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Author Topic: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz  (Read 42578 times)

Jerry Germann

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #30 on: March 14, 2018, 11:20:43 AM »

The flying helmets (or CLOSE fitting hat) https://www.flightmuseum.com/amelia-earhart/ used by Earhart may be good candidates to use in trying to determine Earhart's cranial circumference. They usually fit pretty tightly, used in open cockpits.
 If one could shape a piece of material ( Styrofoam?) into a likeness of the Niku cranial vault, factor in extra material for soft tissues and allow for a bit of hair compression, one may arrive at a relatively close helmet/hat size, an individual with those measurements would have felt comfortable wearing.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2018, 11:38:45 AM by Jerry Germann »
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #31 on: March 14, 2018, 11:53:53 AM »

Jerry, I think what you'd end up with is a flying helmet that anyone of Amelia's general size could wear.  There is nothing gender or ethnicity specific about hat size. The useful thing about the work Jantz and Glickman did is that the measurements were specific to the castaway bones and Earhart.  Jantz used the clothing measurements from Purdue primarily to estimate Earhart's weight and build to get an approximate Body Mass Index (BMI).
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Jerry Germann

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #32 on: March 14, 2018, 02:02:07 PM »

I was hoping the skull measurements usage would fall along the same lines, that being measurements specific to both the castaway and Earhart. Reading up on her skull caps ( flying helmets)...I suppose the soft leather would allow for a fit onto any number of heads, if the dome were large enough to allow, so maybe using a standard hat would be more preferable, should one decide to conduct such an experiment to whittle away at the 1% doubt.
The one thing I reason is, if the Niku skull measures too large, to fit into one of Earhart's hats, it could pose a problem,....too loose, maybe not so much, as many photos I see of her, her hat is almost ear touching, too well below top of ear.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2018, 02:52:54 PM by Jerry Germann »
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Jon Romig

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #33 on: March 14, 2018, 03:30:20 PM »

I think the hat size issue is a worthwhile research topic. Perhaps it deserves its own thread.

I had a concussion recently and my CT scans could easily be used to quantify the relationship of my scull dimensions to my hat size. A few dozen of these from various individuals should be sufficient to determine a typical relationship and allow us to apply that relationship to the Niku bones (if this research does not already exist).

AE spent a lot of time on windy aprons and had compact, curly hair, so I expect she wore her hats rather tightly, which could reduce the variable of tight vs loose fit. Most hats, perhaps unlike flying helmets, fit only a close range of head sizes such that often only a single size will fit. It seems to me we have a metric that could be fairly precise.

I assume that examples of her hats exist?

Jon
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #34 on: March 14, 2018, 03:57:31 PM »

I assume that examples of her hats exist?

Not that I know of.
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Jerry Germann

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #35 on: March 17, 2018, 03:42:29 PM »

Amelia makes it tough in every aspect of research it seems, for such a popular figure, it is difficult to find information.
Thus far, I have struck out in finding an extent hat once owned by Amelia, and any information in literature pertaining to a size mentioned,..will keep trying. Could any information be gleaned from the leather skull cap in Purdue; http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/earhart/id/28/rv/singleitem/ ...size inside, or possible measurements taken that would give a relatively close circumference of the famous head that once fit inside?
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #36 on: March 18, 2018, 10:43:08 AM »

Could any information be gleaned from the leather skull cap in Purdue; http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/earhart/id/28/rv/singleitem/ ...size inside, or possible measurements taken that would give a relatively close circumference of the famous head that once fit inside?

Maybe.  It would take another visit to Purdue.  I'll ask Richard Jantz if knowing the dimensions of the flying helmet would be useful.
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Jerry Germann

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #37 on: March 18, 2018, 12:31:47 PM »

I am thinking if we could pin down the same location Earhart placed this skull cap/helmet onto her head during photos, ....and if the skull cap/helmet could be placed onto something like a wig holder shape, or other head shaped object (adjustable mannequin head?) and measured there, it may be pretty close to what Earhart's head circumference may have been. Donations needed for trip?
« Last Edit: March 18, 2018, 04:32:29 PM by Jerry Germann »
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #38 on: March 18, 2018, 12:35:43 PM »

Let's see what Jantz has to say.
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #39 on: March 18, 2018, 04:44:17 PM »

Richard says,
"Funny about the helmet. I was just wondering if some sort of head gear existed. I think we should try it. There will be some estimation. Head length would have been taken from just above the nasal notch (glabella), the most prominent part of the lower forehead. The posterior point is the one most distant from it. I think the helmet would be above glabella, and in the back would have  been below the max length point. Maybe there is a side view photo of her wearing the helmet so we could estimate about where that max point would  be on the helmet. Maybe the easiest, at the out set, is to get the circumference. We can estimate circumference from the skull. There will be a lot of estimation,  but I think it is worth a shot."

