University of Manchester:

Fire and water reveal new archaeological dating method
20 May 2009

Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed a new way of dating archaeological objects – using fire and water to unlock their ‘internal clocks’.

The simple method promises to be as significant a technique for dating ceramic materials as radiocarbon dating has become for organic materials such as bone or wood.

A team from The University of Manchester and The University of Edinburgh has discovered a new technique which they call ‘rehydroxylation dating’ that can be used on fired clay ceramics like bricks, tile and pottery.

Working with The Museum of London, the team has been able to date brick samples from Roman, medieval and modern periods with remarkable accuracy.

They have established that their technique can be used to determine the age of objects up to 2,000 years old – but believe it has the potential to be used to date objects around 10,000 years old.

The exciting new findings have been published online today (20 May 2009) by the Proceedings of the Royal Society A.

The method relies on the fact that fired clay ceramic material will start to chemically react with atmospheric moisture as soon as it is removed from the kiln after firing. This continues over its lifetime causing it to increase in weight – the older the material, the greater the weight gain.

In 2003 the Manchester and Edinburgh team discovered a new law that precisely defines how the rate of reaction between ceramic and water varies over time.

The application of this law underpins the new dating method because the amount of water that is chemically combined with a ceramic provides an ‘internal clock’ that can be accessed to determine its age.

The technique involves measuring the mass of a sample of ceramic and then heating it to around 500 degrees Celsius in a furnace, which removes the water.

The sample is then monitored in a super-accurate measuring device known as a microbalance, to determine the precise rate at which the ceramic will combine with water over time.

Using the time law, it is possible to extrapolate the information collected to calculate the time it will take to regain the mass lost on heating – revealing the sample’s age.

They have calculated that a Roman brick sample with a known age of around 2,000 years was 2,001 years old. A further sample with a known age of between 708 and 758 years was calculated to have an age of 748 years.

The researchers also tested a ‘mystery brick’, with the real age only revealed to them once they had completed their process. This known age was between 339 and 344 years – and the new technique suggested the brick was 340 years old.

During the course of their research, the team also found that ceramic objects have their internal date clocks reset if they are exposed to temperatures of 500 degrees Celsius.

Used on medieval brick from Canterbury, the technique repeatedly dated a sample as being 66 years old. Further investigation revealed that Canterbury was devastated by incendiary bombs and fires during a Second World War blitz in 1942. The intense heat generated by the bombing had reset the dating clock by effectively re-firing the bricks.

The results also proved accurate enough to show that a brick sample from the King Charles building in Greenwich came from reconstruction carried out in the 1690s and not from the original building which was constructed between 1664 and 1669.

Lead author Dr Moira Wilson, Senior Lecturer in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering (MACE), said: “These findings come after many years of hard work. We are extremely excited by the potential of this new technique, which could become an established way of determining the age of ceramic artefacts of archaeological interest.

“The method could also be turned on its head and used to establish the mean temperature of a material over its lifetime, if a precise date of firing were known. This could potentially be useful in climate change studies.

“As well as the new dating method, there are also more wide-ranging applications of the work, such as the detection of forged ceramic.”

The three-year £100,000 project was funded by the Leverhulme Trust, with the microbalance - which measures mass to 1/10th of a millionth of a gram – funded by a £66,000 grant from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC).

Researchers are now planning to look at whether the new dating technique can be applied to earthenware, bone china and porcelain.

One-Sentence Commencement Speech

Few things swell one’s heart up with pride like the sound of "The Pomp and Circumstance Marches" playing. But nothing will deflate your ballooned heart faster than a painfully long and extremely dull commencement speech. Commencement speeches are supposed to be aw-inspiring, motivating, and packed full of life changing words to send you confidently on your way into the real world. However, sometimes these commencement speakers go off on a tirade and tend to ramble on for what feels like eternity!

My philosophy..."Keep it simple, stupid."

I’m sitting there in a long black robe, stifling under a hot sun, and seated with my graduating class that is packed in around me like sardines. One of two things is bound to happen - I’m either going to pass out from the heat, or fall asleep due to sheer boredom. So enlighten me. Move me. Make me feel that my $40,000 tuition is paying off immediately with your wonderful words of wisdom that can be applied to my past, present, and future. Basically, give me something to talk about. But more importantly, something to forever remember.

In the spirit of "Keep it simple, stupid" I ask that you compile your own one-sentence commencement speech. So pretend for a moment that you are elected honorary speaker at the most prestigious college or university you can imagine. Collect your thoughts, compose yourself and begin delivery!

Just one sentence.

I’m Today’s Featured Blog On Blogger!

Since 2001, Blogger.com has been running a site called "Blogs Of Note" in which everyday they feature a new blog they feel is noteworthy. It’s a great way to introduce you to new blogs you may otherwise never know existed. And today, I made the list! I’m the featured blog for Tuesday, May 19, 2009!

Now perhaps I gently persuaded them with my Twitter update yesterday...

Before the accusations start, there is no proof I did or did not sleep my way to the top of the blogosphere. Although I will say that a little whoring goes a long way, even if that whoring is whoring out your blog link as opposed to your body. With that said, I myself am not clear as to whether or not I will need to be granting any sexual favors to the folks at Blogger. But I would like to thank them for featuring little ol' me. You made my day!

Check it out at...
http://blogsofnote.blogspot.com/2009/05/rest-is-still-unwritten.html

And retweet it at...
http://twitter.com/Blogger/status/1852183857

R.E. Taylor poster award winner

The Society for Archaeological Sciences is pleased to congratulate the winner of the R.E. Taylor Student Poster Award for Spring 2009.


Lesley D. Frame
PhD Candidate
Heritage Conservation Science Program
Materials Science and Engineering Department
University of Arizona


For her poster:
"Technological Change in Southwestern Asia: Comparing Metallurgical Production Styles and Social Values during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age"

Abstract: Early evidence for metal processing is found on the Iranian Plateau at a number of sites, some of which (e.g., Tal-i Iblis) represent large-scale smelting industries, whereas other sites, including Seh Gabi and Godin Tepe, contain similar crucible technology but with much smaller concentrations of production debris. Through compositional and microstructural analyses, and the use of a theoretical framework of technological change, this project considers the differences among these contrasting scales of production on the Iranian Plateau, in terms of technology and the possible social values placed on that technology. By linking technological changes to social values of the craftspeople, we can understand the role of technology in the cultural context of past communities.

Honorable Mentions:

Hanneke Hoekman-Sites
PhD Candidate
Department of Anthropology
Florida State University
"Examining Animal Product Use Patterns on the Great Hungarian Plain during the Neolithic and Copper Age"

Bridget Alex
BA Student
Anthropology, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences Departments
Dartmouth College
"Multi-method Analysis of pre-Teotihuacan Ceramics"

Contestants submitted their posters to SAS and were judged by professional researchers on the significance of the archaeological problem, appropriateness of the archaeometric methods used, soundness of conclusions, and quality of the poster display.

Learn more about SAS! Join us online.

Congratulations, Lesley!

AJ Vonarx
Membership Liaison - SAS

Love In The Digital Age

He Twitters, but she txts? Sigh. These days, high-tech options can short-circuit a romance. While a relationship may not end because your significant other has an aversion to a certain type of technology, it certainly may help fizzle out a new romance from ever taking form. So can a texter love a Twitterer? Can star-crossed lovers overcome wire-crossed gadgets? Can these relationships be saved? I’m here to tell you YES and to tell you how to untangle the mess so your wireless signals will never be crossed again. Technology is supposed to simplify our life. The idea is to make it faster and easier to connect to our family, friends, co-workers and of course that hottie you have your eye on. But even the most tech-savvy of us can feel a bit overwhelmed and even confused as to what is the appropriate method of getting in touch with someone when there are so many methods to choose from! Back in the good old days (the early 90s), you had one method – the phone, the landline phone. Today you have the cell phone, txting, e-mail, IM, Facebook, Twitter, the list goes on and on! Mary, from the chick flick movie "He’s Just Not That Into You" summed it up best when she said...

"I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It’s exhausting!"

In 2009, the process of asking someone out on a date can historically be described as such. Each form of communication has its own followers and rules, which means dating today is a law of inverse proportions. As ways to communicate increases, the chances you will date someone who speaks your technological language decreases. If you share in Mary’s frustrations, then perhaps I can be of help to you by offering some advice.

