Barnes, Ethne 1940–

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Barnes, Ethne 1940–

PERSONAL:

Born May 26, 1940, in KS; daughter of Lloyd Wentling (deceased) and Georgia Maslow; married James Barnes (deceased); married Arthur H. Rohn (a Southwest archaeologist), 2007; children: Jennifer, James, and Jason. Ethnicity: "American" Education: Wichita State University, B.S.N., 1974, M.A., 1977; Arizona State University, Ph.D., 1991. Hobbies and other interests: Nature, reading, art, general science.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office— Tucson, AZ. E-mail— [email protected].

CAREER:

Clinical nurse, 1970-78; Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, assistant professor in nurse clinician program, 1978-1981, adjunct assistant professor of anthropology, 1999; independent researcher and consultant, 1994—, paleopathologist/physical anthropologist, 1994—.

MEMBER:

Paleopathology Association, American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Awarded multiple research awards from organizations including Mellon Bank, Weiner Lab, Smithsonian Institution, Karl P. Schmidt-Chicago, Solow.

WRITINGS:

Developmental Defects of the Axial Skeleton in Paleopathology, University Press of Colorado (Niwot, CO), 1994.

Diseases and Human Evolution, University of New Mexico Press (Albuquerque, NM), 2005.

Contributor to Corinth, the Centenary, 1896-1996, edited by Charles K. Williams II and Nancy Bookidis, 2003. Contributor to periodicals, including International Journal of Osteoarchaeology and Plains Anthropologist.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ethne Barnes, a noted paleopathologist and physical anthropologist, has spent most of her career studying humans, illness, and medicine. Born in Kansas in 1940, Barnes graduated from Wichita State University in 1974 and, later, earned a master's degree from Wichita State in 1977 and a doctoral degree from Arizona State University in 1991.

Barnes began a career in clinical nursing in 1970 and became an assistant professor in the nurse clinician program at Wichita State University in 1978. Barnes continued a career of teaching and eventually became an independent paleopathologist/physical anthropologist, researcher, and consultant. Barnes's primary geographical areas of research include the American Southwest, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, China, and South America.

Barnes published her first book, titled Developmental Defects of the Axial Skeleton in Paleopathology, in 1994. The book is an in-depth study of skull structure and skull abnormalities. Barnes gives readers a detailed explanation of the human skull's development and gives examples of abnormalities that have occurred in human skulls. Developmental Defects of the Axial Skeleton in Paleopathology is intended for a specific audience interested in paleopathology, archaeology, and human bone structure.

In 2005 Barnes published her next book,Diseases and Human Evolution. In this book, Barnes studies the link between diseases and human evolution, culture, and development. The book covers the gamut of illnesses, diseases, and infections including HIV/AIDS and mad cow disease. Barnes also discusses diseases such as tuberculosis, a disease responsible for the deaths of many people in Europe during the Middle Ages, but which has been reduced in that area of the world due to public health measures, better sanitation, and better hygiene. Barnes also looks at areas of the world, mostly in developing countries, that still have major outbreaks of diseases like tuberculosis. The text details the origins of the many diseases; some of these origins include vermin, insects, and farm animals. R. Ted Steinbock, a writer for JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, said of the author's work, "Barnes provides a readable account of diseases … and of how human habits influence diseases."

In addition to her books, Barnes has contributed to a number of periodicals, including International Journal of Osteoarchaeology and Plains Anthropologist. She also authored a chapter in the book Corinth, the Centenary, 1896-1996, edited by Charles K. Williams II and Nancy Bookidis, in 2003.

Barnes told CA: "My primary motivation for writing is to share my knowledge and what I have learned from my research with generally interested readers, students, and professionals. My husband, Arthur Rohn, provides strong support and encouragement, plus I have my own drive to seek knowledge. "I have difficulty writing; first I mull things over in my mind, then write a draft, set it aside, and go back over it and rewrite it, section by section. I write in the early morning hours while my mind is fresh. I do all of my own illustrations and photographs. "I have always wondered about human diseases and developmental disturbances since I was child, always curious about how and why they spread. I have always been impressed with the plasticity of the human body and how it adapts to change and developmental upsets."