Archaeology Books

Book SynopsisA growing number of archaeologists are applying Geographic Information Science (GIS) technologies to their research problems and questions. Advances in GIS and its use across disciplines allows for collaboration and enables archaeologists to ask ever more sophisticated questions and develop increasingly elaborate models on numerous aspects of past human behavior. Least cost analysis (LCA) is one such avenue of inquiry. While least cost studies are not new to the social sciences in general, LCA is relatively new to archaeology, and, until now, there has been no systematic exploration of its use within the field. This edited volume presents a series of case studies illustrating the intersection of archaeology and LCA modeling at the practical, methodological, and theoretical levels. Designed to be a guidebook for archaeologists interested in using LCA in their own research, it presents a wide cross-section of practical examples for both novices and experts. The contributors to the volume showcase the richness and diversity of LCA’s application to archaeological questions, demonstrate that even simple applications can be used to explore sophisticated research questions, and highlight the challenges that come with injecting geospatial technologies into the archaeological research process.Trade Review“Very significant. Scholarly contributions like this book will move archaeology rapidly into a new paradigm, beyond processualism and post-processualism, and into an identity of its own.”—Douglas C. Comer, author of Ritual Ground: Bent’s Old Fort, World Formation, and the Annexation of the SouthwestTable of Contents 1. An Introduction to the Least Cost Analysis of Social Landscapes Sarah L. Surface-Evans and Devin A. WhitePart 1: Traditional Applications of Existing Methods 2. Using Least Cost Path Analysis to Reinterpret Late Upper Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherer Procurement Zones in Northern Spain John D. Rissetto 3. Connecting the Dots: Least Cost Analysis, Paleogeography, and the Search for Paleoindian Sites in Southern Highland PeruKurt Rademaker, David A. Reid, and Gordon R. M. Bromley 4. Wandering the Desert: Least Cost Path Modeling for Water Transport Trails in the Jornada Mogollon Region, Fort Bliss, South-Central New MexicoShaun M. Phillips and Phillip O. Leckman 5. A Method for Multiple Cost-Surface Evaluation of a Model of Fort Ancient InteractionKevin C. Nolan and Robert A. CookPart 2: Nontraditional Applications of Existing Methods 6. Walking and Watching: New Approaches to Reconstructing Cultural Landscapes through Space Syntax AnalysisErin J. Hudson 7. Social Interaction at the Maya Site of CopÁn, Honduras: A Least Cost Approach to Configurational AnalysisHeather Richards-Rissetto 8. Cost Catchments: A Least Cost Application for Modeling Hunter-Gatherer Land UseSarah L. Surface-EvansPart 3: Custom Applications and Emerging Methods Modeling the Consequences of Village Site Location: Least Cost Path Modeling in a Coupled GIS and Agent-Based Model of Village Agropastoralism in Eastern Spain Isaac I. Ullah and Sean M. Bergin No Crows Made Mounds: Do Cost-Distance Calculations of Travel Time Improve Our Understanding of Southern Appalachian Polity Size? Patrick Livingood Prehistoric Trail Networks of the Western PapaguerÍa: A Multifaceted Least Cost Graph Theory Analysis Devin A. WhitePart 4: Constructive Criticisms and Theoretical Discussions Seven Solutions for Seven Problems with Least Cost Pathways Scott Branting Realism, Reality, and Routes: Evaluating Cost-Surface and Cost-Path AlgorithmsJohn Kantner Least Cost Pathway Analysis in Archaeological Research: Approaches and UtilityDavid G. Anderson List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisEnvironmental conditions clearly influenced the cultural development of societies in the Intermountain West, but how did interactions with neighbors living along the region’s borders affect a society’s growth and advancement, its cultural integrity, and its long-term survival? Relationships among different societies are, of course, crucial to the spread of information, innovation, and belief systems; to the maintenance of exchange and mating networks; and to the forging of ethnic identity. In these ways and others, intergroup relationships can be as strong a force in shaping a society’s identity and future as are local social and economic dynamics. Meeting at the Margins focuses on the ways in which different societies in the Intermountain West profoundly influenced each other’s histories throughout the more than fourteen millennia of prehistoric occupation. Historically, inhabitants of this region frequently interacted with more than forty different groups—neighbors who spoke some two dozen different languages and maintained diverse economies. The contributors to this volume demonstrate that in the prehistoric Intermountain West, as elsewhere throughout the world, intergroup interactions were pivotal for the dynamic processes of cultural cohesion, differentiation, and change, and they affirm the value of a long-term, large-scale view of prehistory.Trade Review“The idea for and concept behind the volume is innovative and timely.”—Steven Simms, author of Traces of Fremont: Society and Rock Art in Ancient Utah (The University of Utah Press, 2010) "An important strength of this volume is the range of approaches brought to bear on the topic of regional interaction. The book is an important volume that contributes significantly to our knowledge and understanding of Great Basin prehistory."—Journal of Anthropological Research

