The Many Lives of Mina Primavera with Prof. Hendrik Van Gijseghem

On October 18th, I had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Hendrik Van Gijseghem (University of Montreal) about his work at Mina Primavera, a prehispanic hematite mine in the Nasca Region of Peru. His work focuses on the multiple lives of the mine and the changing relationship between the space and the people who used it. During his colloquium talk he explored the shifting nature of the use of the mine, beginning with its natural state as a geological formation, through its transition as a place of economic and symbolic importance, finishing as an important place of worship. He also spoke about its use in colonial times, as a storage place for tools and explosives. The Professor highlighted many interesting and beautiful artifacts during his talk, touching briefly on the Nasca Geoglyphs, the spirituality of humans and non-human entities in Andean mining, and the possible reasons Nasca people would have used the raw materials found at Mina Primavera.

In our interview he touches on his love for anthropology and archaeology, the thrill of excavation, and offers some advice for young academics - not something you want to miss!

Look for my next post on the Got Anthropology series, where MA/ MSc candidate Daniel Dick spoke on the topic of "Are Tattoos, Piercings, and other Body Modifications Natural?"

Important Dates:
November 1: Prof. Tanya Luhrmann (Stanford University) - Anthropology Colloquium Series
November 20: MA Candidate Jess Davidson speaks on "Is it really possible to be an 'ethical' consumer?" - Got Anthropology at U of T

Check out our Facebook and Twitter feed for more!

Professor Rebecca Stein at UofT Anthropology: Viral Occupation - Social Media and Military Rule in Israel/Palestine

Prof. Rebecca Stein speaks at the UofT Anthropology Dept.

On Friday, October 4^th, Professor Rebecca Stein of Duke University came to the Anthropology Department to take part in our Anthropology Colloquium Series to speak about her work in the field of cultural anthropology. Prof. Stein spoke eloquently about her research in Israel/Palestine relations, and how social media is intimately linked to military rule and political identity in the region. Her presentation focused on the way new video recording technologies can empower any individual to produce and share footage that can be used for public relations purposes, by both state combatants and insurgents. She placed particular emphasis on the concept of ‘virality’, and how web media such as YouTube, Vine and Instagram enable the viewing public to become infatuated with everything from cats playing the piano to suspect violations of human rights. 

Professor Stein’s talk shed a fascinating light on an area that is often ignored by serious fields of academic study. Popular Internet media is often dismissed when compared to so called reputable news sources such as CNN and BBC, and Professor Stein is examining just how these new sources of information will come to shape the way we perceive popular news subjects – particularly controversial conflicts. I look forward to reading her two new books – When Instagram Goes To War: Social Media, Digital Militarism and Israel’s Occupation (co-authored with Adi Kuntsman, forthcoming from Stanford University Press) and, Viral Occupation: New Media and Israeli Military Rule (in progress) and I would suggest anyone interested in the dynamics of that region check it out as well!

Welcome

Welcome to Inside Anthropology.

I should start by introducing myself. My name is Jenn, I'm a third year student in the Anthropology Department here at U of T, and I'll be working in the Department this semester as the student social media co-ordinator. Yes, I'm the one who updates our Twitter feed (follow us! @UofT_Anthro). A little about me: I have minors in general anthropology and archaeology, though biological anthropology is my primary interest. We'll see where I go after finishing my undergraduate degree, though I'm interested in pursuing either law school or grad work. I've had the privilege of traveling to many places in the world to observe many different cultures, something I believe has made me a better person, and a better anthropologist. My hobbies include photography, reading, working out at Hart House, and hanging out at various museums around Toronto. I hope to bring you interesting insights about anthropology here at the university.

But this blog is about more than that. Our goal is to reach out to the community and offer information about what's going on in the department. Here you'll find profiles of professors, department staff, and students. You'll also find information about interesting events that are happening in the Anthropology department. Maybe even some posts about neat stuff happening in the world of anthropology itself. If you have an Anthropology event you want to promote, know someone doing something interesting in the field, or just feel like writing us, you can email UofTAnthropology@gmail.com . We'll get back to you as soon as we can!

I will try to post several times a week - we have a lot going on that everyone should know about! There are so many people doing fantastic research, and our department is hosting many events that students and professors alike should take advantage of. Anthropology is present in everything, and my goal is to make it all a little more accessible. So keep on reading!

Yours in print,
Jenn