Author Archives: JB

Teaching Tools: How to set a curve

Posted on December 10, 2013 by JB

Training in graduate student instruction covers a multitude of topics: how to encourage  an inclusive pedagogical atmosphere, how to facilitate discussions of socially controversial topics (which sadly, in this country, include the theory of evolution) and how to avoid having inappropriate … Continue reading →

Posted in Grad School, Teaching | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bring out your dead: navigating the ethics of displaying human remains in museums

Posted on December 1, 2013 by JB

In the past two months I’ve attended two lectures on the topic of human remains in museum collections. The talks were part of a University of Michigan lecture series titled It’s Alive! Rediscovering Institutions of Living Collections.  I found the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Human Remains, Museums | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Blogging Archaeology: November

Posted on November 26, 2013 by JB

A few days ago I got an email asking me to participate in the Society for American Archaeology Blogging Carnival. There’s a session called “Blogging Archaeology” at this year’s conference in Austin, and a number of archaeological blogs have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Blogging | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Merely a cuneiformality: Identifying and siding the cuneiforms

Posted on November 21, 2013 by JB

While working at a late Neolithic mortuary site in Portugal, my friend Anna and I would frequently joke that we were excavating the ‘burial of the feet’, because it seemed like every day on site we chanced upon a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Foot, Osteology, Tarsals | Tagged , | 7 Comments

You are how you eat: cooking and human evolution

Posted on November 14, 2013 by JB

Richard Wrangham recently came and gave a talk  as part of a four-field Anthropology colloquium here at Michigan. He presented an idea that’s been gaining ground in biological anthropology in recent years – namely, that humans are adapted to consume … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy, Evolution | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Alas, Poor Yorick: The Skulls of Stratford

Posted on November 10, 2013 by JB

The image of an actor holding aloft a skull is a familiar cinematic and literary trope. Theatre scholars have noted that the representation is so powerful that it often stands in as a metonymic representation of acting itself (Williamson 2011; … Continue reading →

Posted in Cranium, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Thor presents the anatomy of the pectoral region and the upper limb

Posted on November 7, 2013 by JB

In honor of the release of Thor: The Dark World, I give you one of my handmade study aids from ANA 7010. You’re welcome. Image Credit: Original undoctored image of shirtless Norse god found here.

Posted in Anatomy, Muscles | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Palpable Anatomy: The Subclavian Artery

Posted on November 3, 2013 by JB

One of the easiest ways for me to remember the details and orientation of an anatomical feature is to locate a portion of it on my own body. I’ve found that students also respond well to this method – it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy, Palpable Anatomy | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Osteology Everywhere: Meteorological Edition

Posted on October 30, 2013 by JB

I spotted these clouds on my way home from campus a few nights ago. My initial reaction was “Wow, those are some young-looking clouds!”… Osteologists: able to add a morbid tinge to even the most compelling natural landscapes.

Posted in Osteology Everywhere, Subadult | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Osteology Everywhere: White Horse Hill, Uffington

Posted on October 23, 2013 by JB

One of my friends over at Lawnchair Anthropology runs a series of posts titled Osteology Everywhere. Being the enormous osteo-nerd that I am, I’ve long admired his ability to find unappreciated glimpses of anatomy in everyday life.  While exploring the … Continue reading →

Posted in Osteology Everywhere, Travel | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments