64th Annual STS (2004-2005)
Finalists
Lyra Creamer Haas

ILLINOIS
Lyra Creamer Haas, 17, of Wheaton, studied the characteristics of ancient textiles unearthed in the Norte Chico Region of Peru for her Intel Science Talent Search project in behavioral and social sciences. While working as a crew chief at an archeological site north of Lima, Lyra sought to discover a way to determine the inhabitation dates of preceramic sites (3000-1800 B.C.) without using radiocarbon dating techniques. By analyzing fabric swatches found in the area, Lyra developed a way to categorize them using the yarn's twining type, twist direction and the direction in which each warp yarn was plyed. Her resulting checklist allows researchers to identify the time period for civilizations in the region. Lyra has presented her research at the American Junior Academy session at AAAS. At the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Lyra was MVP of the JV soccer team and captain of the varsity cross-country team. She was selected as a peer counselor by her classmates and enjoys Greek, Roman and medieval philosophy. Lyra, who has perfect SATs, is the daughter of Dr. Jonathan Haas and Dr. Winifred Creamer. She hopes to attend Yale and study anthropology.