Department of Anthropology

  • Andean Girl Returns Home

    man and woman at Bolivian embassy
    Dr. Bill Lovis and Dr. Allison Davis, U.S. Department of State, celebrate
    Ñusta’s return to Bolvian soil

    Dr. William Lovis, Professor Emeritus of anthropology, Curator Emeritus of anthropology, editor of Midwest Archaeological Perspectives and research affiliate for Lithic Microwear Research Laboratory completed the repatriation to Bolivia of the 500-year old mummy of a young Andean girl. Her arrival at the Washington, D.C., Embassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia marked the beginning of his retirement after a 45-year career at MSU.

    The mummy, nicknamed Ñusta, a Quechua word for “Princess,” had a long MSU history. MSU Museum records revealed she was donated to the MSU Museum in 1890 by then U.S. Consul to Chile and MSU Board of Trustees member Hon. William B. McCreery. She came from south of LaPaz, Bolivia, and was originally placed in a stone tomb, along with a variety of accoutrements including pouches, bags, a small clay jar, sandals, beads, feathers and several types of plants including maize, beans, grasses, kapok and coca. The burial was reputed to be “Pre Columbian” and “Inca,” so the maize from her pouch was radiocarbon dated, which revealed it was as old as the second half of the 15th century, indicating her burial likely predated Columbus’s arrival — and the Spanish conquest of the Inca.

    Museum documents also revealed that throughout the first half of the 20th century she was prominently displayed in early iterations of the MSU Museum, all over campus through the 1970s. As societal sentiments toward the display of human remains in the U.S. changed, Lovis became part of a group of museum curators who successfully recommended she be taken off display. Bill initiated discussions with then acting MSU Museum director Lora Helou about repatriating the mummy and her associated burial objects to Bolivia. Helou agreed, catalyzing an effort starting in 2016 that took him through his consulting year and into retirement.

    Surmounting multiple national and institutional bureaucracies, MSU administrative changes, language differences, documentation protocols and working through ethical and legal issues presented an ongoing series of daunting challenges — only accomplished with the assistance of colleagues Jose Capriles, Allison Davis and David Trigo. As the repatriation efforts came to closure, Dr. Lovis attended the October 26, 2018 MSU Board of Trustees meeting, where they deaccessioned Ñusta and her funerary paraphernalia. Ñusta was no longer an MSU possession but officially become the property of Bolivia.

    Arrangements were made for U.S. Art to package and transport Ñusta to Washington D.C. and deliver her to the Bolivian Embassy on January 22, 2019, where Lovis witnessed her arrival on Bolivian soil in the United States. Her arrival coincided with the annual anniversary celebration of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, which included a reception with the young lady in prominent view, an indigenous Aymara ceremony, members of the Bolivian delegation, including Deputy Charge d’Affairs Alejandro Bilbao La Vieja Ruiz and a group from MSU — including Dr. Lovis. After 129 years, on the anniversary of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, MSU’s “Bolivian mummy” has been repatriated to her home nation and people. We thank Dr. Lovis for his tireless dedication to the MSU community.

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  • 3rd Annual Endowed Alumni & Friends of Archaeology Lecture

    Greg Hare in the Yukon
    Dr. Greg Hare

    Greg Hare, the former Yukon Archaeologist and Senior Projects Archaeologist with the Government of Yukon, Canada, recently retired after 30 years of service, visited MSU from March 11-15th, 2019 as the 3rd Annual Alumni and Friends of Archaeology Endowed Lecture Series. While here, Dr. Hare gave a department talk entitled, “Global Warming and Melting Ice Looking into the Past – Preparing for the Future” where he discussed how increasing global temperatures have created both serious challenges and unique opportunities for archaeology in the circumpolar north. He also gave a public talk entitled, “The Yukon Ice Patch Project Ancient Artifacts Melting from Alpine Ice.” This talk provided an overview of the Yukon Ice Patch Project and explored the collaborative working relationship with indigenous communities and implications for heritage management. His talk reviewed the challenges posed by environmental change, the newly developing field of glacial archaeology and possible implications for international research agendas.