• Relax. Continuously checking your phone for an incoming txt or call is not going to make it ring faster. Same rule applies to your e-mail, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc. Obsess over this and not only are you wasting your time and torturing yourself, but you’ll come off looking desperate and pathetic.
• If he’s truly interested, he will be in touch, in one form or another. Trust me on this!
• Just because a guy says he will call, doesn’t mean he will. Get over it.
• Ok, that sounded harsh. So to be fair, guys don’t say you’ll call if you know you won’t. Enough with the head games. Grow up already. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Women will respect you for your honesty, even if the truth hurts. And ladies, keep in mind that things change. He may have had every intention of calling you, but something could have actually come up - meaning, he met someone else. So don’t go psycho on him. Accept it and move on. Besides, why would you want someone who doesn’t want you?
• Just because technology is said to be an "instant" form of communication, doesn’t mean it really is. Life gets busy for everyone, so don’t take it too personal. It may take a couple hours, a day, or more before he/she responds to your call, e-mail, txt, etc. So repeat step #1, relax.

Many feel technology has complicated romance, if not ruined it! (See my archived post from 9/12/08 - The Handwritten Letter Is A Dying Art) Since most forms of technology fail to deliver facial expression (emoticons don’t count) and voice tones, a digital interaction can feel a bit hollow. Because let’s face it, technology can feel impersonal. It lacks that warm interaction that you can only get face-to face. But that isn’t the biggest problem with technology. The biggest problem is that why some love it, others loathe it! So when it comes to love in the digital age, it’s very easy to get your signals crossed. For example: A girl recently gave me her number. Shortly after, I learned that she was headed to Vegas to celebrate her birthday with some friends. So I thought it might be nice/cute if I would send her a simple happy birthday txt at midnight. The only problem, I find out she hates txting! Thankfully I found this out BEFORE I sent the txt. However, this had led me to believe we would be technologically incompatible?

If I hadn’t found this out and later sent a txt asking her if she wanted to meet me for lunch and she doesn’t read her txts, then what? I would assume I was stood up, when in reality it was just a matter of miscommunication. In another time, with fewer technological options, we may have been soul mates. Now, we will never know. After all, a bird may love a fish, but where would they live? And how would they notify each other to meet INSIDE the restaurant? I don’t know about the fish, but chances are the bird would be a Twitterer. And chances are, I’ll just use my cell phone and call next time.

This post isn't really about technology. It's about neurotic 20-somethings and 30-somethings who will find some reason, like blaming technology, not to be in a relationship. And perhaps that's for the best, because if you can't even agree on the medium through which you'll communicate, is there any chance you'll ever be able to work through real issues? I think not.

Get Paid to Tweet, Facebook and Comment on Blogs?

Jobs! Everyone needs one to pay for booze and hookers. Ok, for rent and food, but anything extra should go to booze and hookers. And in today’s tough economy, there is a good chance you are currently unemployed and looking for work. Or you may have a day job, but wouldn’t mind making a little extra cash on the side. So when someone says you can get paid for something you already do for free and love, you’re ecstatic...and skeptical. We’ve all heard of those crappy AdSense ads and other marketing schemes that try to convince bloggers they can make big bucks for doing what love - blogging. However, the truth is you make mere pennies, basically pocket change. Even if you find a little success by cluttering up your blog with ads and hoping unsavvy Internet users will unknowingly click thru those ads, chances are extremely slim you will ever make a substantial living off of blogging alone. So like it or not, you’re going to need to get yourself a REAL job.

Or...maybe I spoke too soon?

Surf on over to Craigslist (new york craigslist > manhattan > writing jobs) and you will come across this posting.

We are looking for a few good writers who know their way around Twitter and Facebook who can leave native comments in groups and to people that are relative to our Company's products.

We will pay anyway you like: per comment, per day, per month, per minimum comments left, per forum. Whatever works best for you.

We are a new Company with a great line of products and we are just looking to get recognized. We are not looking to spam thousands of irrelevant comments. We are not very Twitter or FB savvy, and do not have the time to spread the word ourselves. This is like our Stimulus plan. You leave some cool appropriate comments, and we stimultate the economy by 1) paying you good money, and 2) by helping a new company get off the ground. It's a Stimulus whammy!!

Email us and let us know first if you understand your way around Twitter and Facebook, and second if you have the time to help us.

Thanks

* Location: anywhere
* Compensation: $2-$5per comment or Forum that's relative to our product. This can add up very quickly as there are 1000's of Blogs, forums, Tweets, Groups, etc out in the Webworld.
* Telecommuting is ok.
* This is a part-time job.
* This is a contract job.
* This is an internship job
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Now we are talking about Craigslist here, a site notorious for scams, particularly make money quick/easy scams. As they say, if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. But does that rule apply here? I’m going to let you judge for yourself. However, when someone says it is not ok to call the employer about the job, that leaves a fishy scent in the air.

$2-$5 per comment? For that kind of money I could leave a handful of comments, pocket $20 and buy myself a stiff drink or a cheap BJ on the street!

If anyone is interested, apply and report back to us.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/wri/1168675854.html

***NOTE***
The above statement was said in sarcasm. I do not pay for BJs on the street, but I wouldn’t mind having a stiff drink right now! Which reminds me, is 3:00 too early for Happy Hour to begin on a thirsty Thursday afternoon?

38th International Sympoium on Archaeometry, 2010

The 38th International Symposium on Archaeometry will be held at the University of South Florida, Tampa, May 10-14, 2010. The aim of ISA is to promote the integration of scientific techniques with archaeology and cultural heritage, with participants coming from a variety of backgrounds and subdisciplines.

The website at http://isa2010.cas.usf.edu/ includes preliminary information, including title/abstract submission and registration deadlines. Additional information on accommodations, payment methods, social activities, publication, sponsors, etc. will be added in the near future.

Registration costs have been kept at the same price as for previous years, while low cost accommodations are available. At least some discounts are expected for participants from Latin America and some other countries.

Deadline for submission of abstracts: December 1, 2009

Robert H. Tykot, Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee
Professor, Department of Anthropology, and
Director, Laboratory for Archaeological Science
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., SOC107
Tampa, FL 33620 USA
tel: 813 974-7279
fax: 813 974-2668
email: rtykot@cas.usf.edu
web: http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~rtykot

Twitter Makes You A Better Writer

Love it or loath it, Twitter is all the rage lately. If you don’t know what Twitter is, basically it’s a micro-blog. In 140 characters or less, it answers one basic question..."What are you doing?" If you’re a person who tends to ramble when you write, you will surely find condensing your words to just 140 characters rather challenging and often downright frustrating! But that’s a good thing because it helps cure you from diarrhea of the mouth. Long winded writers may have a hard time wrapping their heads around this concept, but a list of phrases can be replaced by single words without loss of meaning. Twitter forces you to write concisely. And that makes for crisper, more direct, easier to read copy. There's no room for flowery prose with only 140 characters to express an idea. It cuts out the fluff and leaves the reader with just straight content, which is important in today’s busy world where people are pressed for time and want you to get your point across in a hurry. In short, Twitter can make you a better writer.

Since you only have 140 characters to spew your message, you will have to dust off your dictionary and thesaurus and expand your vocabulary. You will have to utilize words that are shorter, more descriptive and get the job done in 140 characters or less. In the process, you’ll discover a better, clearer and more concise way to say what you want to say. Plus, every writer needs to be able to edit their work. And by using Twitter, you can really hone your editing skills and make them top-notch.

I’m a fan of simplicity. And writing more clearly and consciously is something I’m working on. If Twitter helps me accomplish this goal by putting me to the test, then I’m going to keep on Tweeting. But now it’s time to put YOU to the test!

So whether you are or aren’t Twittering already, put yourself to the 140 character test now by leaving a comment on this post in 140 characters or less. Remember, letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation and spaces all count as characters on Twitter. Good luck!

(Follow me on Twitter @diamondkt and Tweet this post. You know you want to.)

Magnetism and archaeology

Archaeomagnetic sampling in the Podere Funghi

2009 Joint Assembly
American Geophysical Union
The Meeting of the Americas

24–27 May 2009
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The scientific program can be viewed online.

