A dozen specialists from Europe, Mexico and the United States are coming together for a five-day meeting at University Park to discuss the production of obsidian blades (cutting tools) in ancient Mesoamerica. A public demonstration on how these tools were produced also will take place.
Ken Hirth, Penn State professor of anthropology, and other invited guests will examine the techniques and processes used by ancient Mesoamerican peoples (Aztecs, Mayans etc.) to manufacture razor-sharp obsidian blades. The development of an accurate understanding of how these tools and other basic commodities were produced is an important step in evaluating the significance of craft production and long-distance trade in the evaluation of ancient Mesoamerican societies. The conference will be the first of its kind to address these fundamental issues using a comprehensive technological approach.
The public demonstration on how flaked stone tools were produced by ancient Native Americans, is slated for Thursday, May 25, from 4:40 to 5:30 p.m. in 123 Chambers Building . Children and families are welcome.
For more information contact, Katie Earley, Conferences and Institutes, at (814) 863-5144.
The Department of African and African American Studies and the Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies will sponsor an interdisciplinary conference, titled "The Blues Tradition: Memory, Criticism and Pedagogy," from June 29 to July 2 at University Park.
This innovative conference will bring together blues performers, scholars, educators, critics and audiences for a series of exchanges on the meaning of the blues tradition and its potential contributions to the humanities, social sciences and to secondary and college curriculums.
The most distinctive feature of the conference will be the integration of perspectives of the artists, scholars and audiences on several critical issues: the processes of local memory, the relationship between communities and artists, the imperatives of the cultural-industrial complex, and the blues as an educational tool.
This conference is the third in a series of summer seminars devoted to African American traditions at Penn State. Future sessions for the African American Traditions Series will include "Jazz Scholarship" (June, 2001) and "Hip-Hop Scholarship" (June 2002). More information is online at http://www.personal.psu.edu/dept/aaas/. Click on "Conference Program."
The colleges of Engineering and Education are offering teachers a free workshop on nuclear science and technology at the University Park campus on July 30 to Aug. 4. Teachers have the option of earning two science education graduate credits.
The workshop and associated graduate course will discuss both the benefits and risks connected with radiation applications.
Teachers attending the workshop will have the opportunity to design and/or review curriculum projects on nuclear science and technology from qualified instructors. Laboratory experiments will give teachers an opportunity to learn more about radiation measurement.
The five-day workshop is designed for K-12 teachers, administrators and counselors interested in nuclear science and technology.
Deadline for application is June 2. All applicants must pay a $50 registration fee. Attendees will then receive a $100 travel stipend, free residence hall accommodations (double-room occupancy), daily scheduled meals, instructional materials and activities, and a pre-workshop picnic. Confirmed applicants who want graduate credits must also pay for tuition and fees.
The workshop was developed and is administered by the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.
More information on the program can be found on the Web at http://www.engr.psu.edu/etp by clicking on "NST Workshop." Those interested also may contact John Vincenti at (814) 863-2133 or by e-mail at jrv2@psu.edu.