SOCIAL SCIENCES.

Vicechair: Emmanuel C. Nwagbosco, Jackson State University 

Chair: Ann Marie Kinnell, University of Southern Mississippi

THURSDAY MORNING

Caprice Room

9:00 PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS REPRESENTED IN THE KELLOGG COLLECTION (22CL527 CLAY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI)

Lisa L. Colonias [*] and Erin M. Outlaw [*], University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

The Kellogg Collection is composed of approximately 43 individuals and dates to the Early Mississippian Period (c. A.D. 1000). The Collection may represent the cemetery of a small hamlet in northeast Mississippi. Their diet was primarily maize according to archaeological indicators on the dentition. We have examined two specific pathologies, anemia and treponematosis, as an indicator of health, diet and mortality in this small population. Treponematomal infection (commonly known as syphilis) has been identified in a number of Native American populations.

Only one individual exhibited characteristics of prolonged systemic treponematomal infection. This is evident from the thickening and multiple porosities exhibited by the long bones. It appears to have been the non-venereal form of the disease. The Collection was also examined for anemia. This pathology is common in prehistoric Native Americans since maize is low in iron. There is evidence of porotic hyperostosis (porous skull) on the frontal and parietal bones of three individuals, one of which showed signs of recovery. Cribra orbitalia, another indicator of anemia, was also noted on two of these individuals above and within the orbits of the eye. The frequency of these pathologies occurs in less than 12% of the site. Thus, the population likely supplemented their diet with meat from hunting. These findings indicate a moderately healthy population consistent with other known Early Mississippian sites.

9:15 FAUNAL EXPLOITATION AT THE DIAMONDHEAD SITE (22HA550): A DIACHRONIC STUDY OF SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES AT A GULF COAST SHELL MIDDEN 

Jessica L. Allgood, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Excavations at the Diamondhead Site recovered a large sample (20,000 specimens) of faunal remains. This shell midden, located on the lower Jourdan River on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was periodically utilized from 100 BC to 1500 AD. Based on shifting frequencies of certain taxa, it appears that site function, duration of occupation, and seasonality of use changed through time. This paper will examine seasonal, ecological and functional indicators in order to better understand 1) how this site was used through time, 2) elaborate our current understanding of Mississippi prehistory, and 3) explore how this relates to other Gulf Coast shell middens.

9:30 SEX, COLOR AND POWER: 'INTERRACIAL' RELATIONSHIPS IN AMERICAN MOTION PICTURES, 1967-97

Celeste Wheat [*] and Amy Chasteen, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Since the release of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 1967, portrayals of 'interracial' romances in motion pictures have been relatively infrequent and often highly politicized. In this paper we provide an in-depth analysis of fifteen films that feature story lines about interracial relationships. By applying a narrative analysis framework to these films we are able to document patterns in portrayals of interracial romance and identify key changes in film treatment of this issue. Our analysis reveals both persistent formulas for telling stories about interracial relationships and also signficant changes in post-1970s tales about color, romance and social response.

9:45 Joint Divisional Business Meeting with Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience