About Bones Don’t Lie

About Me:

I am currently a PhD candidate studying mortuary archaeology at Michigan State University.

Check out my personal website and CV here: Katy Meyers Emery

Check out my university profile here: MSU Anthropology Grad Student Katy Meyers Emery

About Bones Don’t Lie (BDL):

This blog was created to serve as a way for me to keep up to date with current mortuary and bioarchaeology news, as well as a way to work on my own scholarly writing. Since then it has evolved into a way for me to explore a variety of regions, theories, interpretations, perspectives, and methods in the discipline.

I try to give a number of perspectives and never favor one view over another, but sometimes (due to lack of time or knowledge… I mean, c’mon, I’m a grad student) I miss something important. I openly encourage people to contact me with resources and alternative viewpoints. I will gladly write new posts updating old ones. In fact- this is one of the most important parts of blogging. Blogs are a way of opening the dialogue to the greater world. So please, feel free to contact me and I will do my best to make BDL a balanced and informed blog.

Want to Help Out?

Any purchases made through the BDL Store generates a small commission towards keeping Bones Don’t Lie up and running.  I am continually adding books and tools that you may find interesting.

Contact:

Email: kmeyers35@gmail.com

Twitter: @bonesdonotlie

LinkedIn: Katy Meyers Emery

Academia.edu: Katy Meyers Emery

Blog Banner Art:

Original artwork done by Doug Steward of Doug Steward Fine Art, 2013 Wood Cut of a Skeleton.

29 responses to “About Bones Don’t Lie”

  1. Katy, I like your blog. Not sure how I found it. But why in the world would you study mortuary archelogy? It just seems so morbid 🙂 I could not see myself studying this. I have a lot of respect for you in that sense. I wish you all the best in your career and studies. I’m sure you will do very well. Thanks for taking a moment to read my comment. I am a distance energy healer in California helping people by clearing stuff in their chakras and I give free energy healings. Click on my avatar for more info and for testimonials. If you know anyone that is hurt emotionally or physically, maybe I can help them. Take care Katy…

    • I’ve always found mortuary archaeology fascinating- and not at all morbid! It’s about bringing history back to life, putting the individuals back into history so that it isn’t just about great men. It’s a chance to show how the common people were living!

  4. Nomination for the Super Sweet Blog Award

    We live in a period, happily unique in human history, when we are at the cusp of greater communication among all the Peoples of the world. Will this greater communication bring greater understanding, divided as we are between rich consumers and the poor, who struggle in appalling conditions to supply us with our affordable products, with religious and national ideologies filled with extremism and loathing, who wish to destroy those who call for moderation, and those who wilfully go through life unconcerned, with their eyes closed, only taking notice when forced to, or those across the world struggling not to have a decent life, but to merely survive in hope that their children will have a better chance, while wanton waste and greed exists right beside them, a world where irrational hate leads to the mass expulsion and murder of human beings while the international community wrings its hands and does nothing?
    Oh, bugger – I just realized I shouldn’t read Winston Churchill speeches before I write anything. Sorry. Not that I’m comparing myself to Churchill, or anything – far from it. My writing tends to be more “pie in the face.”
    Anyway – I’ve just recently found out that Kendra, at http://sunshinefromshadows.com/ has nominated me for the Super Sweet Blogging Award, for whatever reason. I suspect she was overcome by fumes caused by one of my postings, succumbed to a momentary delirium and nominated me. Whatever reason this lapse of sanity occurred, I accept.
    Now comes the tricky bit. In order to receive the award, you must thank the blogger who nominated you (Thank you indeed, Kendra!), answer five questions (see below, please), include the Super Sweet Blogging Award in your posting (I trust I’ll figure out how to do that momentarily {DAMN! can’t figure out how to put the picture in comments to other blogs. Please pretend it’s there and go to my blog to see the actual thing – thanks!}), nominate a baker’s dozen other bloggers for the post, and finally, notify the nominees in their respective blogs.
    And now (for something completely different) the envelope, please!
    Question #1: Cookies or Cake?
    Answer: Yes, please.
    Question #2: Chocolate or Vanilla?
    Answer: If they’re high quality, yes, please.
    Question#3: Favourite sweet treat?
    Answer: Both real halva and a properly made Napoleon (Mille-feuille).
    Question #4: When do you crave sweet things most?
    Answer: Usually when I’m only mildly peckish with a way to go before a meal and I need some energy, I’ll have a bit of chocolate.
    Question #5: What is your favourite colour?
    Answer: Green. No, blue – AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
    Actual Question #5: Sweet Nick Name?
    Actual Answer to Question #5: Empty-headed-animal-food-trough-wiper? I can’t actually recall having a nick name that stuck. Sorry.
    Now for the nominations (these were a bit difficult, as I didn’t want to make dual nominations with Kendra):
    1. I’d have to say Keith Parker at http://keithparker.net/ with his “Fish and TARDIS Sauce” blog is my number one. He writes a mean (as in really good, as opposed to socially nasty) blog that is primarily themed around Dr. Who, but not so much about geeking out on Dr. Who as discussing aspects of the series and how they reflect society. Or he’ll write whatever he darn well pleases, which is also a good read.
    2. Next along is Katy at https://bonesdontlie.wordpress.com/. Bones Don’t Lie is a fascinating, well researched and well written blog about death, but not in a gross way. Katy’s blog is about death from the perspective of “mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology,” taking different aspects of death and how societies, past and present, approach and appreciate the final sleep. Really interesting and not gross at all, I promise!
    3. Keeping with the cheery theme of death comes http://www.executedtoday.com/. Jason at Executed Today has a compendious compendium (?) of who was executed on any given date, with an often fascinating history and lots of side notes. It’s one of the first things I read in the morning, reminding me no matter how bad my day may be, it could be worse.
    4. My next nominee is Joachim Boaz’s blog http://sciencefictionruminations.wordpress.com/. Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations is primarily (but not just) themed reviews of (mostly) science fiction books past, with extensive examples of cover art. Neat stuff!
    5. Raud’s blog, Gnawing the Bone (http://gnawingthebone.wordpress.com/) is a great blog about dogs, but not in any cutsey way (OK, there are some cute pictures). Included gratis in the blog are imaginative stories of the world from a canine point of view.
    6. Brain’s Idea (http://brainsidea.wordpress.com/) is all about people and their brains – in a non-zombie fashion. Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought otherwise.
    7. Something New Please (http://somethingnewplease.wordpress.com/) is written by someone who may be as disturbed as I am. Needless to say, I am a big fan.
    8. Wrong Hands (http://wronghands1.wordpress.com/). Another seriously disturbed blogger also with a talent for drawing.
    9. The God Project (http://thegodproject.net/). Does God Exist? This guy’s trying to find out.
    10. Eric Hyde’s Blog (http://ehyde.wordpress.com/). God exists, but how does this reflect on Believers?
    11. Books Around the Table (http://booksaroundthetable.wordpress.com/). To best describe this blog, here’s what the authors say about it: “Books Around The Table is the blog of Margaret Chodos-Irvine, Laura Kvasnosky, Julie Larios and Julie Paschkis. We are a critique group of children’s book authors and illustrators who have been meeting monthly since 1994 to talk about books we are working on, books we have read, and our lives. We invite you to sit down with us around the table and join the conversation.”
    12. The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice (http://thechirurgeonsapprentice.com/) also deals with the macabre in a tasteful way. Well sourced and well written professional stuff.
    13. 1pointperspective (http://1pointperspective.wordpress.com/) is a guy with a sarcastic soul. He may be the reincarnation of the demi-god Sarcasticus. Enjoy!
    OK, now to figure out how a proto-Luddite sticks the Super Sweet Blog Award picture on posts he’s got to send to thirteen nominees … where the heck did I put my stone hammer ….
    Apologies to Monty Python, Winston Churchill, and all the other great bloggers not on the thirteen steps … errr … that didn’t come out properly …