    Dr. Hare is an editor of the Journal of Glacial Archaeology, Sheffield, U.K. and in 2012 he was program chair for Frozen Pasts – the 3rd International Glacial Archaeology Conference, in Whitehorse Yukon. He studied anthropology and archaeology at the University of Victoria and University of Alberta, Canada and lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

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  • Dr. Goldstein Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

    Dr. Lynne Goldstein Receives Society for American Archaeology Lifetime Achievement Award

    The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce Dr. Lynne Goldstein (Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Founding Director of the Campus Archaeology Program) received the Society for American Archaeology Lifetime Achievement Award at the 84th Annual Meeting in Albuquerque New Mexico on April 12, 2019. This prestigious award is in recognition of her pivotal theoretical and empirical contributions to the field, in the areas of mortuary archaeology, Midwestern prehistory, historical archaeology, archaeological ethics and repatriation, public engagement, as well as professional and institutional leadership.

    Lynne Goldstein earned her BA degree in Anthropology from Beloit College in 1971 and her MA and PhD from Northwestern University (in 1973 and 1976, respectively). Her commitment to archaeology began even earlier, in her high school days through volunteer work at the Field Museum of Natural History and participation in the Kampsville Project. Over the course of her career, she taught at both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1976-1996) and Michigan State University (1996-2018) and chaired both departments. She retired from MSU in August 2018 and now holds emerita status.

    Over the 48-year period of her career (and more than 65 publications and 200 conference papers), she has made fundamental theoretical and empirical contributions to archaeology. One of the hallmarks of Goldstein’s career has been her intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm about taking on new projects and exploring a range of different research questions. This curiosity, when coupled with her advocacy for public engagement with archaeology and her passion for communicating archaeological knowledge to diverse audiences, has driven her involvement in an array of projects.

    Her service to the SAA has been recognized by five Presidential Recognition Awards. Her service, both on the SAA Task Force on Repatriation and as an advisor, from 1990-2010 made important contributions to the form and implementation of NAGPRA legislation. She also served on the Smithsonian Repatriation Committee for many years. Lynne served as Secretary of the SAA (1988-1991), editor of American Antiquity (1996-2000), as co-Chair with Barbara Mills on the Task Force on Gender and Research Grants Submission (2013-2019), and currently chairs the SAA Publication Committee (2018-2021). She was similarly active in the American Anthropological Association, serving as Publication Director for the Archaeology Section (2013-2017), Liaison to the Register of Professional Archaeologists (2016-2018), and on additional committees. This does not even touch upon her leadership in the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Wisconsin Archaeological Survey, Florida Public Archaeology Network, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and other national and regional organizations. Dr. Goldstein has chaired 18 dissertation committees, served on dozens more, and mentored graduate (and undergraduate) students in programs around the US, in the United Kingdom, and beyond. We thank her for her service and look forward to keeping up with her retirement.

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  • Forensic Anthropology in the News

    MSU Forensic Anthropology continues to bring answers and closure for the families of tragedies. When unidentified human remains were found on private property in northern Kent County, Wyoming Department of Public Safety called in MSU forensic anthropologist, Dr. Joe Hefner to identify the remains. They were the remains of Charles Oppenneer, a victim of the ‘Craigslist killer’. Dr. Hefner and the MSU forensic anthropology team determined the cause of death and positively ID’d the man, offering closure for the family of Mr. Oppenneer, who had been missing since 2014. Hefner and the MSU team also provided invaluable evidence for the police department. You can read the full story here. Our sympathies go out to Mr. Oppenneer’s family and friends.

    Dr. Joe Hefner, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, was also quoted in a recent Washington Post article where he discussed the Easter terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka. Hefner, a board-certified forensic anthropologist who assisted in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, provided The Washington Post with his expert perspective on the incredible challenges in identifying victims in a disaster of this magnitude.

    man looking at xrays of a human chest

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  • Cities of the Arab World Conference

    flyer heading

    On February 14-15, 2019, the MSU’s Department of Anthropology, co-hosted an international and interdisciplinary conference entitled Cities of the Arab World: Theory, Investigation, Critique. In partnership with MSU’s Global Urban Studies Program (GUSP) and Muslim Studies Program (MSP), and the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) at the University of Michigan, the event brought together scholars from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to explore urban life in the geographic Arab world, and the political, economic, and cultural presence of Arab communities in cities around the globe.

