A PURDUE ANTHROPOLOGIST IS
SPENDING TIME IN A FOREIGN
LAND RESEARCHING SOCIETIES
THAT ONCE THRIVED MORE THAN
3000 YEARS AGO AND COMPARING
THEM TO TODAY. THANKS TO A
GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL
SCIENCE FOUNDATION, BIG
STRIDES ARE ANTICIPATED..NEWS
18'S CAMERON HARDIN HAS THE
STORY. #@"I'VE BEEN WORKING IN
ARMENIA SINCE 2000.. SO OVER
15 YEARS NOW. IAN LINDSAY, AN
ANTHROPOLOGIST PROFESSOR AT
PURDUE.. HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON
THE LAYOUT OF ARMENIA.. BUT
FOR REASONS YOU PROBABLY
WOULDN'T EXPECT. "OUR BIG KIND
OF QUESTION IS HOW DID HIGHER
LEVEL POLITICAL FORMATIONS
DEVELOP. HOW DID COMPLEX
SOCIETIES EMERGE..HE BELIEVES
THE STRUCTURES AND FORTRESSES
BUILT IN THE HILLS OF ARMENIA
CAN BRING ANSWERS TO WHY
PEOPLE FOLLOW CERTAIN LEADERS.
THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR,
RIGHT. PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS
WONDERING HOW DO POLITICIANS
FORM COALITIONS.. HOW DO THEY
DEVELOP A FOLLOWING. HOW DO
THEY GET LEADERS TO DO WHAT
THEY WANT THEM TO DO.. AND WE
ARE ASKING SIMILAR QUESTIONS
IN THE ANCIENT PAST.""THE BIG
SORT OF MANIFESTATION OF
COMPLEXITY ARE THESE HILL TOP
FORTRESSES WHERE GIANT STONES
WERE USED TO BUILD HILLTOP
FORTIFICATIONS.. AND THESE
THINGS DON'T BUILD THEMSELVES.
LEADERS NEED TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE TO BUILD THEM FOR THEM.
100'S OF THEM."LINDSAY
RECENTLY RETURNED FROM ANOTHER
TRIP, BUT THIS TIME HE WAS
ARMED WITH SOME EXTRA TOOLS.
THANKS TO A 220-THOUSAND
DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL
SCIENCE FOUNDATION, LINDSAY
AND HIS TEAM WERE ABLE TO USE
DRONES AND OTHER SURVEYING
TOOLS TO GIVE THEM AN
ADVANTAGE OUT IN THE FIELD."4
OR 5 OF US IN A SURVEY TEAM
ARE WALKING IN A STRAIGHT LINE
BACK AND FORTH LOOKING FOR ALL
SORTS OF SITES, SETTLEMENTS,
CEMETERIES, FORTRESSES" "TO
WHAT DEGREE WAS VIOLENCE AN
EVERYDAY FACT OF LIFE AND HOW
MUCH OF A POLITICAL TOOL TO
WAS IT TO MAINTAIN ALLEGIANCE
TO THIS PARTICULAR FORTRESS
COMMUNITY."FOR LINDSAY AND HIS
TEAM, SUCCESS ISN'T MEASURED
BY SPECIFIC RESULTS. "I THINK
WITH ANY SCIENCE, IF YOU DO IT
RIGHT ANYWAY, THE MORE YOU
KNOW, THE MORE YOU REALIZE HOW
MUCH YOU STILL NEED TO STUDYWE
WILL KNOW THAT WE SUCCEED IF
WE GENERATE SOME INTEREST IN
THE REGION." LINDSAY IS SET TO
RETURN TO ARMENIA EARLY NEXT
YEARREPORTING ON PURDUE'S