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Book SynopsisThe Athapaskan departure from the Canadian Subarctic centuries ago and their subsequent arrival in the American Southwest has remained the subject of continuous debate in anthropological research. This book examines archaeological, genetic, linguistic, and traditional oral history data and brings them together in fresh ways, in many cases for the first time. With a backdrop of these new and interrelated lines of evidence, each subfield must now reevaluate its approach and the forms of evidence it uses to construct arguments. The contributors here include the most knowledgeable scholars in each of the above fields, collectively providing the most up-to-date research on early Athapaskans and their movements and migrations. Each chapter approaches Athapaskan migration with data obtained from different regions, providing clarity as to the basis for individual arguments. Often, entrenched regional visualizations and localized conventions are clarified only when placed in juxtaposition to those of other regions. Because of this, conclusions rest on sometimes widely divergent theoretical and methodological underpinnings, thus expressing preference for and conveying weight to certain types of evidence and lines of reasoning. The goal of this volume is to expose these arguments in order to clarify appropriate directions for future research, making advances possible.Trade Review“Provides a ‘state-of-the-knowledge’ overview of research on Athapaskan origins and migrations that will serve as a point of reference and departure for future research on the subject.”—William L. Merrill, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution “A set of lively, deeply informed, and current examinations... All of these essays are worth the close attention of anyone interested not only in the anthropology and history of the American Southwest but also in the worldwide debate about explanations of spread languages and in explanations for how science advances.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “The most comprehensive, and latest, word on a topic that has intrigued anthropologists for more than a century. Seymour has done a yeoman’s job of seamlessly integrating papers and creating a volume that will be a significant contribution for the next decade and beyond.”—American AntiquityTable of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables 1. Athapaskan Migrations, Mobility,and Ethnogenesis: AnIntroduction Deni J. Seymour 2. Apachean Archaeology of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, and the Colorado Front Range Robert H. Brunswig 3. Looking for Lovitt in All the Wrong Places: Migration Models and the Athapaskan Diaspora as Viewed from Eastern Colorado Kevin P. Gilmore and Sean Larmore 4. TierraBlanca: A Complex Issue David T. Hughes 5. Isolating a Pre-differentiation Athapaskan Assemblage in the Southern Southwest: The Cerro Rojo Complex Deni J. Seymour 6. Emergence of the Navajo People David M. Brugge 7. Navajo Emergence in Din\u00e9tah: Social Imaginary and Archaeology Douglas D. Dykeman and Paul Roebuck 8. We Do Not Forget We Remember: Mescalero Apache Origins and Migration as Reflected in Place Names David L. Carmichael and Claire R. Farrer 9. Finding and Not Finding Athapaskans in the Archaeological Record Using Percentage Stratigraphy Dale Walde 10. Variation in the Production of Ceramics by Athapaskans in the Western United States David V. Hill 11. DNA Evidence of a Prehistoric Athapaskan Migration from the Subarctic to the Southwest of North America Ripan S. Malhi 12. Linguistic Evidence Regarding the Apachean Migration Keren Rice 13. Apache Names in Spanish and Early Mexican Documents:What They Can Tell Us about the Early Contact Apache Dialect Situation Willem J. de Reuse 14. Southern Athapaskan Quotative Evidentials: A Discursive Areal Typology Anthony K. Webster 15. The Ancestral Chipewyan Became the Navajo and Apache: New Support for a Northwest Plains–Mountain Route to the American Southwest Bryan C. Gordon 16. Modeling Athapaskan Migrations Martin P. R. Magne 17. \u201cBig Trips\u201d and Historic Apache Movement and Interaction: Models for Early Athapaskan Migrations Deni J. Seymour 18. Issues in Athapaskan Prehistory Roy L. Carlson List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisPaleoindian Lifeways of the Cody Complex represents the first synthesis in the more than fifty year history of one of the most important Paleoindian cultural traditions in North America. Research on the Cody complex (~10,000–8,000 radiocarbon yrs B.P.) began in the 1940s; however, until now publications have focused almost exclusively on specific sites, issues of projectile point technology and typology, and bison hunting. This volume provides fresh perspectives and cutting-edge research that significantly increases our understanding of the Cody complex by focusing more squarely on the human behaviors that created the archaeological record, rather than on more strictly technical aspects of the artifactsand faunal remains. The Cody complex extends from the central Canadian plains to the Gulf of Mexico and from Nevada to the eastern Great Lakes—making it second only to Clovis in geographical expanse. Across this broad geographic distribution, the contributors address hunter-gatherer adaptive strategies from diverse ecosystems at the onset of the Holocene, which will also make it of interest to human ecologists and paleoenvironmental researchers. Paleoindian Lifeways of the Cody Complex provides an innovative synthesis of a well-known but little-studied cultural tradition that opens the door for a new generation of exciting research.Trade Review“Presents new information and a synthesis not available anywhere else. No other compendium of Cody data exists, and the volume presents the most current data available on the subject. It contributes greatly to our knowledge of a time period that has been without much coverage and that has no synthesis available.”—Mary Lou Larson, coeditor of Hell Gap: A Stratified Paleoindian Campsite at the Edge of the Rockies (The University of Utah Press, 2009) “This volume represents the most current and comprehensive compilation of data on a historically well-known, but poorly understood archaeological tradition.... I commend the editors for rounding up this group of researchers and putting this work together. Compiling an edited volume is pretty much the academic equivalent of trying to herd cats. This attempt to focus on the behavioral aspects of the Cody archaeological record is a step in the right direction toward a better understanding of this highly dynamic, flexible, and wide-ranging culture.”—Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology Book Reviews “Readers will find that the volume thus reflects the kinds of questions that are being posed by contemporary Paleoindian researchers and they will see how rich the ever-growing empirical record of the Cody Complex truly is. The volume is carefully edited and integrated, with chapters that are well written and nicely illustrated.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “Fills a much-needed void in the literature, providing a compilation of previous and ongoing research into a unique cultural and paleoenvironmental period of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region.”—Great Plains Research Table of ContentsList of FiguresList Of TablesI - The Cody Complex1. Introducing The Cody Complex - Edward J. Knell and Mark P. MuÑizII - Cody Complex Environment and Faunal Context2. Paleoenvironmental Change and Cultural Ecology of The Cody Complex on the Great Plains and Adjacent Rocky Mountains - Mark P. MuÑiz3. Evolution of the High Plains Paleoindian Landscape: The Paleoecology of Great Plains Faunal Assemblages - Chris Widga4. Sticking It to the Bison: Exploring Variation in Cody Bison Bonebeds - Matthew E. Hill Jr.III - The Cody Complex In Site And Regional Context5. Cody Complex Land Use in Western North Dakota and Southern Saskatchewan - Matthew J. Root, Edward J. Knell, and Jeb Taylor6. A Review of The Cody Complex in Alberta - Robert J. Dawe7. Cody in the Rockies: The Mountain Expression of a Plains Culture Complex - Matthew E. Hill Jr. and Edward J. Knell8. Way Out West: Cody Complex Occupations from the Northwestern Great Basin - Daniel S. AmickIV - Modeling Cody Complex Lifeways and Reevaluating The Cody Complex as an Archaeological Construct9. Cody Complex Land Use Organization on the Northwestern Great Plains - Edward J. Knell10. Managing Risk on the Western Plains During The Cody Complex - Mark P. MuÑiz11. The Scottsbluff Bison Quarry Site: Its Place in The Cody Complex - Ruthann KnudsonV - Perspectives On The Cody Complex12. A Cody Future: Comments - Douglas B. BamforthAppendix: Cody Site Summary for AlbertaList of ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisThe American Southwest is characterised by environmentally and culturally diverse landscapes, which include the northern Rio Grande valley as it cuts through north-central New Mexico from Taos to Albuquerque. The region has a long and rich history of anthropological research primarily focused on the archaeological remains found along this valley corridor. Only recently has research involving large-scale surveys and excavations been conducted on the nearby mesas and mountains that form the rugged margins of the river valley. From Mountain Top to Valley Bottom incorporates this new research into a perspective that links the ever-changing and complementary nature of lowland and upland land use.The essays in this collection are unified by three specific themes: landscape, movement, and technology. Landscape involves the ecological backdrop of the northern Rio Grande valley, including past and present environments. Movement refers to the positioning of people across the landscape along with the dynamic and fluid nature with which people—past and present—view their relationship with the “above” and “below.” Technology not only refers to the tools and facilities that past people may have used but to the organisation of labour needed to cooperatively exploit a variety of subsistence resources and the exchange of products across the region. This volume provides both a cross section of current research from expert scholars and a broad perspective that seeks to integrate new data from lowland and upland contexts. From Mountain Top to Valley Bottom will appeal to those interested in obsidian source studies, geoarchaeology, past climatic regimes, foraging societies, early agriculture, ceramic technology, subsistence, early village formation, ethnogenesis, and historic multiethnic economies.Trade Review“Brings a wide range of specialties commenting on a single region into a single volume. It covers thousands of years of human occupation in the Northern Rio Grande and spans an array of specialties.”—Michael Adler, author of The Prehistoric Pueblo World, A.D. 1150–1350 “This volume illustrates the richness of the Northern Rio Grande archaeological record, the rapidly expanding database being built by a large number of excellent archaeologists working in the region, and the fascinating debates on fundamental interpretations that result.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “[This volume] is especially helpful as an example of a regional overview that synthesizes available data, addresses important research questions, identifies data gaps, and helps develop hypotheses for future research in Utah.”—Utah ArchaeologyTable of ContentsList of FiguresList of TablesForeword by Severin M. FowlesIntroductionBradley J. VierraPart I/Landscape1. The Geochemistry and Archaeological Petrology of Volcanic Raw Materials in Northern New Mexico: Obsidian and Dacite Sources in Upland and Lowland Contexts, M. Steven Shackley2. Surficial Processes and Preservation of Ancestral Puebloan Archaeological Sites on the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico, Paul G. Drakos and Steven L. Reneau3. Dendroclimatologic Reconstructions of Precipitation for the Northern Rio Grande, Ronald H. Towner and Mathew W. SalzerPart II/Movement4. The Cultural Ecology of Jemez Cave, Richard I. Ford5. Transitional Archaic and Emergent Agricultural Settlement in the Lowland-Upland Settings of the Northern Rio Grande, New Mexico, Stephen S. Post6. Ecological Uncertainly and Organizational Flexibility on the Prehistoric Tewa Landscape: Notes from the Northern Frontier, Samuel Duwe and Kurt F. Anschuetz7. Living it Up: Upland Adaptation and High Altitude Occupation by the Gallina along the Continental Divide, J. Michael Bremer and Denver Burns8. Upland-Lowland Corridors and Historic Jicarilla Apache Settlement in the Northern Rio Grande, B.Sunday EiseltPart III/Technology9. Archaic Foraging Technology and Land-use in the Northern Rio Grande, Bradley J. Vierra10. The Gradual Development of Systems of Pottery Production and Distribution Across Northern Rio Grande Landscapes, C. Dean Wilson11. From the Land of the Little Birds to the Valleys of the White Rock, Tewa, Galisteo, Rio Grande and Santa Fe Rivers: Diet and Subsistence Meet the Challenges of a Changing Environment, Pamela J. McBride and Mollie S. Toll12. Northern Rio Grande Faunal Exploitation: A View from the Pajarito Plateau, the Tewa Basin and Beyond, Nancy J. Akins13. Discussion: Landscape, Movement and Technology in the Northern Rio Grande, Timothy A. KohlerList of ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisArchaeology in the Great Basin and Southwest is a compilation of papers by friends and colleagues that honour Don D. Fowler. The volume encompasses the breadth and depth of Fowler’s work in archaeology and sister disciplines with original scholarship on the human past of the arid west. Included are theoretical, methodological, and empirical papers that synthesize and present fresh perspectives on Great Basin and Southwest archaeology and cover a sweep of topics from Paleoindian research to collaboration with Native Americans. Fowler has continually reminded scholars that to understand the past we must know how the local and specific is regionally and transculturally contextualized, how what we know came to be recognised, studied, and interpreted—in short, how the past still affects the present—and how regional and topical archaeology is part of a disciplinary endeavour that is as concerned with rigorous and inclusive knowledge production as it is with site description and cultural syntheses.Readers will learn about the nature of archaeological careers, how archaeology has been conceptualized and conducted, the strengths and limitations of past and present approaches, and the institution building and political processes in which archaeologists engage. Contributors posit new thoughts designed to stimulate new lines of research and reflect on the state of our current knowledge about a wealth of topics. Each paper asks four questions about what Great Basin and southwestern archaeologists currently know: Where have we been? Where are we now? What do we still need to learn? Where are we going? This comprehensive volume will be of interest to those practicing or teaching archaeology and to students seeking to understand the intricacies of Great Basin and Southwest archaeology.Trade Review“A significant contribution. This is the only volume that I know of that presents up-to-date analyses, discussion, and syntheses of the archaeology of the Great Basin and the Southwest in one place.”—Barbara J. Mills, University of Arizona “Don Fowler’s career in archaeology spans more than 50 years, but that impressive figure does not express its remarkable breadth: the archaeology of the Great Basin and Southwest, rock art, collections-based and archival research, legislation to protect archaeological resources, the creation of non-profits and endowments to promote research and stewardship, the history of archaeology, the promotion of good relations between archaeologists and Native Americans, and more. The papers in this volume testify to the breadth of Don’s career, and duly honor someone who often worked behind the scenes to help shape western archaeology into the field it is today.”