Thesis (M.A.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2007. / Title from title page screen (viewed on June 20, 2008). Thesis advisor: Murry K. Marks. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Anthropology, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, München, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-127) and index.

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Anthropology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

This project represents the first comprehensive study applying molecular and genetic methods to study historical contexts such as migration and trade based on human parasites. Using specially developed techniques, the study focused on parasites with minor symptoms which allowed the infected person to go about their daily business. The combination of state of the art techniques in archaeology, molecular methods and phylogenetic analysis enabled us to develop a novel powerful tool to study historic events. Diseases have a considerable impact on societies. Various publications indicate that human intestinal parasites are commonly found in a variety of archaeological contexts, including latrines, graves and mummies. These parasites can be detected by microscopy which focuses the work on samples which do close association to humans; widespread prevalence and the possibility for reliable microscopic diagnostics suggest that these parasites are an attractive study system for human activities. Infectious diseases have a much short generation time which offers greater opportunity to track historical events at higher resolution. Looking at a range of human parasites, their different life-cycles allowed insight into various aspects of human culture, comparing different origins of the samples allows an estimation of the epidemiological burden of ancient populations. Application of a parallel sequencing approach (MiSeq) enabled building a comprehensive database of sequences from various archaeological sites dating as far back as 3630 BCE. Indepth phylogenetic analysis reveals patterns in the genetic signatures of both coding and non-coding genetic regions, taking various levels of selective pressure into account. This project has produced the oldest pathogen sequence and the most comprehensive database of ancient pathogen sequences.

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Providing a presumptive identification of badly decomposed or skeletonized remains is the responsibility of a forensic anthropologist. An important component of identification is the estimation of a post-mortem interval (PMI) for the deceased. This information can: provide a window period for death, reduce the number of potential victims, exclude possible assailants and substantiate witness testimony. Due to a large number of open and relatively desolate fields in South Africa, human remains are frequently discovered in an advanced stage of decomposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability of the method of Megyesi and associates (2005) in which Total Body Score (TBS) and Accumulated Degree-Days (ADD) were retrospectively applied to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI). To achieve this, a longitudinal examination of quantitative variables, TBS and ADD, was conducted over a period of 8 months. This period included both summer and winter seasons. Scatter plots between TBS and PMI, and TBS and ADD were used to illustrate patterns in decomposition. Patterns of decay differed in winter and summer, with winter exhibiting distinct inactivity. Using Loglinear Random-effects Maximum Likelihood Regression, the r2 values for ADD (0.6227) and PMI (0.5503) for combined seasons were less than r2 values for separated seasons (ADD 0.7652; PMI 0.7677). In contrast to other studies, seasonality influenced the ADD model and PMI. Linear regression formulae for ADD and PMI as well as 95% confidence interval charts for TBS for ADD were developed. These equations, along with data from a local weather station, can be used to estimate the PMI with relative accuracy. AFRIKAANS : Verskaffing van 'n vermoedelike identifikasie van erg ontbinde of skeletale oorskot is die verantwoordelikheid van ‘n forensiese antropoloog. ‘n Belangrike deel van identifikasie is die beraming van ‘n post-mortem interval (PMI) vir die oorledene. Hierdie inligting verskaf 'n venster tydperk van dood, verminder die aantal potensiële slagoffers, sluit moontlike aanvallers uit en ondersteun getuienis. As gevolg van 'n groot aantal relatief verlate en oop velde in Suid-Afrika, word menslike oorskot dikwels aangetref in ‘n gevorderde stadium van ontbinding. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die bruikbaarheid van die metode van Megyesi en medewerkers (2005) wat gebruik maak van Totale Liggaams Telling (TLT) en Opgehoopte Graad-Dae (OGD) om die postmortem interval (PMI) te skat, terugwerkend te evalueer. Hiervoor was 'n longitudinale studie van kwantitatiewe veranderlikes, TBS en ADD, oor ‘n tydperk van 8 maande gedoen. Hierdie tydperk sluit beide somer en winter in. Verspreidingsgrafieke tussen TBS en PMI, en TBS en ADD is gebruik om patrone in ontbinding te illustreer. Ontbindingspatrone het verskil tussen winter en somer met duidelike onaktiwiteit in die winter. Logliniêre Tweekansige-effek Maksimum Waarskynlikheid Regressie was gebruik om die r2 waardes van die gekombineerde en geskeide seisoene te bepaal. The r2 waardes vir die OGD (0.6227) en PMI (0.5503) vir gekombineer seisoene was minder as die r2 waardes vir seisoene apart (OGD 0.7652; PMI 0.7677). In teenstelling met ander studies, het seisoenaliteit die OGD model en PMI beinvloed. Lineêre regressie formules vir OGD en PMI sowel as 95% vertrouensinterval kaarte vir TLT vir OGD was saamgestel. Hierdie formules saam met data vanaf ‘n plaaslike weerstasie kan gebruik word om die PMI met relatiewe akkuraatheid te skat. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Anatomy / unrestricted

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This essay explores the instances in which human remains were used as material for contemporary artworks. Partly, the aim of the research is to find out why these materials are used and why it is important for the intended purpose of the artist that they do so. Another part of the aim is to investigate the representational layers of the material, and how the use of the material fits into a larger sociological context surrounding what we consider “proper care” of the dead. This is achieved through a thematic interpretive analysis which looks at the representation of the material, disruption of the dead and intention provided by the artists through the theoretical perspectives of Thomas Laqueur, Robert Hertz and Amelia Jones. In the end, the research concludes that the use of human remains as material for artworks is an intentional and imperative choice by the artists, who use the material to make grander statements about predetermined social orders and provide alternative ways of conceiving remains. For this to be done, the disruption of those social orders is a vital act, which is achieved through the disruption of human remains, making the “proper care” of the dead a necessarily neglected process. The fact that these bodies do represent a self, a life which has been previously lived with differing degrees of immediacy, is also required for the previously mentioned disruption to be able to take place. Our inherent insistence to access these represented selves serves to cause discomfort and redirect our attention to the will of the artists, who, in the making of the artwork, either repress or collaborate with the represented selves in order to make the statements which they set out to make.