Field School Information

Hello all you budding archaeologists!!

If you, or someone you know, is interested in partaking in a field school in the Summer of 2012, check out this link: http://www.archaeotek.org/home

The Center offers various field schools (all in Romania) including:
- Bronze Age
- Iron Age
- Roman
- Osteological workshops

Check it out if you’re interested, and remember…grant application are available!

Upcoming Events

Hey Everyone!

The following is a list of events that will be happening in first semester. Keep checking back here for more details!

October:
Pumpkin Carve Off – Come out and carve your very own pumpkin with the MAS

November:
Movie Night – Hang out with friends and take in an awesome movie

December:
Holiday Social – stay tuned for further details

We hope to see you there!!

Four Corners 4.2

The spring issue of Four Corners is out! In it you’ll find information about field schools, independent studies, and an interview with Dr. Petra Rethmann.

You can download the file from MediaFire. (PDF, 365KB)

Field Schools (that don’t have to be in Ontario)

• McMaster Univeristy – Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton. Email Meghan Burchell for more information
• McMaster University – Italy. Email Dr. Tracy Prowse for more information
• Laurentian University – Simcoe County and Sudbury
• University of Calgary – Blackfoot Crossing Historic Park, Alberta
• Trent University – Minaha, Guatemala. Email Margaret Long for more information.
• Trent University – Ka’Kabish Archaeological Research Project – Belize.
• Valdosa State University – Roman Baths at Carsulae.
• San Gemini Preservation Studies – Italy and Greece.

Feb 8: Field School Talk

Are you interested in getting some hands-on experience in anthropology or archaeology?

The MAS is hosting a field school talk where Meghan Burchell will speak about McMaster’s own archaeology field school, and Dr. Tracy Prowse will discuss her bio-archaeology field school. We will also have information on field schools offered by other Canadian universities, the details of which will find the way to this blog afterward.

If you get hungry, we’ll be having pizza in the hallway after! (… we can’t eat in the lab.)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011
KTH B122 (Archaeology Lab)
2:30-4:30pm

Ancient DNA Training Program at Lakehead University

While this isn’t a McMaster-run program, it will probably be of interest to a number of you. Lakehead is offering a summer course in their Paleo-DNA Laboratory!

The Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada is offering students the opportunity to participate in our annual Ancient DNA Training Program. This year we are delivering the course May 9 to 27, 2011.

During this hands-on laboratory and lecture program, students are taught various extraction, purification, and amplification methodologies and provided instruction in data analysis. They will work on their own blood, buccal, and hair samples and will generate their own nuclear DNA profile, determine their own mitochondrial haplotype, and learn sex identification. The methodology will include Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), multiplex PCR, sequencing, and gel and capillary electrophoresis. Students will practice preparing samples from a number of different tissue types such as bone, teeth, hair, blood residues and mummified tissue.

Students will learn to recognize the use of genetic analysis and its potential in archaeozoology, palaeopathology, archaeology, forensic science, palaeobotany and palaeontology. Lectures by experts in the fields of archaeology, genetics, ancient DNA, forensic science, palaeopathology and more are integrated with the laboratory sessions.

If you would like registration forms or further information, please visit our website at www.ancientdna.com or feel free to contact me direct at kmaa@lakeheadu.ca.

Four Corners 3.1

The fall issue of the MAS newsletter, Four Corners, is now available online! Inside you’ll find department news, an interview with the fantastic Dr. Tracy Prowse, and an experience article about archaeological field school.

You can download the PDF from MediaFire (1.95 MB).

Nov 4: Pub Night!

We’re having the first pub night of the semester, and you should come! Everybody’s invited, but please keep in mind that you will need to be at least 19 to attend.

Thursday, November 4, 2010
9:00pm
The Phoenix

Here, have a Facebook event.

T-Shirt Design Contest!

We’re inviting all anthropology enthusiasts to our first ever t-shirt design competition. This is an open invitation to anyone willing to showcase their artistic and creative side and have their design be the official logo for the club next year.

Contest rules: The only thing we require for your logo is that it has “MAS” or “McMaster Anthropology Society” incorporated into the design. And also remember that all of the designs will need to be approved by the department (… so try to keep it tasteful).

Deadline: Friday, December 3, 2010
Submit entries to mas@mcmaster.ca

We’ll let the general anthropology population vote on their favourite shirts.

Clicking “Attending” on related Facebook events is scientifically proven to make you a Better Person.

Oct 28: The Great Pumpkin Carve-Off II

We provide the tools, you carve a sweet pumpkin!

Thursday, October 28, 2010
4:30pm
at the Outdoor Lab for Art and Archaeology

Bring a nonperishable food item to get in and we’ll donate it to a food drive afterward.

Pumpkins will be 2$.

If you get hungry we’ll have a bake sale raising funds for our Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Here are some of last year’s happy (ecstatic?) carvers:

The lab is a little tough to find because it’s actually below ground level, but here’s a map you can use to find your way. We’ll have pumpkins or decorations by the entrance so you can see where we are.

If you like clicking buttons, attend our Facebook event.
UNICEF is helping us out with the event, so feel free to check out their Trick or Eat Carnival before you come over!