—Robert L. Kelly, University of WyomingTable of ContentsList of FiguresList of TablesPart 1/Introducing Don D. Fowler1. Honoring Don D. Fowler: An Introdction Nancy J. Parezo and Joel C. Janetski2. Don D. Fowler, Archaeologist C. Melvin Aikens3. Don Fowler and the Glen Canyon Project: Formative Experiences William D. LipePart 2/Case Studies and Regional Syntheses4. West of the Plains: PaleoIndian in the Southwest Bruce B. Huckell5. The Earliest Stemmed Points of the Intermountain West: Making a Long Story Short Ted Goebel and Joshua L. Keene6. Moving into the Mid-Holocene: The Paleoarchaic/Archaic Transition in the Intermountain West. Appendix. Sites with Cultural Radiocarbon Dates ranging between 10,000 and 6000 rcy BP. George T. Jones and Charlotte Beck7. Points on a Continuum: Three Sites in a Middle Archaic Settlement System in the Western Great Basin D. Craig Young8. Foragers, Farmers, and In Between: Variability in the Late Archaic of Southern Arizona Barbara J. Roth9. The Later Prehistory of the Great Basin and the Southwest: Thinking about Fremont Stephen H. Lekson10. Fremont Social Organization: A Southwestern Perspective Joel C. Janetski and Richard K. Talbot11. Alta Toquima: Why Did People Spend Summers at 11,000 Feet? David Hurst Thomas12. Resolving the Promontory Culture Enigma John W. Ives13. Rock Art’s Half Century and More: Research in the Great Basin and the Northern Southwest. Polly Schaafsma14. Some Thoughts on Evolution, Ecology, and Archaeology in the Great Basin Steven R. Simms, James F. O’Connell, and Kevin T. JonesPart 3/Specialty Studies in Social and Historical Contexts15. Eight Decades Eating Dust: A History of Archaeological Research at Danger Cave David B. Madsen16. Long-Term Continuity and Change in Obsidian Conveyance at Danger Cave, Utah. Appendix. Trace Element Composition, Stratigraphic Occurrence, and Obsidian Source Attributions. Richard Hughes17. Naming the Desert Bighorn David Rhode18. When the Elders Speak, Just Listen Heidi Roberts19. Archaeology, Legitimacy, and the Contemporary Native Nation MarÍa Nieves ZedeÑo20. Microcosm and Macrocosm in Southwestern Archaeology David R. Wilcox21. The Role of Nonprofit Organizations in Southwestern Archaeology William H. Doelle22. The Evolution of Historical Archaeology in the American West Donald L. Hardesty and Eugene Hattori23. Origins of an Archaeological Tree-ring Data Set: Flagstaff Area, Northeastern Arizona Richard V. N. Ahlstrom and Christopher Downum24. An Embarrassment of Riches: Tree-Ring Dating, the History of Archaeology, and the Interpretation of Pre-Columbian History at Mesa Verde National Park Stephen E. Nash and Nina Rogers25. In Praise of Collections Research: Basketmaker Roots of Chacoan Ritual Practices Laurie Webster, Linda Cordell, Kelley Hays-Gilpin, and Edward JolieList of ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisSometimes childhood events can shape a person’s destiny. Such was the case for George Frison. His father’s accidental death meant that Frison was raised by his grandparents, thus experiencing life on a ranch instead of the small town childhood he otherwise would have had. He was fascinated by the wealth of prehistoric artifacts on the ranch; eventually, this interest prompted him to change his life’s course at age thirty-seven.In this memoir, Frison shares his work and his atypical journey from rancher to professor and archaeologist. Herding cattle, chopping watering holes in sub-zero weather, and guiding hunters in the fall were very different than teaching classes, performing laboratory work, and attending faculty and committee meetings in air-conditioned buildings. But his practical and observational experience around both domestic and wild animals proved a valuable asset to his research. His knowledge of specific animal behaviours added insight to his studies of the Paleoindians of the Northern Plains as he sought to understand how their stone tools were used most effectively for hunting and how bison jumps, mammoth kills, and sheep traps actually worked. Frison’s careful research and strong involvement in the scholarly and organisational aspects of archaeology made him influential not only as an authority on the prehistory of the Northern Plains but also as a leader in Wyoming archaeology and North American archaeology at large.This book will appeal to both the professional and the lay reader with interests in archaeology, anthropology, paleontology, plains history, animal science, hunting, or game management. Frison’s shift from ranching to academic archaeology serves as a reminder that you are never too old to change your life.Trade Review"Although focused on the High Plains, the book tells much about how good dirt and analytical archaeology ought to get done anywhere." –Don D. Fowler, Mamie Kleberg Professor of Historic Preservation and Anthropology Emeritus, University of Nevada, Reno "George Frison is one of the leading prehistorians (if not the leading prehistorian) who has worked on the northern Plains, and his influence extends well beyond the limits of his geographical expertise. Frison elevated the study of prehistoric hunting technology, notably among Paleoindians, to a rarefied behavioral and even theoretical level." –J. M. Adovasio, Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute “Rancher Archaeologist does not disappoint and will appeal to avocational and professional archaeologists, as well as historians, ecologists, game managers and big game hunters and the lay public....The book goes far beyond a personal story. It is simultaneously a chronology of High Plains prehistory and an account of the evolving discipline of archaeology in Wyoming in particular and North America in general.”