Yours truly has co-convened the following session for the Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism section:

Magnetism and Other Geophysical Techniques Applied to Archaeology

Conveners: R Sternberg, Franklin & Marshall College; A Chauvin, Université de Rennes; S Lengyel, Illinois State Museum

Session description: Magnetism is used in archaeology in several ways: archaeomagnetism, or the remanent magnetization of archaeological materials; use of magnetic properties for determining archaeological provenance; magnetic surveying at archaeological sites, and use of magnetic susceptibility on the surface and subsurface at archaeological sites. This session invites submissions on any of these topics, especially involving novel approaches, or the application of other geophysical methods to archaeology.

The presentations in this program:

Monday Morning, 25 May, 8 am - posters

Archaeomagnetic Study performed on Early Medieval Buildings from western France
A Chauvin, P Lanos, P Dufresne, S Blain, P Guibert, C Oberlin, C Sapin

Near Surface Magnetic Survey for Investigating the Cultural Relics in Suchon, Gongju, Korea
M R Islam, K Tiampo, M Suh, T F Abdallatif

Magnetic Susceptibility of Ancient and Modern Potsherds Using a Fast, Cheap and Portable Probe
P W Glover

Magnetic Fingerprinting of Central Mediterranean Obsidian Source Groups
I Weaver, R Sternberg, R H Tykot

Tuesday Morning, 26 May, 10:30 am – oral presentations

European Archaeomagnetism: Progress and Problems
M E Evans, G Hoye

Regional Archeomagnetic Model for Europe for the Last 3000 Years: Application to Dating.
F Pavón-Carrasco, M L Osete, J M Torta, L R Gaya-Piqué

The Mesoamerica Secular Variation Curve. A continuous research since 1999.
A M Soler-Arechalde, C I Caballero-Miranda, A Gogichaichvili, L Beramendi-Orosco, G Gonzalez-Hernández, J Urrutia-Fucugauchi

Dating Post-Medieval Archaeology: Which Global Geomagnetic Field Model to use?
A Lodge, N Suttie, M Korte, M Hill, R Holme

The Donegal Sign Tree: A Local Legend Confirmed with Holographic Radar and 3-D Magnetics
T Bechtel, M Cassidy, M Inagaki, C Windsor, L Capineri, P Falorni, A Bulleti, S Valentini, G Borgioli, S Ivashov, A Zhuravlev, V Razewig, I Vasiliev, E Bechtel

3-D Modelling of Magnetic Data from an Archaeological Site in Northwestern Tlaxcala State, Mexico
R E Chavez, D L Argote, G Cifuentes, A Tejero, E Camara

Archaeometric Prospection Using Electrical Survey Predictive Deconvolution (ESPD)
P W Glover

Get Published In The New PostSecret Book

The long awaited 5th PostSecret book, titled "Confessions on Life, Death & God" from Frank Warren, is about to hit the presses! But before you snatch it from bookstore shelves on October 6th, there’s still time for you to get published in it! As you may know, I’m a HUGE PostSecret fan! It’s my favorite blog by far. And needless to say, all four of the previous PostSecret books reside on my coffee table. So naturally, I’ll be adding the newest book to my collection as well. However, PostSecret wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you, the secret keeper. There isn’t a person in this world that doesn’t have some type of secret buried down deep inside of them just begging to be set free. So now is your time! What better way to release it to the world, while at the same time retaining your anonymity?

Will I be submitting a secret for the upcoming book? Well I rather not say, because it's a secret - duh! But if I do get published, you know I’m entitled to at least one day of bragging here on my blog!

So visit the link below to find out how you can mail your thoughtful, funny or shocking secrets about Life, Death & God to Frank today. This is the last week to submit your secrets for possible inclusion in the book.

http://postsecretcommunity.com/lifedeathgod

The Scarlett Letter (ceramics blog)

I met Tim Scarlett when he taught in the Center for Talented Youth program here at F&M some years ago. Now he is a professor at Michigan Technological University.

Tim is currently running the Utah Pottery Project. The goals of the project are:

1. Catalog the immigrant pottery makers and clay industry workers of Utah's Nineteenth-Century
2. Locate and identify the archaeological sites from operating potteries
3. Catalog known examples of Utah Pottery in museum collections
4. Academic Study
5. Make information available to everyone

Tim is now blogging on the project, to which he is devoting more time while on sabbatical. He did a nice piece on the provenancing of ceramics, using both style and archaeometry.

