Lately with Lucy

For my Unessay I chose to create a blog using Wix, an application that allows one to make their own website. This option was my third idea. I had initially planned to work with Anna Volanth and create a Guess Who boardgame. The plan was to have a different hominin on every card. The problem I ran into was that some of the renderings presented the same picture. If you’ve played this board game, you know that two of the same picture would pose a problem. We then discussed creating TikToks showing recipes and the evolution of diets, but I felt this would be costly and overlap may occur. Many ate nuts, fruits, and plants, and recipes can’t get that complex with those ingredients. I was also worried about accuracy, because the fruits I have access to may not be representative of what early hominins ate. I then decided to do a blog on my own. The idea popped into my head and I thought it would be fun and I could be somewhat creative. I also really enjoy following bloggers or social media personalities. I often see gift guides during the holiday season and thought it would be fun to make one that was relatable to Lucy. I chose to do Lucy specifically because she is well known. I also thought it would be easier to do it from her perspective, rather than just talking about Australopithecus afarensis in general.

 

I felt that the “About section” was pretty self explanatory. It was generic and didn’t include a ton of information. The image on the top of the home page is of Hadar in Ethiopia, which is a dig site where Lucy was found. It also mentions Donald Johanson and Tom Gray, Johanson’s graduate student. I included them because they were the ones who found Lucy’s remains and are mentioned in most, if not all, of the articles about Lucy. The rest was a short summary and introduction, similar to what I have seen on other bloggers’ websites. I also wrote three blog posts, two of which were more straightforward and one that was more creative. 

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Both “My Rise to Fame...and My Decline” and “Lucy: More than a Skeleton” were straight forward. They contained a lot of facts about Lucy, her bones and what they tell anthropologists, and some general information about Australopithecus afarensis. Rather than just listing facts though, I attempted to write it more in the style of a story or a blogger. My other blog, “Holiday Gift Guide” was an attempt to give the website a more “blog feel.” They are so common on Instagram or other social media platforms, so I tried to create one for Lucy. These items are clearly a stretch, but I tried to make some logical connections. Many bloggers post clothing items for holiday parties or to give as gifts, so I tried to create an outfit as well. However, I chose to pick an outfit from Zara kids because of Lucy’s height. She was only 3 feet 5 inches and would not fit into the clothes at the stores I shop at. I thought buying from a kids store was the perfect way to highlight her height but still make the page fun and aesthetically pleasing. Next I chose to include a bowl and a charcuterie board to highlight the diet of Australopithecus afarensis. It included fruits, seeds, nuts, and sometimes small lizards. Charcuterie boards are very “in” right now, and many of the foods this species ate go on these types of boards (except substitute salami for the lizard). These foods are also great in a salad or mixed together in a bowl. Bloggers often post a gift guide for a person that’s hard to shop for, and I wanted to include this category. I figured Spotify was the perfect giftcard because I could mention the song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Maybe if there was more evidence of Australopithecus afarensis using stone tools I would have mentioned Home Depot or Lowes! The fourth item, a toothbrush, was an excuse to mention Lucy’s ruptured molars, which were important in determining her age. Lastly, the hair care products were picked because the rendering of Lucy has short black hair. I thought it was a good way of highlighting her features and putting a modern spin on it.  Overall, I think the blog allowed me to put a creative spin on a lot of important information about Lucy and Australopithecus afarensis.