So there's the first mission.  Let's find a good side view of her wearing this helmet.  Purdue dates it to 1932 so it's probably associated with the solo Atlantic flight.
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Jim Zanella

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #40 on: March 18, 2018, 06:54:27 PM »

Be aware that human head shape varies by ethnicity. I am an avid motorycle rider and through the years have bought many helmets. Shoei motorcyle helmets inside shape are made for Asian head shapes which tend more to flatter with respect to the foreheads than the common Europeans. I always ended up with a red pressure point on my forehead after a long ride. I finally went to Aria helmets which are designed for the more peaky forehead of the europeans and no red dot.
Just an observation.
Jim
« Last Edit: March 18, 2018, 07:22:29 PM by Jim Zanella »
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Jerry Germann

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #41 on: March 19, 2018, 11:33:50 AM »

That's great news, concerning the attempt to discover the circumference of Amelia's head, and having Dr Jantz on board with the attempt to compare the two (or one) skulls with each other.
I was trying to go through the papers presented by both sides of the argument of the Niku bones, and found it difficult to access the Cross/Wright paper without paying for it or signing up for an account... I found this free link that may be of help to others in comparing.

https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10454/7286/cross_nikumaroro_bones_journal_of_archaeological_sciences.pdf

 From Ric, "All three papers - Jantz's, mine, and Tom King's are in the new TIGHAR Tracks. Members who get it as a PDF already have theirs.  The paper journal will go out early next week, but we've put the three papers plus the infamous Cross/Wright critique on the TIGHAR website at https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/BonesForensicAnalysis/BonesForensicAnalysis.html

Will begin a search for cap photos....I found one with Harpo Marx and Amelia, in which the hat she holds in her hand is positioned so as to see the inside brim ( though a bit mis-shapen) ...and was wondering if Jeff Glickman could use her fingers to help scale it. Scale taken from her ink blot hand print. Also looked in the Luke field inventory and found the pith helmet mentioned, and the critical past video; http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675063657_Amelia-Earhart-Putnam_Fred-Noonan_transatlantic-flight_Fred-Noonan shows Putnam jokingly putting the helmet on Earhart, but no sizes mentioned, but it is also positioned at times to see the inside brim.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2018, 12:00:24 PM by Jerry Germann »
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Ric Gillespie

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #42 on: March 19, 2018, 01:23:39 PM »

found it difficult to access the Cross/Wright paper without paying for it

The Cross/Wright paper is on the TIGHAR website along with Jantz's paper, my paper, and Tom King's paper.
https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/BonesForensicAnalysis/BonesForensicAnalysis.html
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Steve Oster

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #43 on: March 19, 2018, 07:30:02 PM »

So there's the first mission.  Let's find a good side view of her wearing this helmet.  Purdue dates it to 1932 so it's probably associated with the solo Atlantic flight.

Purdue University Amelia Earhart Collection lists a leather helmet as part of the collection on page 41 of the pdf file:

PERSONAL BELONGINGS
Gavel in appreciation of AE’s visit to the Oakland, California Chapter of the National
Aeronautic Association, September 25, 1928 [metal wings plaque attached]
Flight suit worn on the 1932 solo Atlantic flight [Grenfell brown cloth, made in England]
Slacks worn on the 1932 solo Atlantic flight
Suede jacket worn on 1932 solo Atlantic flight, Abercrombie & Fitch, medium brown leather,
six buttons with two side pockets, ca. 1930s
Leather helmet worn on the 1932 solo Atlantic flight

Seems like it may be available for the asking.

http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/fa/pdf/earhart.pdf
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Steve Oster

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Re: Amelia Earhart and the Nikumaroro Bones - Richard Jantz
« Reply #44 on: March 19, 2018, 07:48:37 PM »

Here's a link to the Pudue Collection that shows Amelia in helmet and flight gear.  Reportedly in Boston ca. March 18, 1928.  The link will take you to a high resolution copy of the photograph; looks easy to get some measurements here.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/earhart/id/533/rec/6

And here's a link to a photo of the 1932 leather helmet in the Pudue Collection.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/earhart/id/28/rec/2

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