—Canadian Journal of Archaeology “George Frison’s autobiography is a good read and one that should be digested by all students, as well as professionals, with an interest in the prehistory of the Upper/Northern Plains and Paleo-Indian archaeology. The volume is not just an interesting personal biography of one of American archaeology’s giant figures, but is a tour de force on the archaeology of the Upper Plains. . . . The book should be on the shelf of every Plains archaeologist and anybody involved in the study of the prehistoric hunting technologies for which Frison is so well known.”—Southwestern Lore

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Book SynopsisAuthor Tammy Stone focuses on a number of general deliberations on the archaeology of middle-range society and the prehistory of the American Southwest. This includes the complex dynamics of migration, identity, ethnic interaction, and the ability of archaeologists to identify these patterns in the archaeological record. The integration and ultimate expulsion of a group of Kayenta Anasazi at Point of Pines Pueblo in the Mogollon Highlands of east-central Arizona provides a case study and location where these themes played out. Stone uses a detailed architectural analysis of the pueblo to attain a nuanced and dynamic understanding of migration from the perspective of both the Kayenta migrants and their Mogollon hosts. By examining the choices that individuals, families, and small groups made about identity and alliance from the perspective of both the migrants and host community—the latter being an aspect often missing from analyses of migration—this volume provides never-before-published data on Point of Pines Pueblo and contributes considerably to the study of community dynamics at large.Trade Review“A significant contribution to the literature on Southwest prehistory that will also be of use to archaeologists working in other parts of the world where migrations occurred.” —Barbara Roth, Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas “Stone is to be commended for bringing the archaeology of Point of Pines Pueblo to the attention of a wider audience. Parsing the social, spatial, and temporal complexities of small-scale population movements in middle-range societies is no small challenge; well-documented case studies like Point of Pines Pueblo offer unusually detailed windows into these past events.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “Stone’s perspective on the importance of social, spatial, and temporal distance and her emphasis on host-migration interactions in particular should inspire new research to better understand the drivers of social change or continuity in contexts of migration using a diverse array of material cultural data.”—American Antiquity

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Book SynopsisThe Mesa Verde region is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and is an area fraught with complexities, anomalies, and layers of histories. Sushi in Cortez is a collection of essays by an interdisciplinary group of academics, artists, and cultural observers that explores this diverse landscape and heritage by combining and sharing the differing perspectives provided by various disciplines. Poetry, film, environmental philosophy, nature photography, native Pueblo perspectives, and archaeology are used to touch on the common questions people ask about the value of their work and lives as well as the value of visiting ancient sites such as Mesa Verde. The authors share personal stories about the difficulties, joys, confusions, and epiphanies they experienced as they crossed the boundaries of their professional lives, coming to understand how incomplete any single rendition of place can be.Trade Review“We are brought into the world of sharing, humor, humility and exploration that transcends the traditional limitations of academic or scholarly work. Given the recent interest in interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary work, this book has the potential to fill a real niche.” —Sylvia D. Torti, dean of the Honors College and assistant research professor of biology, University of Utah “The volume would be very effective for all incoming college freshmen. It would create a platform for discussion of what happens intellectually as one trains to become a professional in any field, and for discussion of the pros and cons of this kind of professionalization.” —Shirley Powell, vice president of programs, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center “I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the joys and the challenges of truly interdisciplinary work. Sushi in Cortez is creative, provocative, and wise. It deserves a wide readership among all who care about conversations across intellectual, professional, and personal walls.” --David George Haskell, author of the Pulitzer finalist, The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch In Nature

