Student Spotlight: Aidan Gregg

Posted by pgreer

Written by student Aiden Gregg as a part of his internship experience in Greece:

This semester, as part of my study abroad program, College Year in Athens (CYA), I have had the opportunity to intern with the Wiener Lab. The Wiener Lab is a research department of the American School for Classical Studies at Athens. The American School is a research institution dedicated to studying Greek archaeology, history, language, and other disciplines under the umbrella of Classical Studies. The lab is located on the main campus of the American School — at the foot of Mount Lycabettus — and is split between two buildings, colloquially referred to as the “old” and “new” labs. For this internship, I have spent most of my time in the old lab, assisting my supervisor, Anna Karligkioti, in processing materials for her research project. 

Most of my work for this internship involves cleaning human bones and doing basic identification and grouping. Most bones can be cleaned with a toothbrush, some water, and a small wooden pick, though some thinner bones require more gentle treatment than others. Cleaning the skeletal elements allows my supervisor to identify pathologies on the surface of the bone, which is important to her research. Special care must be taken with some cranial bones, especially mandibles with teeth in place. The teeth can be used for DNA extraction and the cleaning process can make that difficult. Ironically, brushing the teeth can also cause the teeth to appear to have pathologies they did not have originally. As part of the cleaning process, I have become more familiar with human skeletal elements, and how they typically look. I am beginning to understand how to identify more obvious pathologies in the bone, specifically those associated with breakage during life. Additionally, my supervisor has shown me how to use cranial and pelvic morphology to estimate age and sex. 

My work aids my supervisor in conducting bioarchaeological analyses of the material for her dissertation. The skeletal material for this part of the project comes from a cemetery near Thebes in Boeotia. She also plans to look at skeletal material from a cemetery in the Mesogeia Plain, in Attica. The cemetery near Thebes contained at least 843 burials from the Geometric to Early Roman periods, though all the remains I have worked with were from the Hellenistic period. My supervisor is currently focusing on using biodistance analysis to understand kinship patterns and mobility in this area of the Greek mainland. 

Biodistance analysis uses skeletal morphological traits and analysis of phenotypic variation to understand how people are biologically related to one another. For this, teeth are especially important as they tend to exhibit normal morphological variation and some dental traits have higher heritability and are good for establishing a degree of relatedness. So far, this study has looked at 13 individuals from the Classical period and 24 from the Hellenistic. Following the assumption that people are buried with their kin group, the biodistance from one individual to another will theoretically help establish the extent to which biology influences kin groups. My supervisor has used cluster analysis comparing the spatial distance to biodistance within the cemetery. As of now, it seems that burials closest to each other do not necessarily have less biodistance, and are as such not necessarily as closely biologically related as they are with other individuals within the cemetery.

Additionally, preliminary biodistance analysis has shown that Hellenistic individuals are slightly more genetically diverse than the Classical. This discovery indicates a slightly higher degree of mobility outside of the main settlement in the Hellenistic period. With that said, it is evident that Thebans during these periods were generally endogamous, marrying within their communities and kin groups. In general, it seems that there was a relatively low degree of mobility during this period, but more skeletal analysis is essential to the project. 

My work with the Wiener Lab has uncovered a part of archaeology that I did not have much experience with before this internship. It has required me to excavate — so to speak — some of my high school biology and chemistry. I think this will be particularly helpful if I have to dig through some more bioarchaeological analysis for my thesis. My study abroad program was an essential part of getting this opportunity. I reached out to my student affairs department about internship opportunities, and all I had to do was submit a cover letter to get in touch. I would highly encourage others, whether they attend CYA or any other program, to reach out early and see how you can get involved.