    Six panels were formed for the two-day conference, on topics ranging from urban mega-projects and questions of sustainability, to the political economy of post-conflict reconstruction. The program included two very well received keynotes by Dr. Harvey Molotch (Professor Emeritus of Social and Cultural Analysis and Sociology, New York University), and Dr. Mona Fawaz (Faculty of Engineering and Design, American University of Beirut), and a screening of El-Said’s In the Last Days of the City (2016), in conjunction with the MSU Library Film Series, organized by Anthropology and Area Studies Librarian Deborah Margolis.

    The conference was designed with multiple goals in mind. Among the most important was to explore not only cities of the geographical Arab world, but to ask questions of its global extensions to urban communities around the world. The second goal was to expand and deepen engagement between Urban Studies and scholars of the Arab World.

    “The major theoretical debates in Urban Studies continue to be rooted in the US and European experiences. Theorizations from the South, including the Arab world, are very exciting and intellectually productive, yet they remain outside of the mainstream,” Hourani said. Given the large Arab and Arab-American communities in Michigan, it is only natural that our public universities would help to overcome this challenge.

    “We were very pleased with the collaboration with CMENAS, and the large turnout for the event demonstrates that there is a strong constituency for the global orientation of research that GUSP, MSP and Anthropology produce, both within the university and across the state.”

    The Conference Program can be found here: http://gusp.msu.edu/userdocs/Cities_of_the_Arab_World/

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  • Featured Alumna, Eve Avdoulos

    A woman in front of Cambridge's red door.
    Miss Avdoulos in front of Cambridge’s famous Red Door after submitting her PhD dissertation.

    Eve Avdoulos graduated from Michigan State University in 2012 with her degree in anthropology, going on to graduate from the University of Cambridge with a Master of Philosophy in 2013. In July of 2019, she will receive her Doctor of Philosophy from Cambridge where she was a researcher at the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research located within the Department of Architecture. Currently, she is applying to various postdoctoral and public sector positions.


    Ms. Avdoulos’ PhD, submitted in September 2018, investigated the complexities and contradictions of the phenomenon of urban decline. Through the study of Detroit and a close reading of two residential urban neighborhoods, she examined the development of urban decline over time, as well as how this phenomenon has differentially affected social patterns and practices within the city. By highlighting a methodological approach focused on the everyday lived experience of the city, she illustrated how decline should be regarded as a process that actively transforms the urban environment by dismantling and disassembling existing spatial and social networks and infrastructures, while, creating new ones.


    Eve is particularly interested in the socio-political and cultural aspects of urban environments and the ways built environments influence the human condition. At the root of her work is a desire to better understand the human condition to strengthen equity, inclusion, and diversity in our ever-growing urban areas. She enjoys teaching because it allows her an opportunity to engage students in critical thinking and discussion, to help students discover their passions and motivations and to instill the skills and confidence to pursue their personal and professional goals. She feels fortunate for her incredible teachers at MSU who taught her these things as well as instilling a love of fieldwork. Ms. Avdoulos believes fieldwork offers members of the community a chance to share their own stories and experiences in ways they were previously unable to do so.

    woman presenting in front of a group of people
    Eve presents her research at Centre for Urban Conflicts Research at Cambridge

    During her time at MSU, she was actively involved with the Department of Anthropology through volunteering in the archaeology lab, attending an archaeological field school in Greece as part of a study abroad program, working at the MSU Archives & Historical Collections and participating in the Campus Archaeology Field School. Each of these experiences provided her with the foundational skills needed to achieve success in graduate school and prepared her for a career in academia and research. Eve first got interested in anthropology through her fascination with ancient cultures and the material remains of their societies. Upon a family trip to Rome, Florence, and Pompeii, she became spellbound by the incredible feats of human ingenuity and knew upon being accepted to Michigan State that she wanted to pursue an Anthropology degree to further study her interest in the human condition.

