Radiography Student Returns from Mummy Excavation

A recently-excavated tomb in Ilo, Peru, headquarters to Centro Mallqui, reveals a vibrant-colored pottery piece held by A-B Tech Radiography student Debra Anglin (left). Pottery pieces, along with textiles, tools of their trade and baskets, were often buried with the ancient Aztec civilization of Chirabaya.

A research project written by a first-year A-B Tech student chosen for an elite mummy expedition this summer will be the subject of an ongoing study at Centro Mallqui: The BioAnthropology Institute of Peru where anthropologists are excavating an ancient civilization.

Debra Anglin, a Radiography student at A-B Tech, recently gave a presentation at A-B Tech detailing her two-week Peruvian expedition in June. Her research topic - chosen from several by an archaeological expert to be the team's subject of study - was to examine the height of the ancient people buried at the site using radiographic methods. The project gained interest during her trip there and now several archaeologists are continuing to study it, unearthing the remains of the mummies for preservation in the Center's museum.

The Center has been recording mummified remains of the Chiribaya people for clues about their culture. The Chiribaya lived over 1,000 years ago. Anglin took part in the "rescue mission," saving the remains of the Chiribaya from looters looking for the rare buried treasure and helping record the lives of this little-known pre-Colombian civilization.

Anglin's job was to excavate the tombs - five in all - carefully clean, study, x-ray and record the findings. What's most amazing is that the remains of the Chirabaya were not purposefully but naturally mummified, their bodies preserved forever because they happened to die in places where nature defied the normal process of decay. "This man was buried 1,000 years ago. It's amazing. He looks like he was just put there a few days before," said Anglin of the mummy "bundle" (top), the bound remains of a Chirabaya.

During her recent presentation to students and faculty at A-B Tech, Anglin explained how she and other team members excavated, cleaned and radiographically recorded the burial remains of five mummy "bundles" - one an infant - pottery and textiles from a thousand or more years ago.

Anglin was one of about 27 team members nationwide chosen by the Center for Medical Imaging in BioAnthropology at Arkansas State University to participate in the expedition this June based on their research proposals related to x-raying mummies. Anglin was the first person from North Carolina to attend the expedition, according to Arkansas State University Center Director Richard Carlton. Carlton leads many of the expeditions and is the author of the textbook "Principles of Radiographic Imaging" used by A-B Tech in the Radiographic Technology class.

Anglin said it was a "life-changing experience" to perform fieldwork alongside eminent bioanthropologist and mummy expert Dr. Sonia Guillen as well as learn about the culture and its people - past and present.

The remains and other buried artifacts of over 500 mummies have been stored at Centro Mallqui, which is located in Ilo, Peru and was the subject of a National Geographic documentary and has been featured on Good Morning America and the Discovery Channel. Return to top

Together We Read

"For forest and water are as inseparable as the heart and its blood" -Wilma Dykeman

A-B Tech's Arts and Sciences Division has put together a series of lectures, readings, story-tellings, culinary selections focusing on regional cuisine and guided walks along the French Broad River* as part of the "Together We Read" campaign, a community-wide reading program. The French Broad by Wilma Dykeman is this year's selection, and Ms. Dykeman will do a presentation in Ferguson Auditorium Sept. 26. For more information, contact Kathryn Lemieux at 254-1921 Ext. 322. *Sept. 23-27 Return to top

Scholarship Winner Overcomes Life's Obstacles

Annie M. Dowdell, a 47-year-old widow with three children, is the recipient of the $1,200 Grace Love Schneider Scholarship, a bequest which the A-B Tech Foundation received. Annie was busy raising her family and working in the special needs department of the public school system when her husband of 26 years passed away after a 10-year battle with cancer.

She was left with "memories, medical bills, and a mortgage" and quickly realized she needed to return to school to further her education. She is studying toward a degree in information systems and plans to graduate in August along with her two sons, one a senior at A.C. Reynolds High School, and the other a senior at Virginia Tech. She eventually hopes to re-enter the public school system.

"My education will inevitably end up to be a lifeline for my family," Annie wrote in her application letter, "As I work towards my degree, my self worth and confidence take large steps toward a fulfilling and satisfying future for my entire family. Each small goal I accomplish gives me strength to take on more." Return to top

Lonon Goes To London

Deborah Lonon, Chairperson of English/Communications, was welcomed as the International Readers Theater Institute's newest faculty member at its summer workshop in London, England in July. Readers Theater (RT) is a combination of oral interpretation and conventional theater. She will be putting her RT knowledge to practice at the "Together We Read" presentation of The French Broad Sept. 23 and 26 in Ferguson Auditorium.

Kudos From Hasco

Matt Meyer, Dean of Corporate and Economic Development, was the recipient of a letter from the Human Resource Manager of Hasco Mold Bases, Jennifer Hensley, commending A-B Tech's In-Plant Training Program. Ms. Hensley writes that "we have seen significant progress in the development of our employees ranging from technical knowledge to a newfound confidence in their decision-making due to the knowledge obtained from your instructors."

Dietary Managers Graduate

The Occupational Training Department graduated five Certified Dietary Managers. This year-long training program required each student to take 100 hours of clinical training. Once they pass the national exam, which they can now take at A-B Tech, they will be certified by the Dietary Managers Association.

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