Rome in the Ruins: Study Abroad Spotlight

Posted by pgreer

This past summer, Dr. Christopher Bungard took several students to the Italian Peninsula for a Rome in the Ruins trip. Fulfilling the Physical Well-Being requirement and the Texts and Ideas requirement or a 300-level classics course, the group took the adage “When in Rome…” to heart. They read ancient authors and toured multiple cities and ruins while visiting. Dr. Bungard wanted students to experience the reality of their readings. He notes, “You get a sense of scale and where things are in relation to each other. The stories become alive with a more personal connection.” Seeing the material culture firsthand is drastically different than seeing images of it in the classroom. Dr. Bungard wanted this trip to bridge the gap between the past and the present by being in that physical space. Besides learning about the Ancient Roman world, Dr. Bungard wanted students to learn about themselves while navigating a different place. He states the experience is  “eye-opening for students.” While traveling the Italian Peninsula, the Rome in the Ruins trip achieved these goals and more. 

On the three-week adventure, Dr. Bungard and his students briefly visited Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples, but spent most of their time in Rome. They walked around archaeological sites, toured many museums, and explored the Colosseum, multiple churches, and some catacombs. Not everything went as planned, as some sites were closed for renovations, but these shutdowns provided ample opportunities to explore different areas. One day, the group was supposed to visit Nero’s Golden House but ended up at the Domus Romana. While touring, Dr. Bungard and the students experienced the depth of Roman history. A more modern building sits on the ground level, while its basement houses an ancient Roman archaeological site. As a result of this tour, they also stood at the base of Trajan’s Column and experienced it like a Roman would in the past. It was an unexpected but welcomed experience. 

 

Besides visiting the Domus Romana, another highlight was touring the cities Mount Vesuvius took out in 79 CE. Before walking around the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, students read the accounts of Pliny the Younger, who wrote about the rescue efforts of Pliny the Elder to save the people fleeing the eruption. After reading the primary sources, they experienced the cities themselves. They saw ancient graffiti in Pompeii and encountered a different side of the story in nearby Herculaneum. Both Via Sarjent and Elijah Smith, students on the trip, agreed that Herculaneum was one of the best parts, as it was interesting to see and learn about a different side of Vesuivus’ destruction. They said it was “ten times more gruesome” and wondered why it is not more well-known than its famous counterpart, Pompeii.

In the end, the Rome in the Ruins trip was a success. Students learned so much about the Roman Empire and how it functioned. According to Sarjent and Smith, each day was a different topic, and it was exciting to learn so much. At the same time, they were excited to learn about themselves and the other people on the trip. They lived and navigated a foreign country together for three weeks. It was a fun trip filled with history and constantly thinking about the Roman Empire. Fans of the Roman Empire couldn’t ask for anything more.

Alumni Spotlight: Tatum (Turner) Finch

Posted by ehusleto

This interview was conducted by Student Intern, Pierce Greer, in September 2023.

 

Tatum (Turner) FinchQ: When did you attend Butler, and what was your major/minor?

I attended Butler from Fall 2017 until Spring 2021. I graduated with a combined major in History and Anthropology. I also majored in English.

Q: What did you learn through your major/minor that you find useful today?

Anthropology taught me to observe and listen and make connections that go beyond just the similarities between me and another person. History gave me direction in my academic career both in subject matter and location. I was interested in the history of the Scottish highlanders and completed my junior year history project on highlanders who had migrated to the U.S. This inspired me to complete my graduate degree in Scotland after I finished at Butler. 

Q: How did your time at Butler impact your future and where you are right now? 

Well, I work about five minutes from Butler at Newfields. I would never have grown to have such an interest in this institution if my professors had not assigned us tasks and papers on the works at the museum. Butler made dreams of working in the cultural heritage sector tangible and gave me the resources and skills to get there. 

Q: What does working in a museum like Newfields look like to you? What is exciting? What is challenging?

The overall mission and purpose of working in a place like Newfields is consistent and really oriented toward the community. Challenges arise almost daily, but there are few art emergencies. I think the most challenging part is completing projects of high quality work on very tight timelines. However, the most rewarding part is when an exhibition is open to the public, and you see community members visit and interact with different aspects of art and culture that speak to them. 

Q: What advice would you give to current students?

Don’t limit yourself. Many goals or dreams in life are achievable with the right people in your corner and confidence in yourself. If you’re looking at grad school, maybe look outside of the U.S,. as it can be a cheaper and more efficient way to gain a degree.