2002 Course Description
Description l Calendar l Requirements l Scholarships
NUMBER:
CO-DIRECTORS:

DATES:
LOCATION:
ENROLLMENT:
CREDITS:

 ANTH487/587, section 01  (or THEO, MI)
Dr. Susan Guise Sheridan (Univ of Notre Dame)   [homepage]
Dr. Robert Haak  (Augustana College)
May 28 - July 6, 2002
University of Notre Dame campus, South Bend, Indiana
10 (maximum)
6 credits
DESCRIPTION:
Goals:The Summer Fellowship in Biocultural Anthropology will engage students in a dynamic experiential learning environment which immerses them in anthropological method and theory.  Using the large Byzantine St. Stephen's skeletal collection as the cornerstone for study, historical and archaeological information will be synthesized in a biocultural reconstruction of ancient monastic life.

Participants will conduct original research, share in a fieldtrip program visiting numerous museums and research institutions, and will participate in a lecture program discussing biological anthropology, history, archaeology, classics, theology, and Near Eastern studies.  Students will develop a suite of methodological skills in the natural and social sciences, explore regional topography for an appreciation of the environmental constraints effecting human adaptility, delve into the pertinent literature using several world-class libraries, develop skills for collaborative research, and discover the importance of a holistic approach to a fuller understanding of life in the past.

Weekly Schedule:  Each week will be divided accordingly -- 3-4 days of research, 1 day interaction with an outside scholar, 1 day field trip, 1 to 2 days off (see calendar)   Students will arrive together at 10 am and finish the day at 6 pm (except on fieldtrip days, when the schedule will be based on travel time).  Attendance at all activities is required. The dates of the field school are May 28 thru July 6, 2002.

   2002 Calendar of Events
A complete list of field trip sites  will be provided in the mailed portfolio to those selected for the program.   It is expected that travel on the day off will in no way interfere with the course schedule -- students will be expected to plan accordingly to ensure they are ready for work the following morning.

Research:  A specific area of inquiry will be targeted for the summer program.  For the Summer 2002 season, students will work as a team on a joint project studying childhood health, collecting data with a partner on a particular dimension of that foci (growth & development, stress indicators, etc).   These projects will build off data already amassed, permitting the summer team to significantly contribute to an aspect of the overall biocultural model.  The goal of this data collection is to compile the findings during the 2002-03 academic year into a paper for publication in a professional refereed journal.

For the project, students will have access to the library resources of the Byzantine Jerusalem laboratory as well as the data collected from previous years. The students will be expected to gather a number of new resources related to their topic using the libraries at Notre Dame, which includes a world-class Byzantine library holding the Anastos Collection [Medieval Institute].

Field Trips:  Participants will take a field trip at least once a week to museums, research institutions, and  related cultural events.  This will include a visit to collections at the Field Museum in Chicago, the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, and a 2-3 day stay in a functioning monastery.

Lecture Series:During the six week field season, participants will receive daily instruction by Dr. Sheridan on the research foci, and training in the osteological methods necessary for data collection.  Each week, an interdisciplinary team of scholars from a variety of institutions will speak to the class, providing an example of the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to reconstructing the past.  Please go to the faculty page to read more about the speakers.
 

Grades: The semester will begin with a review of Byzantine history for the site and region.  Two weeks of lectures will be devoted to teaching the methods of Human Osteology which will allow students to identify bone fragments and assess age, sex, stature, diet, and disease stress in human skeletal remains.  Participants will then begin to collect the data for their research, while additional topics related to biocultural reconstruction are covered by the professor as well as a variety of guest lecturers.  Weekly field trips will punctuate the lecture series, exposing students to a wide variety of adaptive strategies used during the Byzantine period. The semester will conclude with student presentations of their research.

Grades will be assigned based on  (click on each category to see the Summer 2000 assignments):

30% -- Research Project and Presentation
20% -- Lab Exercises and Practical
15% -- Archaeology Site Report
15% -- Ethics Component
20% -- Very active participation in all activites

All students will likewise be asked to complete a detailed annonymous course evaluation at the end of the course to facilitate future growth of the program.

REQUIREMENTS:
Credit:  Students must take this course for 6 undergraduate or graduate credits in Anthropology, Theology, or Medieval Studies.  Those taking the course for graduate credit will participate in all activities above, plus produce a more detailed research paper and prepare a second site report in the field trip program.

Costs:  The program will provide a travel stipend to the University of Notre Dame campus, double-occupancy housing in air-conditioned dorms, a food allowance, text books, field trip transportation and entrance fees, a lecture program, research supplies, a xeroxing budget, and free library and email access on campus.

Application:  All students must apply using the forms provided on this website.  The strict deadline is February 15, 2002..  Forms can be downloaded as a PDF file and must be completed in full. 

Proof of current insurance is required with application.  Emergency contact information is likewise required, including names, phone numbers (home and work), and, if available, email addresses for at least two individuals.  An offical transcript and two (2) letters of recommendation from faculty are also required.  It is the sole responsibility of the student to ensure that all supporting materials arrive by the deadline date.  Applications missing any portion of this required documention will be excluded from consideration for a Summer Fellowship.

Selection Process: Successful finalists will be notified by the beginning of March 2002.  They will be sent another set of forms and scholarship applications, due on March 15, 2002.   Ten fellowships will be awarded by the end of March, providing one week for official acceptance/declination by the awardee.

Upon receipt of official acceptance, awardees will receive materials pertaining to the course including the syllabus, reading list, books and housing information.  Participants will also be provided with a reading packet  with background information on the collection, site, region, and topic of focus.
SCHOLARSHIPS:

Three  scholarships will be available for the Summer 2002 Field School,  named for Father Theodore Hesburgh, President Emeritus of Notre Dame and recent Congressional Medal of Freedom winner.  Details for applying for these  awards will be sent to the 20 finalists chosen in March.

Pictured to the left, Jerremy Ramp (the first scholarship awardee) and Fr. Hesburgh.
 

This program is possible through the generous support of numerous departments and institutes at the University of Notre Dame, donations by several endowed chairs at Notre Dame, and the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

CONTACT:  Dr. Robert Haak 
Department of Anthropology; 
University of Notre Dame; 
Notre Dame, IN  46556
haak.3@nd.edu
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