So, I have been in DC since Tuesday, and as much fun as I have been having, I can honestly say I am glad it is the weekend. I will finally have time to catch up on some sleep. I started work at the National Archives on Wednesday. I will be working with Army records from the Revolutionary War up until 1917. There are many people that write letters or emails asking about specific records relating to their family members, or information for a biography, research project, or dissertation. A large part of my job will be reading the letters, checking to see if we have the information they are looking for, and responding to the letters. I will spend a lot of time working hands on with documents dating back to the Revolutionary and Civil wars, so needless to say- its pretty cool.

Now that it is the weekend, I am looking for fun things to do around town. I was looking on the Smithsonian website when I stumbled upon this article discussing evidence for cannibalism in 17th century Jamestown during a time now referred to as "the starving time" between the winter of 1609 through 1610. It is very interesting and it has me wondering just how accurate facial reconstructions are...

http://smithsonianscience.org/2013/05/forensic-analysis-of-17th-century-human-remains-at-jamestown-va-reveal-evidence-of-cannibalism/

-Emily

Barcelona, Prague, Euro trip

This was my second time in Barcelona and it definitely has a very special place in my heart. Barcelona is my favorite city in Europe so far. This time the weather was amazing, we even got to go to the beach. The people are friendly, the scene is so young and hip the tapas bars are beyond delcious and it's just a really fun city. Also the architecture is awesome! A lot of the city was done by gaudi and he is very creative. I highly recommend the bus tour, it brings you everywhere that is worth seeing. I can't wait to go back to Barcelona and back to Spain! Hopefully soon!
By the time we left for Prague we were a little bummed because the weather was not going to be as nice, and we are definitely fading a little bit. Despite not being totally excited for Prague, I actually really have enjoyed my stay here. The city is really cool, it is a mix of modern and midevil (if that's possible). You will find horse drawn carriages next to segways. You can see cool dancing and things in the city center next to peoe performing music. It really feels like you are in the midevil times, it is hard to really explain. The people are quite friendly and the city is walkable. I recommend it.
Overall my EuroTrip was a success and I am truley blessed to have gotten the chance to travel in Europe for 2 weeks. I think that this is something that everyone should do at least once in their lives. Europe is cool because you can be in another country so quickly and so easily. It is also cool because the countries differ from each other and the cultures are all very different. If any of you are interested in doing a trip, I recommend St. Christopher's hostels. They are full of young kids from all over the world. Although, if you like your sleep/ space I would recommend getting a single or double room, you definitely don't sleep when in a room with a lot of people. The night life in all these places is hopping too, so it is definitely fun. (Had to say it)
Traveling is so amazing, and it really opens your eyes to life outside of America. Although I am ready to get back into my normal routine, I am so happy I did this trip. You really learn so much, you meet a lot of different people, and get to be apart of many different cultures for a few days. To me there is nothing more exciting than getting to  travel outside of the u.s., it also opens your eyes to a lot of different things, while enriching your brain. Traveling makes me realize how fortunate I am and how thankful I am to have the things that I have.
Anyways! I hope that everyone's summer is going well, and if you have any questions about where to stay, what to see etc if you plan on doing a EuroTrip, feel free to ask! I will try and post pictures once I get back to a computer!

Paris!

I was in Paris for a few days and the weather continued to be awful. Paris is a beautiful city with a lot of history. We did very little tourist things only the Lourve, arc du triumph, and Notre dome. We went to the Effiel tower but not to the top. The rain and bad weather for the 3rd country in a row definitely slowed us down/ along with seeing friends and family. This trip I kept thinking to myself "I am either being a good anthropologist or a bad one." I didn't do many museums but we actually went to different towns and did what normal Parisian would do, therefore maybe I was both good and bad. I think we tried to make Paris more of a vacation because the other places we have been trying to do a lot in 3 days. Anyways, now we are in Barcelona and it is beautiful!!!! I am trying to post pictures but it is not working but hopefully I will figure it out! I hope everyone's summer is going well so far!!!

Amsterdam

Hi everyone! 

Today was my last full day in Amsterdam, and I really enjoyed it. Although once again it was cold and rainy, we are kind of getting used to that weather. Amsterdam is a truley lovely city. It is beautiful and the architecture is amazing. I highly recommend. We visited the Anne Frank museum which was fabulous! It is a must see. We also did the Heineken factory which was cool, along with the Red Light District (which was quite something). We visited a little town 20 minutes outside Amsterdam called Volendam which was really great. It has been really great being able to visit countries I've never been too, and experience their culture. Amsterdam was quite something because as people know weed is very prominent there, and it was weird seeing "Coffee Shops" every where you go. I am so happy to be over here in Europe and experiencing all of this! 

Hi everyone! I am not embarking on any grand adventures this summer, but I am doing some pretty cool stuff here at Quinnipiac. This past semester I have been working with Mr. Fortune, the skeleton of an 18th century enslaved African American. To read more about his story, visit www.fortunestory.org.

