Book and Dissertation by Travis Nygard
UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissert... more UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. Learn more... ProQuest, Seeds of agribusiness: Grant Wood and the visual culture of grain farming, 1862--1957. ...
Landscapes of the Itza: Archaeology and Art History at Chichen Itza and Neighboring Sites
Journal Articles, Book Chapters, and Reports by Travis Nygard
Middle West Review , 2020
A Companion to American Agricultural History, 2022
The Bloomsbury Handbook of Music and Art, 2023
Landscapes of the Itza: Archaeology and Art History at Chichen Itza and Neighboring Sites, 2018
Linnea Wren and Travis Nygard expressed his appreciation for the North Americans' interest in the... more Linnea Wren and Travis Nygard expressed his appreciation for the North Americans' interest in the "temples of his ancestors" (Mason 1927, 131-33). Undertaken in order to locate and record ancient sites of Maya civilization in a region almost unknown archaeologically, Mason and Spinden's expedition reveals the crosscurrents of institutional, scholarly, and popular interest in ancient civilizations of the New World. It further illuminates the convergence of political events and economic interests related to the brutal campaign of pacification of the contemporary Maya at the end of the Caste War and to the success of chewing gum, a burgeoning new sector of North American consumerism. This encounter marked the beginning of archaeological and ethnographic research in the area, which has led to the publication of this volume.
The American Pop artist Andy Warhol (1928–87) produced a series of colourful silkscreen prints in... more The American Pop artist Andy Warhol (1928–87) produced a series of colourful silkscreen prints in 1982 of a Roman-era bronze head of Alexander the Great. These prints were commissioned by Alexander Iolas (1907–87) to correspond with the blockbuster exhibition of ancient art and artefacts 'The Search for Alexander'. In this article we argue that Warhol’s vision of Alexander is postmodern because he encouraged his audience to receive Alexander’s identity from a multitude of viewpoints. We contrast the way that this head would have been understood in ancient times with the thinking about Warhol’s images in contemporary times. We note that there were many treatments of Alexander in popular culture, which meant that the American public was deeply engaged with questions about who this man was. By looking at the Alexander series this article contributes to an understanding of Warhol’s engagement with antiquity. Ultimately we interpret the print series using the history of nationalism, violence, and sexuality, emphasizing how in the postmodern era ancient ideas have been used for new purposes.
Memory Traces: Analyzing Sacred Space at Five Mesoamerican Sites, 2015
Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, 2010
ABSTRACT In the late nineteenth century, fall harvest festivals took a peculiarly spectacular for... more ABSTRACT In the late nineteenth century, fall harvest festivals took a peculiarly spectacular form in a number of Midwestern cities. Huge grain palaces, constructed of wood but covered inside and out with mosaics made from ears of corn and various colored grasses, became the centerpieces for the celebrations.1 Sioux City, Iowa, built five corn palaces between 1887 and 1891 (Figure 1). When floods prevented Sioux City from carrying out plans for another in 1892, Mitchell, South Dakota, took on the idea and, with a few interruptions, has had a corn palace ever since (Figure 2). Cities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas had their own versions as well. The extraordinary effort expended to erect these buildings required the cooperation of an entire community. In Sioux City, for example, they were used for less than a month and then reconstructed or reclad the next year. Because they reflected the agendas of numerous constituencies, the palaces allow the modern scholar to explore how identities shaped the buildings and also how the buildings helped to shape those identities. This is particularly true in terms of race. A close look at the Sioux City and Mitchell corn palaces clearly demonstrates that these are places where Native Americans and Euro-Americans came together to negotiate their places in society. Two time periods offer an informative contrast. The first was the late nineteenth century, when the phenomenon was new and, although instigated by white people, involved Native Americans as subjects and participants. The second was in the mid-twentieth century, when the Mitchell Corn Palace was reinterpreted by a Native American artist. The 1887 Sioux City, Iowa, Corn Palace, from Frank Leslie's Weekly, October 8, 1887, 125. Authors' collection. Mitchell, South Dakota, 1892 Corn Palace under construction. Courtesy of Mitchell Area Historical Society. Dead He Lay There in the Sunset, M. L. Kirk illustration of the death of Mondamin and the birth of corn for Longfellow's The Story of Hiawatha (New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co, 1910), 22. Author's collection. Understanding buildings in terms of identity is a tall order. After all, "identity" is a multifaceted concept, the very thing that makes it powerful. Historians Rogers Brubaker and Frederick Cooper recently analyzed how scholars use the term, noting its paradoxical aspects. Identity can refer to self-labeling, self-understanding, membership in a group, feelings of belonging, categorization by others, empathetic connections with others, motivations for social change, sameness with or difference from others, a core essence, something deeply ingrained, or something superficial. Furthermore, identities can be either static or fluid.2 How, then, does identity relate to the corn palaces? To answer this question, we will focus on a symbolic reading of the iconography of the buildings, especially as it appeared in its decorative panels, as well as on the performative events that took place there. As is typical of community-based construction, the corn palaces were contested spaces. Both Indians and white people, with varying degrees of agreement, informed the meanings that these buildings held. How they should be constructed, what imagery should adorn them, and whose values should be celebrated are key issues with which the communities wrestled when first erecting the buildings, and they continue to be debated today. Spatially, the corn palaces were simple. They were fundamentally festival centers designed for maximum flexibility. The interiors were large open spaces that usually centered on a concert hall and stage with side aisles, balconies, and a second floor for exhibition areas. The present-day Mitchell Corn Palace is similar; it serves as a municipal auditorium, a basketball arena, and a stage to host high school proms, conventions, and sporting events. The buildings were also decidedly urban, usually located in the heart of the commercial center of the town; the purpose of the corn festivals was to draw visitors, investors, and new settlers to the community. The architectural form, as is readily apparent in the historic photographs of the corn palaces, was a festive, exotic eclecticism, with towers, domes, and turrets that borrowed from architectural traditions across the globe. What was new, however, was...
Quintana Roo archaeology, Dec 1, 2005
... ballcourt itself has been documented at sites such as La Amelia and Seibal, as well as at Yo&... more ... ballcourt itself has been documented at sites such as La Amelia and Seibal, as well as at Yo'okop (Rosemary Joyce, personal ... The name characteristically includes the following signs: the rare"white cross"; a logogram representing the human eye with sight lines, or a" seeing ...
Final Report of The Selz Foundation's Proyecto Arqueológico Yo'okop 2001 Field Season, 2001
The 2001 field season at Yo'okop was made possible by a grant from the Selz Foundation. The 2000 ... more The 2001 field season at Yo'okop was made possible by a grant from the Selz Foundation. The 2000 season was funded by the H. John Heinz III Fund of the Heinz Family Foundation (reference number H1305) and the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies Inc.(FAMSI project number 99016). Without these funds, our research would not have been possible.
Conference Papers by Travis Nygard
This presentation uses the history of archaeology in the Cochuah region of Quintana Roo, Mexico t... more This presentation uses the history of archaeology in the Cochuah region of Quintana Roo, Mexico to explore the conference's theme of "Inclusion, Collaboration and Engagement." The region is best known as the center of Chan Santa Cruz, the independent Maya state established by the Caste War. As such, the region is betterknown to cultural anthropologists than archaeologists. During the 2001 field season, we joined the Cochuah Regional Archaeological Survey (then named Proyecto Arqueologico Yo'okop) to document sculpture and inscriptions. Subsequently we researched the history of archaeology in Cochuah. Our approach builds upon traditional histories of methodology, theory, and biography to show that this region includes many voices: Maya politicians, chicle harvesters, transnational businessmen, common Americans, and foreign intellectuals. While the region was briefly visited several times during the 20 th century by archaeologists, it is only within the past 10 years that large multi-year projects have begun. This dearth of scholarship may seem the inevitable consequence of the regional conflict, but it is also a result of a complex debate amongst diverse audiences. Rather than passively enabling research, we show that the indigenous people self-awarely negotiated with archaeologists. We show that collaboration between archaeologists and indigenous leaders occurred as early as the 1920s. And we show that the engagement in the local community by a medical missionary led to creditable results in archaeological documentation. Ultimately we use Cochuah as an anchor to show both the potential strengths and the frustrations of the issues forefronted in this year's conference.
Abstract Although little-studied, new data shows that Yo'okop was a major center occupied from th... more Abstract Although little-studied, new data shows that Yo'okop was a major center occupied from the Middle Formative through the Postclassic periods in central Quintana Roo. Intensive investigation at Yo'okop was begun in 2000 by Justine Shaw and Dave Johnstone and during the 2001 field season we joined them to document the sculpture and inscriptions. The project has since expanded into a survey of the Cochuah Region.
Proceedings of the ninth annual international conference on International computing education research - ICER '12, 2012
Teamwork is essential in industry and a university is an excellent place to assess which skills a... more Teamwork is essential in industry and a university is an excellent place to assess which skills are important and for students to practice those skills. A positive teamwork experience can also improve student learning outcomes. Prior research has established that teams with high levels of social sensitivity tend to perform well when completing a variety of specific, short-team, collaborative tasks. Social sensitivity is the personal ability to perceive and understand the feelings and viewpoints of others, and it is reliably measurable. Our hypothesis is that, social sensitivity can be a key component in positively mediating teamwork task activities and member satisfaction. Our goal is to bring attention to the fact that social sensitivity is an asset to teamwork. We report the results from an empirical study that investigates whether social sensitivity is correlated with the effectiveness of processes involved in teamwork and team member satisfaction in an educational setting. The results support our hypothesis that the social sensitivity is highly correlated with team effectiveness. It suggests, therefore, that educators in computer-related disciplines, as well as computer professionals in the workforce, should take the concept of social sensitivity seriously as an aid or obstacle to team performance and the teamwork experience.
Proceedings of the 43rd ACM technical symposium on Computer Science Education - SIGCSE '12, 2012
Abstract Team work is the norm in major development projects and industry is continually striving... more Abstract Team work is the norm in major development projects and industry is continually striving to improve team effectiveness. Researchers have established that teams with high levels of social sensitivity tend to perform well when completing a variety of specific collaborative tasks. Social sensitivity is the personal ability to perceive, understand, and respect the feelings and viewpoints of others, and it is reliably measurable. However, the tasks in recent research have been primarily short term, requiring only hours to finish, ...
Abstract--Although social, ethical, and professional standards have been included in some undergr... more Abstract--Although social, ethical, and professional standards have been included in some undergraduate computer science departments' curricula for over twenty years, many faculty members who teach computer science ethics classes continue to look for fresh approaches to teaching ethics and social implications courses. Traditionally, this type of course has focused on viewing computer technologies through an ethical lens. However, there is a movement towards placing more emphasis on the social implications of technology.
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Book and Dissertation by Travis Nygard
Journal Articles, Book Chapters, and Reports by Travis Nygard
Conference Papers by Travis Nygard