  5. I love that you are doing this blog! I am currently an undergraduate in anthropology, who is looking into grad programs in forensic anthropology and Bioarchaeology. Your blog helps to inspire me to continue my education.
    Oh, and P.S. this blog should be counted as a publication.

  7. Hi Katy. I am an undergraduate right now but I am starting to look at grad schools already. I have always been fascinated with anthropology, more specifically archaeology, since I was a little kid. I have extended my specialty to biological anthropology because it really rounds out the entire package for me. I plan on specializing in Near/Middle Eastern and Mediterranean bioarchaeology (more specifically Greece, Italy, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, and Israel) and forensic anthropology (thanks to Bones). Your blog is one of the most informative blogs that I have read, along with Dr. Killgrove’s. I am hoping to go to Jordan next Summer and work with Dr. Megan Perry from East Carolina since that is one of the grad schools on my list. If you can give me any tips I would greatly appreciate it. 🙂

    • Feel free to email me with any questions! Tips for grad school would be always keep up with the news in archaeology for potential inspiration, practice your writing, and don’t be shy on asking for help from others!

  8. Hi Katy!
    You have a fantastic blog! I am doing a phD in funerary medieval customs too, so I felt quite identified with lots of things, and I learned a lot of other ones! 🙂
    Hope you’re doing fine, good luck!

  9. You are working on what would have been my dream job or one of them. I have been interested in archeology since I was young and what we know about ancient people is gleaned from their burials. Keep up the good work and I will follow you to learn what’s new.

  10. Katy,
    You have a really well put together and interesting blog. I look forward to following your work and getting some insight into an aspect of science that, I admit, I’ve not put as much thought into as I have other aspects of biology / science.

    Best, -Jack

  12. Great blog. You are very inspiring. I am a final year undergrad Archaeology student and after I graduate I’d love to pursue an Msc in Bioarchaeology. Keep up the great work 🙂

  14. Have you read “just a few bones?” It is a good example of Genealogy and bones dug up from an old cemetery.

  15. Love your site. Spent the entire morning reading the mobile version. Now this is something worth reading since only the living lie and tell tall tales. Gotta find more of this type of history without the political bias and media hype…

  16. I am interested in a similar tract. Bio-archaeology, Forensic Anthropology and mortuary archaeology. So far i am looking into UT and Tulane University for their programs. How did you come about choosing Michigan for your graduate degree?

    • First, I’m at Michigan State, not Michigan. Second, I chose to come to Michigan State because it has a great mortuary archaeology program. Feel free to email me with questions!

  17. The sciences have always intrigued me and constituted most of my education. I am very happy to meet such a young person with high ambitions and this interesting site.

  18. I’m not sure why, but the email notification I receive about your blog posts no longer comes from from “Bones Don’t Lie.” It shows as being sent by Word Press. Perhaps there is a disconnect somewhere in the blog wiring, or maybe you made this change. The change happened a couple months ago. I wanted to let you know in case you were not aware.

  20. is it true once you find a green bone after the cremation of the body.and rare to find that and they said if you find one thar means he did good things when he was still alive. ??

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