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Challenging the sacrifice narrative in Maya cave research
When human remains turn up in the caves of central Belize, the default interpretation has often been the same: sacrifice. Dr. Gabriel Wrobel, professor of anthropology at Michigan State University, has spent two decades testing that assumption, and the evidence keeps pointing somewhere more complicated. In a recent guest presentation for Aztlander, Dr. Wrobel makes a broader case before he gets to the caves: that archaeological interpretation too often outpaces the evidence supporting it, and that sensational readings tend to get rewarded with attention. He opens with a well-known cannibalism controversy from the American Southwest, where a widely covered theory…
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GLIS/Anthropology alum receives prestigious Fulbright award
The Fulbright Program has selected seven Michigan State University students as finalists for the 2026–27 academic year, including recent Global and International Studies (GLIS) and Anthropology alum Catelyn Arnold. Arnold graduated in 2026 with both degrees, along with a minor in Korean. During her time at MSU, she studied abroad in South Korea, interned at the local Refugee Development Center, and became passionate about language education, education justice, and cross-cultural exchange. Her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship will take place in Korea, an interest that began with language study and grew significantly during her junior-year semester abroad. “Living there gave me…
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Professor Emeritus Lovis receives the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network
Professor and Curator Emeritus Dr. William A Lovis is the 2026 recipient of a Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN) Lifetime Achievement Award “presented to outstanding and deserving individuals who through personal effort and/or involvement in historic preservation have made a significant contribution to the preservation of Michigan’s heritage”. The award recognizes Professor Lovis’ many contributions to the foundational underpinnings of archaeological heritage management and preservation at the national and state levels. Lovis has chaired the Michigan Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, held government affairs offices with the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), Society of Professional Archaeologists and Register of Professional Archaeologists,…
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Access Champion: Dr. Stacey Camp
by Emily Jodway Throughout the month of May, we celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American/Asian (APIDA/A) Heritage Month and highlight the important role that the members of this community have played in our shared history. We also spotlight members of the MSU community who strive to uplift these individuals and advance belonging through research and advocacy. Our May Access Champion is Stacey Camp, Associate Professor of Archaeology, Director of the MSU Campus Archeology Program and MSU Museum Curator of Archaeology. She came to Michigan State in 2017 after following the work of the late Lynne Goldstein for several years and…
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Anthropology PhD candidate awarded the College of Social Science Graduate Student Research Award
By Jalen Smith Priyanka Jayakodi, a fifth year PhD candidate in cultural anthropology specializing in medical and environmental anthropology, has been named the recipient of the 2026 College of Social Science Graduate Student Research Award. This award is given each year to an outstanding graduate student in the college whose research exemplifies innovative and transformative achievement in their field of study. Priyanka’s research focuses on ecological bodily health, chronic illness, water, gender, state violence, and visual ethnography. She has presented her work at several international conferences, including the Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry,…
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Melissa Teja named 2026 Outstanding Senior in Anthropology
By Jalen Smith The Michigan State University Department of Anthropology is proud to announce Melissa Teja as its Outstanding Senior. This award recognizes a graduating senior in each department with an exceptional academic record, major contributions to the department and their ability to balance rigorous scholarship with extracurriculars. Melissa is a native of Johns Creek, Georgia and is the president of the MSU Anthropology Club. She is also currently serving as Co-Chair of the MSU President’s Student Advisory Council. In addition to this, Teja is member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and last year served on the Panhellenic Council:…
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Anthropology PhD student’s research examines dismemberment through shape analysis to help solve crimes
By Jalen Smith and Louise Henderson When forensic scientists (people who solve crimes using science) find bones that have been cut with a saw, they try to figure out what kind of saw was used. This can help them narrow down the tools and possibly catch the person who did it. To do this, they look at the marks left on the bones with the saw. One important mark is called the kerf floor shape, which is the shape of the bottom of the cut made by the saw. Think of it like the footprint of the saw blade. In the…
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Regional Drought and Saints’ Rest Dormitory Discovery
by Dr. William Lovis The onset and continuing impacts of global climate change has had a marked impact on the discovery of archaeological sites worldwide, including in Michigan. Professor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis explores this issue through a discussion of the discovery of the mid-19th century Saints’ Rest dormitory on the MSU Campus, recently published in The Michigan Archaeologist in an article titled “Extreme Regional Drought and the Rediscovery of The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan’s First Men’s Dormitory, Saints’ Rest”. Saints’ Rest dormitory, the first men’s dormitory at MSU, originally stood just east of the current MSU Museum. The building…
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Anthropology alumnus wins Award of Merit from Society for Historical Archaeology
Donald Weir, a 1974 Anthropology master’s graduate, has been presented with the national Society of Historical Archaeology’s Award of Merit for his lifetime of work in archaeology at this year’s national conference. The SHA Awards of Merit were established in 1988 to recognize the specific achievements of individuals and organizations who have furthered the cause of historical archaeology. “Donald J. Weir (was selected) for his outstanding leadership and mentorship in Midwest archaeology, pioneering professional practice in cultural resource management, and advancing diversity and education within the field,” the SHA 59th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology program proclaimed. The award…
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Prior To European Contact Maize In The Central Andes Was Bred To Be Sweeter And Resist Harsh Highland Environment
Genetic analysis of ancient maize placed as an offering alongside the mummified remains of a young 15th-century Andean girl in what is now Bolivia is shedding new light on how regional interactions in the central Andes contributed to the development of maize as a staple crop prior to European contact. The study’s authors include Dr. Huan Chen (lead author), a postdoctoral fellow in Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences; Dr. Gabriel Wrobel, Professor of Anthropology; and Dr. William Lovis, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, along with other Michigan State University colleagues in the plant sciences and collaborators from the Universidad Mayor de…