Tim may not be Nathaniel Hawthorne, but you should give his blog a read.

Documenting Human Failure

***NOTE***
This post was completely rewritten on 5/8/09.

I subscribe to the belief that bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art because it documents human failure. I could even go as far to say that an elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art. Then again, there was nothing elegant about wiping up the pool of blood that my best friend’s body was submerged in after he decided to suck on a cold metal pistol. It seems more people can relate to a broken and empty heart, rather than a heart that is bursting full of happiness and love. It’s a sad realization, but one that we are all too familiar with. Afterall, more of us can relate to failure rather than success. So it’s really no shocker that a person can be labeled a "starving artist" all their life and never sell more than a handful of paintings, but once they die, their artwork magically becomes priceless! It is one of the cruel twists to life. Nobody cared about him while he was here, but now that he’s dead and gone, they can’t stop talking about him! It’s the legacy he left behind that fascinates them. They want to collect all his pieces and learn all about his life. A life they didn’t give a shit about, nor knew even existed, until his tombstone was set into place. The real irony, the once "starving artist" will never get to reap the rewards of his success and bask in the limelight. His new found fame and measure of greatness will go unnoticed by him. That is not beautiful. That is plain tragic.

It’s easy for me to feel genuine compassion for someone who is experiencing a failure, but I find that I must force myself to be happy for someone that succeeds. I can feel someone else’s personal pain, because I can relate to that dark emotion. But I’m unable to share in their joy, because happiness is sometimes foreign to me. It’s not that I’m a miserable person and because misery loves company I want them to be miserable also. It’s just that I’m a bit jealous and maybe even a little envious? I’m a competitive freak so if someone reaches a higher level of success before me, I think part of me resents them for reaching that milestone. Or rather, I resent myself for not rising faster.

While the past helps predict the future, and today helps mold what tomorrow will bring, in no way is it a guarantee that yesterday’s failure will or won’t repeat itself in the days to come. Life is composed of a mixture of failures and successes. The failures are small, but many. Tiny little life lessons that help us grow and learn. They give us hope that because we were able to weather the bad times, that good times are just around the corner. That we will eventually be successful.

No one wants to be stamped with the word rejection across their chest anymore than they want to have the letter L branded to their forehead. Because when you are rejected, you feel like a loser. And we all know a losing attitude will never help you succeed in life. As cliché as it sounds, to be a winner you have to think like one. You have to believe in yourself, even if no one else does. Of course that’s easier said than done, I’m not even going to lie. Why do you think "starving artists" exist? Because they keep picking up that paintbrush, despite the fact that not a single painting may ever see the inside of an art gallery. Just like I will keep picking up that pen, even if my words never make it onto a publisher's desk. You do it because you love it and you believe in yourself, even if no one else does. (And if this post is a reflection of my writing talent, I have much work to do!)

When I was 17 and applying to colleges, I hung up every rejection letter I received around my bed. Most people didn’t understand it. They thought it was a form of self-torture. But what they saw as a reminder of failure, I saw as a motivator for success. In the end, it brought me great pleasure to prove them wrong. And now as I prepare to start sending my writing off to be critiqued and possibly published, I will take every "no, you’re not good enough" letter I receive and post them on every wall in my house. Just like a decade ago, I will document my human failure and use it to inspire me to do better, to prove the naysayers wrong.

It will be beautiful.

Other archaeologists in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

"The National Academies perform an unparalleled public service by bringing together committees of experts in all areas of scientific and technological endeavor. These experts serve pro bono to address critical national issues and give advice to the federal government and the public. "

I compiled the list below of NAS members who are archaeologists/paleoanthropologists, with affiliation, year of election, and area of specialty when given.

What would be the equivalent honor in other countries?

By the way, we're working on setting up a directory of SAS members by specialty.