My research will focus on the vertebrae and cranium. This individual appears to have what is called a cranial shift in addition to a basioccipital cleft. Also, his vertebral canal looks unusually small, which may have caused back pain in his lifetime. I am still in the process of reviewing literature to learn more about these conditions and determine whether they apply to Mr. Fortune.

All the adventures you're reading about on this blog sound great, but Sleeping Giant is still pretty awesome too. :)

-Lucy

Papatuanuku

Since I've arrived in Christchurch I've vacillated between "bring students" and "don't bring students" but the past few days the former has been winning out. For a couple of reasons. It isn't hyperbole to claim that Aotearoa New Zealand is the most beautiful place in the world. It really is. I mean it. I've visited much of this globe, and these little islands at the end of the world take grand prize. And, as the recent news about CO2 levels, melting polar ice caps, water shortages, and the commercialization of farmers' knowledge (metis) sinks in, I think it is important for people to take stock of what we have to lose if we don't act fast. Seeing the diversity of life, indigenous life, that flourishes in out of the way places was a wake up call for me in my youth, and it could have the same effect for young adults today. But this brings with it the "don't bring students" since our carbon footprint is massive when we travel this far. How sustainable is it to bring students 1/2 way around the world to see farmers and native plants existing in harmony? Really, you can watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Hobbit and get a pretty good idea of what this place looks like. What value does it bring to travel this far to see something that is pretty well captured by Peter Jackson in film? For a start, having people tell you, to your face, what our (meaning US) consumptions patterns are doing to the rest of the world might count for something. When Kiwis point out how we haven't ratified Kyoto, it causes pause.  When we sit down side by side with our counterparts in other countries and work together to find common solutions, it causes hope. Maybe it takes traveling to the other side of the world to rethink what you have at home. You question where your apples come from, or if you really need to turn on the air conditioning just yet. Do you need to hop in the car for the quick trip to the store, or will a bike suffice?  these questions matter here in the Pacific, where there are island peoples who will stand to lose much more than us much more quickly, as their atolls and villages will be surrounded by rising water and they will have to move to countries like Australia or here to survive. Meeting Pasifika here who can detail what will happen to their families members in the short term if we don't change things might be worth the footprint. As long as we purchase some trees as offsets. Hei kona ra. [The views expressed here are solely those of the author, and do not represent the views of the Anthropology Program at Quinnipiac.]

If you look closely, you might see Bilbo Baggins crossing the Alps...

London

Hi Everyone!
I am in London at the moment for the first leg of our trip, and it has been quite interesting. My friend and I had a fiasco at JFK airport, I swear we were in a movie. We were definitely those people sprinting through the airport to get to our gate in time. It is freezing in London right now, and we have gotten lost a lot, I guess it really is a learning experience. Today we saw the normal tourist attractions such as Big Ben, houses of Parlinent, Buckingham Palace, the London eye, etc. we also went to the Churchill war room museum. So far I have to admit London has been a disappointment, and we are definitely  ready to get to Amsterdam. Although, like every Europeing country the food is amazing. The most surprising thing about London is how diverse it is. Almost everyone we have randomly selected to ask for directions has never spoken English, and we have heard a bunch of different languages. Anyways, tomorrow will be another busy day in the freezing cold and rain!
-Sophie

Kia ora

I’m spending the bulk of my fieldwork this summer in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.  Christchurch is approximately the antipodal point from where I was last year: Morocco. It takes roughly eight hours of travel time from New York City to Casablanca. It takes nearly 40 hours door to door to get to Christchurch from my house in Connecticut. Passing through five different airports in one go can take the joy out of traveling, but the South Pacific holds a special geographic and cultural place in my heart. I lived in the Wellington area for a time as a child, and returned to this part of the world for university study as well as to conduct my dissertation research, with a number of shorter trips thrown in. I've visited many of the countries and islands in the region, and have been fortunate enough to introduce my own children to this part of the world. I’ve continued to work here since my employment at Quinnipiac, and so my association with the region now spans three decades. Epeli Hau’ofa referred to this part of the world as “our sea of islands” and there is nothing more awe inspiring than the view from the plane when you come in for a landing anywhere in the Pacific. My task right now is to simultaneously conduct rapid-fire fieldwork and figure out if I want to travel with students to this part of the world. I’ve taken students to Morocco in 2010 and 2012, and had wonderful experiences. But that is because we spent a total of 16 hours in roundtrip transit. I’ll let you know what I decide at the end of my time abroad. Aroha, Professor Haldane

Hi everyone!
So I am headed to Washington, DC this summer to work at the National Archives, it should be very exciting! I am hopeful that the experience will help me to figure out what it is exactly that I want to do with my life after I graduate. I am currently a Communications major and an Anthropology minor. I will be completely honest in admitting that Communications has lost my interest in the last year or so, and I am much more excited to be learning about Anthropology. That being said, Communications is a great degree to have under your belt and is applicable in nearly any career field you choose to go into. Anyway, I am hoping that my internship will teach me more about archiving and what it is like to work in a museum. I am very excited for all of the great experiences I will have this summer, and to visit all of the museums :]

During my trip to DC last fall (the reflecting pool has an algae problem)