    Her current department, The Centre for Urban Conflicts Research within the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge is dedicated to investigating cities experiencing conflict, including those caused by ethnicity, nationalism, religion, class, or race. The Centre maintains an interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approach and is comprised of individuals from a variety of backgrounds including anthropology, architecture, geography, and history. The diversity of research undertaken by those working at the Centre exposed Eve to a wide range of global urban issues.


    To stay updated on what Eve is up to, visit her at:
    https://www.urbanconflicts.arct.cam.ac.uk/people/eveavdoulos

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  • 2019 Photo Contest Winners

    Llamas in Peru
    1st Place
    Los Luchos Llamas: Llama Caravan in the High- Altitude Pucuncho Basin
    Central Andes, Peru; 2018
    Emily Milton, graduate student
    Myanmar woman weaving
    2nd Place
    The Last Village Weaver
    Shan State, Myanmar; 2016
    Eddie Glayzer, graduate student
    People in a boat in Peru
    3rd Place
    Don’t “Rock” the Boat
    Ancash Region, Cordillera Negra, Peru; 2018
    Emily Milton, graduate student

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  • New Digital Heritage Imaging Lab Opens

    Inside the new DHI Lab

    There is a new space in McDonel Hall for digital applications in archaeology. The Digital Heritage Imaging and Innovation Lab, or DHI Lab, held its grand opening on Thursday, May 2nd, 2019. This lab, housed in E36 of McDonel Hall, offers three main types of imaging techniques: 3D scanning, RTI (reflective transformance imaging), augmented and virtual reality, as well as 3D printing stations, a photogrammetry station and other digitization methods. This new space also houses equipment and services for digital documentation, digital preservation, and digitally enabled public engagement. In addition to the technologies housed within, its primary work space is set up for classes, workshops, individual research, or group projects. The idea for this new learning space was fostered through a collaboration among LEADR staff and Anthropology faculty with two main motivations for creating the space. The Department of Anthropology wanted to embrace our growing strength in digital cultural heritage. This idea, coupled with the success of LEADR, created a unique opportunity to develop a space supporting a lab for faculty and graduate/undergraduate students interested in applying digital methods and computational approaches to material culture.

    While this lab has been operating under its soft opening throughout Fall Semester 2018 to work out the kinks, the Open House to demonstrate its full capabilities to the public, occurred during the late morning of May 2nd with refreshments being offered and students and faculty on hand to display the new technologies. This new learning space will help support digital components in archaeological field schools, provide experiential learning, hands on learning, and applied learning. The experiences obtained from this lab will serve students choosing to go on to any digital field and will offer them very marketable skills in digital methods. It is geared primarily towards 3D capture, virtual reality, and 3D printing of material culture and collections.

    The new DHI Lab is run by the Department of Anthropology and is part of the LEADR family of facilities. Funds for this digital learning space came from a combination of Anthropology and TLE funds from the Provost’s office (technology, learning, environments). Some of the current projects already in the works here include the Campus Archaeology Program utilizing 3D capture, 3D capture of archaeology collections from the MSU Museum, a collaborative project with the Michigan History Center digitizing Michigan relics, and a Masters thesis by anthropology student Taylor Panczak.

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  • Anthropology Department Recognizes Graduating Seniors

    This past Saturday, the Anthropology Department recognized the success of 29 undergraduates that either have completed, or will complete, their degree requirements this spring or summer. The department hosted a reception following commencement, in further recognition of our students’ achievements. As part of the festivities, we asked all of our graduates to provide us with a short description of their interests, successes, and their future plans. We congratulate everyone on their accomplishments, and wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors, wherever anthropology may take them!

    Erikka Arno: Erikka is primarily interested in cultural anthropology, and as such participated in numerous study abroad opportunities while at MSU, including to Belize, India, and Ireland. She has been accepted into the AmeriCorps City Year program for the 2019-2020 school year, and then will be applying to graduate school.

