The Digital Archive Network for Anthropology and World Heritage (DANA-WH) is a java-based archive system that allows for an Internet distributed, federated network of databases. In laymen's terms, DANA is a global database of anthropological materials, whose internet servers are maintained by individual anthropology researchers across a number of institutions. DANA is currently funded by, or has received previous funding from: the National Science Foundation's National Science Digital Library initiative, Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, and North Dakota EPSCoR.

DANA differs from other anthropology database projects in two ways. First, the database actually consists of a number of Internet accessible databases hosted by several institutions, not just one. Second, there are a variety of 3D models, 2D graphics, and (in the future) digital video suitable for research and educational purposes.

Virtual Archaeologist/Like-A-Fishhook Project

Archaeology is the discipline that provides humans with a conduit of sorts to the past: it is our way to travel through time. Archaeologists, however, can only dream of time travel as an ultimate check on their reasoning and interpretations. While modern
technology cannot make time travel possible in reality, it is possible in virtual reality.

By combining immersive role-based technology with the principles and data of archaeology, ethnography, and history, we can develop an environment for teaching generations of students about all of these. That is what this proposal is all about. The goal of our research is to evaluate the use of active synthetic environments on student learning of scientific, problem-solving skills, such as those learned on a "real"
archeological "dig."

Native Dancer is a diabetes education and exercise computer game designed to be culturally relevant to native youth. Unlike traditional video games that encourage sedentary behavior and physical inactivity, Native Dancer will incorporate the emerging genre of video games that involve physical exercise. An example of this is the famous game, Dance Dance Revolution.

This proof-of-concept project focuses on the children and adolescents of the Ojibwa-White Earth Band, who reside largely on the White Earth Reservation (WER) in Minnesota, and where Type 2 diabetes is becoming more and more prevalent. We will be working closely with Mr. Monte L. Fox, Diabetes Project Director for the White Earth Tribal Council (WETC). Seed money for initial development of Native Dancer has been provided by the White Earth Indian Reservation.

Dr.Wes Niewoehner of California State University - San Bernardino along with students from the NDSU Archaeology Technologies Lab have begun a skeletal reconstruction project for the La Ferrassie Neanderthal right hand. The students and Niewoehner used laser scans of a partial Neanderthal hand to produce an interactive three-dimensional computer simulation of the thumb and index finger to determine the probable extent of their precision movements. This is the first time that Neanderthal manipulation has been studied in this manner and our analysis represents a significant advance in our understanding of their behavioral capabilities.

Students Melissa Zuroff and Derrick Eichele were given the award for the Best Biological Anthropology Presentation at the University of Minnesota Anthropology Club's 24th Annual Undergraduate Anthropology Conference based on their work on this project.

Download Reconstruction - (4mb Download) for Windows Only.

Don't use Windows? View it online at: http://atl.ndsu.edu/thumb2.htm