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Book SynopsisBehavioral archaeology, defined as the study of people-object interactions in all times and places, emerged in the 1970s, in large part because of the innovative work of Michael Schiffer and colleagues. This volume provides an overview of how behavioral archaeology has evolved and how it has affected the field of archaeology at large.The contributors to this volume are Schiffer’s former students, from his first doctoral student to his most recent. This generational span has allowed for chapters that reflect Schiffer’s research from the 1970s to 2012. They are iconoclastic and creative and approach behavioral archaeology from varied perspectives, including archaeological inference and chronology, site formation processes, prehistoric cultures and migration, modern material culture variability, the study of technology, object agency, and art and cultural resources. Broader questions addressed include models of inference and definitions of behavior, study of technology and the causal performances of artifacts, and the implications of artifact causality in human communication and the flow of behavioral history.Trade Review“Well written, accessible, and current. The papers included here attest to the fact that behavioral archaeology is still very much alive and well. A welcome contribution to the general field of archaeology.”—Michael J. O’Brien, professor of anthropology, University of Missouri; coauthor of I’ll Have What She’s Having: Mapping Social Behavior

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Book SynopsisThe study of the last remaining Ute wickiups, or brush shelters, along with the historic artifacts found with them has revealed an understudied chapter of Native American history—the early years of contact with European invaders and the final years of Ute sovereignty. Ephemeral Bounty is the result of this archaeological research and its findings on the protohistoric and early historic Ute Indians of Colorado. The Colorado Wickiup Project is documenting ephemeral wooden features such as wickiups, tree-platforms, and brush horse corrals that remain scattered throughout the mesas, canyons, and mountains of the state. They date from the arrival of European newcomers. The project is unique in using the techniques of metal detection, historic trade ware analysis, and tree-ring dating of metal ax–cut wickiup poles to distinguish the Ute sites from historic Euro–American ones. Researchers have demonstrated that not all Utes left Colorado for the reservations in Utah during the “final removal” in 1881, as has been generally believed. A significant number remained on their homelands well into the early decades of the twentieth century, with new tools and weapons, but building brush shelters and living much as they had for generations.Trade Review“A wealth of new data, written in a relaxed and readable style.” —Michael Metcalf, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. “The study adds an important component to the late cultural history of the Colorado Utes, one that has almost escaped notice by white documentarians. It also provides a blueprint for the study of wickiups and related timber structures, one that has been honed by the team’s long-standing investigation in the field and that may be applied from Alaska to Patagonia—anywhere that people have built shelters at high altitudes.”—W. Raymond Wood, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Missouri and author of A White-Bearded PlainsmanTable of ContentsList of FiguresList of TablesAcknowledgmentsPrologue1. The Colorado Wickiup Project: Investigation of the Rarest and Most Fragile of Native American Sites2. A Safer World in Woods Embraced: Ute Origins and Culture History3. Ephemeral Bounty: The Golden Years of the Protohistoric Era 4. Gimme Shelter: Aboriginal Wooden Features5. Field Methodology for Expedient Wooden Feature Sites6. Dating Aboriginal Wooden Features7. The Decker Big Tank Wickiup Village8. The Pisgah Wickiup Village9. The Ute Hunters’ Camp10. Disappointment Draw Lodge11. Musick Lodge12. The Tea House Wickiup13. Future Directions and Proposed ResearchEpilogue Appendix A. Tree-Ring Dating Results from the Colorado Wickiup ProjectAppendix B. The Aboriginal Wooden Feature Component Form: Samples of Blank and Filled-Out FormsAppendix C. Quantifiable Aspects of the Colorado Wickiup Project’s Wooden FeaturesAppendix D. Consultation with Ute Tribal Members at the Tea House Wickiup ReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisCeramic petrography, the microscopic examination of the mineral content and structure within ceramic thin sections, reveals the origin and movement of pottery and sheds light on the technology of the artifact. Although used by archaeologists since the 1930s, ceramic petrography has been uncommon until recently. Integrative Approaches in Ceramic Petrography highlights new results from this field and incorporates it prominently within current archaeological work.Thirteen papers cover a broad spectrum of regional and temporal contexts. Case studies provide practicalexamples by combining petrography with scientific, ethnographic, and experimental methods. The varied usesof ceramic petrography and the insights it has generated illustrate the significance of this method for understandingpast societies.The volume’s conclusion provides an astute overview of the field.Trade Review“Advances the field by providing an anthology of different methodologies and different geographical areas.” —Leslie G. Cecil, associate professor of Anthropology, Stephen F. Austin State University “This groundbreaking volume with 15 contributions by 28 authors demonstrates the resurgence of ceramic petrographic analysis. Diverse essays geographically span the American Southwest to northern China, and 5,000 BCE-19th century CE. The introduction and final chapter summarize the status of current research. Essential, authoritative and compelling, this anthology emphasizes methodologies and new investigations elucidating broader anthropological questions.” —Charles C. Kolb, artifact identification consultant for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for the National Museum of Afghanistan