    Adam Austad: Adam in primarily interested in digital anthropology and studying humans in digital environments. He thanks Dr. Mara Leichtman, Dr. Lucero Radonic, Dr. Andrea Louie, and Dr. Masako Fujita for inspiring him to continue to study interactions within digital environments. He plans on continuing in anthropology and getting his PhD.

    Emma Bignall: Emma is interested in biological/physical anthropology, and has spent time while at MSU working with Dr. Masako Fujita in the Biomarker Laboratory for Anthropological Research. She is planning on applying to dual graduate programs in social work and public health.

    Jacqueline Boger: Jacqueline initially came to MSU interested in forensic anthropology, but since then has learned that she would rather apply her skills to working with living people.  She is going to continue this as she pursues her teaching certificate for Elementary Special Education in the future.

    Emily Davila: Emily is interested in physical anthropology. She participated in the Human Identification and Forensic Study abroad experience, and plans on going into clinical research.

    Sabrina DeGroot: Sabrina participated in a variety of activities while at MSU, including presenting research at the Undergraduate Symposium and volunteering in the MSU collections. She will be starting a new job in Colorado after graduation.

    Anna Doyle: Anna is interested in Forensic anthropology and volunteered with Dr. Joe Hefner in the Forensic Anthropology Lab. She will be doing an archaeology internship over the summer with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corp, and then working for the Columbus Historical Preservation Society as an Osteology lab assistant. She plans on eventually pursuing her Master’s degree and Doctorate in Forensic Anthropology.

    Mike Gates: Mike has been interested in archaeology since his first field season at Morton Village in 2016. He has presented research projects several times while at MSU. He would like to thank Dr. O’Gorman, Dr. Watrall, and Dr. Camp, as well as Jeff and Autumn Painter for assistance and support. He will be pursuing a professional archaeology career.

    Valerie Kemp: Valerie Kemp is graduating this spring with a BA in Anthropology and a BS in psychology. During her time at MSU she worked with Dr. Hessling-O’Neil on her collaborative project in Benin, as well as presenting at conferences. This fall she will begin her PhD at the University of Michigan, where she will study the effects of media on children. 

    Peter Mercier: Peter was this year’s Anthropology Department Outstanding Graduating Senior.  Peter is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in anthropology with a focus in ancient Maya bioarchaeology. Peter worked in Dr. Wrobel’s bioarchaeology lab for three years and specialized in the 3D Photogrammetry of human mandibles.  In addition to on-campus research, Peter spent two summers in Belize. Peter would like to thank Dr. Hefner and Dr. Fenton for research as well as moral support, and he would like to extend a very special thank you to Jack Biggs and Dr. Wrobel for working alongside him in the lab, helping with his research, and making him an anthropologist. 

    Valeria Montero: Valeria is interested in medical and physical anthropology. She interned at a medical research facility while at MSU, and has accepted a full-time position as a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Anesthesiology department’s division of pain research. During this time she will explore research interests and work towards applying to schools for a master’s in public health.

    Emily O’Brien: Emily’s focus has been on cultures and religion. She currently has an internship at a museum in Traverse City for the summer, but then will be taking a gap year before going to graduate school for museum studies. 

    Chloe Wilson: Chloe is interested in cultural anthropology. She has participated in a study abroad as well as presented her research while at MSU. Her future plans include applying to graduate school after a long and glorious gap year, and eventually working with research and documentaries. 

    Huabin Zhou: Huabin is interested in sociocultural anthropology, especially on the topic of Chinese Diaspora in North America. He thanks Dr. Andrea Louie, Dr. Mara Leichtman, and many other professors who have been his instructors. He is planning to take a gap year for internship experiences, then applying for an anthropology Master’s program in Canada. 

  • Professor Joe Hefner Quoted in Washington Post Article on Sri Lanka Easter Bombing

    In a recent Washington Post article (subscription required) Dr. Joe Hefner, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, discusses the Easter terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka. Hefner, a board-certified forensic anthropologist who assisted in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, provided The Washington Post with his expert perspective on the incredible challenges in identifying victims in a disaster of this magnitude.