Robert McCormick Adams
University of California, San Diego
1970
Middle East: Long-term socioeconomic, environmental, and demographic perspectives. History of technology

Juan Luis Arsuaga
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
2002

Berhane Asfaw
Rift Valley Research Service
2008

Ofer Bar-Yosef
Harvard University
2001
Eurasian prehistory, hunter-gatherers, stone technology Cro-Magnons, Neanderthals, origin of agriculture, Near East, China

Lewis Binford
Southern Methodist University
2001

Jane Buikstra
Arizona State University
1987
bioarchaeology, funerary archaeology,paleodemography, paleopathology, forensic anthropology

Robert Carneiro
American Museum of Natural History
1999
cultural evolution, origin of chiefdoms and states, Amazonian ethnology

Michael Coe
Yale University
1986
archaeology and ethnology of Mesoamerica and Southeast Asia

Linda Cordell
School for Advanced Research
2005

Robert Drennan
University of Pittsburgh
2004
archaeology, chiefdoms, complex society, Mesoamerica, Colombia, China, regional settlement analysis, household archaeology

Kent Flannery
University of Michigan
1978
prehistoric archaeology and human ecology, origins of agriculture, sedentary life, social inequality, rise of archaic states

George Frison
University of Wyoming
1997
Paleoindian archaeology, taphonomic study of human animal kills, experimental archaeology, high altitude archaeology

R. C. Green
University of Auckland
1984
Pacific cultural history, Oceania archaeology, geoarchaeology, ethnohistory, historical linguistics, biological anthropology

Henry Harpending
University of Utah
1996

Frank Hole
Yale University
1981

Patrick Kirch
University of California, Berkeley
1990

Richard Klein
Stanford University
2003
paleoanthropology, paleolithic archaeology, evolution of human behavior

David Lordkipanidze
Georgian National Museum
2007

C. Owen Lovejoy
Kent State University
Anthropology
2007

Linda Manzanilla
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
2003
early urban societies in Mesoamerica, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Andean Region, domestic archaeology in early urban developments

Joyce Marcus
University of Michigan
1997
social and political evolution, origins of complex societies, comparative chiefdoms and states

Rene Millon
University of Rochester
2001

Michael Moseley
University of Florida
2000
Andes, geoarchaeology, natural disaster

James O'Connell
University of Utah
2006

Mehmet Ozdogan
Istanbul University
2005
Prehistoric archaeology, Neolithic, emergence of food producing economies, history of archaeology, politics and archaeology

David Pilbeam
Harvard University
1992
human and ape evolution, climate, habitat, faunal change, history of paleoanthropology, evolutionary developmental biology

Dolores Piperno
Smithsonian Institution
2005
archaeology, human ecology, tropical forest plant exploitation and domestication, Quaternary environments

Stephen Plog
University of Virginia
2007

Colin Renfrew
University of Cambridge
1996
prehistoric archaeology, explanation of culture change, prehistoric Greece, archaeological theory

Jeremy Sabloff
University of Pennsylvania
1994
archaeology, ancient Maya civilization, pre-industrial urbanism, settlement patterns

Romuald Schild
Polish Academy of Sciences
1998
flint and ochre mining

Elwyn Simons
Duke University
Anthropology
1981

Bruce Smith
Smithsonian Institution
2003
North American archaeology, origins of agriculture, plant domestication

Charles Spencer
American Museum of Natural History
2007
archaeology

David Thomas
American Museum of Natural History
1989

Phillip Tobias
University of the Witwatersrand
1987
paleo-anthropology, physical anthropology of the living, hominin brains, water, longevity, human population movements

Erik Trinkaus
Washington University
1996
evolution, human biology, Pleistocene, paleontology, neandertals, modern humans

Alan Walker
Pennsylvania State University
2003

Patty Jo Watson
Washington University
1988
archaeology, cave and ethno-archaeology, anthropology

Fred Wendorf
Southern Methodist University
1987
North African prehistory, pleistocene geology, early humans, paleolithic and neolithic lithic technology and typology

Tim White
University of California, Berkeley
2000
human evolution, paleontology, zooarchaeology, geology, human osteology

Elizabeth Wing
University of Florida
2006
zooarchaeology, incipient domestication, prehistoric fishing

Henry Wright
University of Michigan
1994
cultural evolution, hierarchy, regional networks, chiefdoms, early civilizations, mesopotamia, madagascar, north america, china

Douglas Yen
Australian National University
1985
ethnobotany, agricultural origins, genetics of domesticated plants, Oceania