Affirming Anthropology's Relevance Beyond the Classrooms: The Case of the Isinay in Nueva Vizcaya (2016). In Social Science Teaching, Research and Practice: Consolidating Lessons and Charting Directions. L. Mendoza (ed). College of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Baguio, pp. 73-55.more
Research Interests:
Women as Tattoo Practitioners: A Comparative Study of the Role of Women in the Tattooing Traditions of the Kalinga (Luzon Philippines), Atayal (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). In Gender Studies in Okinawa: Crossing Identities (2016). Univ. of Ryukyus: Intl. Institute of Okinawan Studies, pp. 87-116.more
Research Interests:
Dean C. Worcester, an American colonial official, journeyed through northern Luzon in the early 1900s, recording the people’s appearance, customs and material culture. His photographs had a profound impact on scientific activities in the... more
Dean C. Worcester, an American colonial official, journeyed through northern Luzon in the early 1900s, recording the people’s appearance, customs and material culture. His photographs had a profound impact on scientific activities in the Philippines, fostering an implicit theme of the unreadiness of the Filipinos for independence. While the photographs also reflect the paradigm of social evolutionism, I argue that they provide substantial visual evidence of the Igorots’ way of life, and can be used effectively in photo-elucidation today. This reveals deeper meanings of Igorot material culture through local narratives, meaningful analysis and closer examination.
With combined methods of anthropological fieldwork and use of various sources (historical documents, archival photographs, and oral narratives), this exploratory paper is a comparative study of the practice of traditional tattooing... more
With combined methods of anthropological fieldwork and use of various sources (historical documents, archival photographs, and oral narratives), this exploratory paper is a comparative study of the practice of traditional tattooing between the in- digenous groups in Kalinga, north Luzon Philippines, and the Atayal of Taiwan. Findings show that the two groups share the same cultural characteristics in terms of the rationale for getting tattoos, the methods, designs and others. But the differ- ence in historical experiences between the two also determined the trajectories of tattooing practice in the contemporary context, the Kalinga with its revival and the Atayal on the decline.
The desire to alter and adorn the human body is universal. While specific forms of body decoration, and the underlying motivations, vary according to region, culture, and era, all human societies have engaged in practices designed to... more
The desire to alter and adorn the human body is universal. While specific forms of body decoration, and the underlying motivations, vary according to region, culture, and era, all human societies have engaged in practices designed to augment and enhance their natural appearance. Tattooing, the process of inserting pigment into the skin to create permanent designs and patterns, appears on human mummies by 3200 BCE and was practiced by ancient cultures throughout the world.
"Ancient Ink," the first book dedicated to the archaeological study of tattooing, presents new research from across the globe examining tattooed human remains, tattoo tools, and ancient art. It contributes to our understanding of the antiquity, durability, and significance of tattooing and human body decoration and illuminates how different societies have used their skin to construct their identities. Ancient Ink connects ancient body art traditions to modern culture through Indigenous communities and the work of contemporary tattoo artists.
The contributors are Orlando V. Abinion, Analyn Salvador-Amores, Gemma Angel, Ronald G. Beckett, Tara Nicole Clark, Colin Dale, Aaron Deter-Wolf, Renée Friedman, Louise Furey, Lars Krutak, Svetlana Pankova, Dario Piombino-Mascali, Luc Renaut, Benoît Robitaille, Dong Hoon Shin, Isaac Walters, Leonid Yablonsky, and Petar N. Zidarov.
"Ancient Ink," the first book dedicated to the archaeological study of tattooing, presents new research from across the globe examining tattooed human remains, tattoo tools, and ancient art. It contributes to our understanding of the antiquity, durability, and significance of tattooing and human body decoration and illuminates how different societies have used their skin to construct their identities. Ancient Ink connects ancient body art traditions to modern culture through Indigenous communities and the work of contemporary tattoo artists.
The contributors are Orlando V. Abinion, Analyn Salvador-Amores, Gemma Angel, Ronald G. Beckett, Tara Nicole Clark, Colin Dale, Aaron Deter-Wolf, Renée Friedman, Louise Furey, Lars Krutak, Svetlana Pankova, Dario Piombino-Mascali, Luc Renaut, Benoît Robitaille, Dong Hoon Shin, Isaac Walters, Leonid Yablonsky, and Petar N. Zidarov.