By Michael Case, Education and Behavioral Sciences Library

During the 2013 spring semester, first-year Penn State student Sarah Wilkie explored the variations of shaman roles in Pre-Columbian Ancient American cultures as a capstone research project for her ANTH 220 course. Sarah, who is majoring in health policy, selected this particular general education course in order to broaden her knowledge about cultural medicine practices in Mesoamerican civilization. The capstone research project required that Sarah investigate a topic about a process supported by linked art and artifacts known in the Mesoamerican archaeological record, but distinguish between art and artifact interpretations while coordinating a limited number of specimens to explain purposes and functions.

Sarah is a Penn State Varsity Women’s Ice Hockey student-athlete, becoming associated with me early in the semester through our university student-athlete academic support program, after making her tutor request for guidance about ANTH 220. As an official academic support staff person having significant experience with anthropology and archaeology, I was able to help Sarah with her research.

Sarah selected 10 artifacts ranging from naturally occurring items adapted for use such as shells, to manufactured items such as decorated terracotta and wooden vessels, worked metal animal effigy pendants, and a gemstone-based mirror, all of which demonstrate usage in sophisticated healing, prophetic and protector shaman rituals. To explain functions within ritual shaman processes, Sarah prepared a thematic and comparative written analysis, including 10 professional display style object labels for each selected item, along with a plan to install them in a potential 3-D exhibit. The actual physical exhibit was not officially required for project completion. However, students in the course were required to consider the process involved, indicating their ideas in the final written analysis report.

As an excellent student does, Sarah maximized her learning experience in the course, including brainstorming a potential 3-D exhibit idea for her project. During one of her several trips to Paterno Library, Steven Herb, head of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Library, encouraged her to build the display in the EBSL exhibit case. The display opened last week and will run through the Labor Day weekend.

The display case is located by the entrance to the EBSL staff office, 5th floor Paterno Library.

Close up of display: photo by Michael Case

Sarah made extensive use of library resources when researching her project.

Sarah achieved admission to the Schreyer Honors College in May, 2013. She was also named to the 2012-2013 All-Academic Team of the College Hockey Association, along with 14 of her Penn State Women’s Ice Hockey teammates (inaugural varsity season).