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Book SynopsisTrending upward as an archaeological field of study, protohistoric mobile groups provide fascinating new directions for cutting-edge research in the American Southwest and beyond. These mobile residents represent the ancient and ancestral roots of many modern indigenous peoples, including the Apaches, Jumano, Yavapai, and Ute. These important protohistoric and historic mobile people have tended to be ignored because their archaeological sites were deemed too difficult to identify, too scant to be worthy of study, and too different to incorporate. This book brings together information from a diverse collection of authors working throughout the American Southwest and its fringes to make the bold statement that these groups can be identified in the archaeological record and their sites have much to contribute to the study of cultural process, method and theory, and past lifeways. Mobile groups are integral for assessing the grand reorganisational events of the Late Prehistoric period and are key to understanding colonial contact and transformations.Trade Review“An excellent array of regional case studies spanning the Southwest, from the edge of the Great Plains to California. A consistent, scholarly sound, and very well-rounded volume.” —John Carpenter, profesor de Investigación Científica, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Centro Insituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Sonora “These essays provide insights into the activities of those often invisible groups whose presence bridged a cultural and temporal span between ‘prehistory’ and the leading edges of ‘history.’ Insofar as the Southwestern archaeological literature is concerned, this book stands alone.” —David H. Snow, former director and founder of Cross-Cultural Research Systems “This excellent book provides an array of information on late mobile societies in the American Southwest. Its most significant contribution, however, is bringing attention to a poorly documented and misunderstood part of the archaeological record—one that we should not continue to ignore.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “This collection of papers masterfully addresses the goals of the volume to define the archaeological correlates of mobile peoples and their social and economic roles in the protohistoric Southwest. In overthrowing the orthodoxy of Southwestern archaeology, Seymour and the many contributors to the volume demonstrate that the diversity of mobile peoples in the Southwest were not peripheral or of secondary importance to Puebloan groups.”—California Archaeology

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Book SynopsisThe Last House at Bridge River offers a comprehensive archaeological study of a single-house floor and roof deposit dated to approximately 1835–1858 C.E.Although the Fur Trade period of the nineteenth century was a time of significant change for aboriginal peoples in the Pacific Northwest, it is a period that is poorly understood. These studies of Housepit 54 at the Bridge River site offer new insights, revealing that ancestors of today’s St’át’imc people were actively engaged in maintaining traditional lifestyles and making the best of new opportunities for trade and intergroup interaction.Among its major contributions, the book includes a first-ever historical ecology of the Middle Fraser Canyon that places aboriginal and Euro-Canadian history in ecological context. It demonstrates that an integrated multidisciplinary approach to archaeological research can achieve insights well beyond what is known from the ethnographic and historical records. Because the project derives from a long-term partnership between the University of Montana and the Bridge River Indian Band, it illustrates the value of collaborations between archaeologists and First Nations. Together, contributors present a Fur Trade period aboriginal society at a level of intimacy unparalleled elsewhere.Trade Review“An excellent, important research publication with scholarly significance in the fields of indigenous history, historical archaeology, and Plateau and Northwest Coast cultural studies. It provides a model for thorough, high-resolution excavation and analytical techniques.” —Aron L. Crowell, Alaska director, Arctic Studies Center, Smithsonian Institution “The archaeology of the Fur Trade era has been approached for the most part from a Eurocentric perspective, so this book provides an important counterpoint that should be widely publicized. It adds a lot of detail and new data to interior Salish enthnohistorical archaeology. The content is unique and illuminating.” —Maria Nieves Zedeño, professor of anthropology, University of Arizona “I like several things about this book. It is a useful contribution to understanding processes of change in nineteenth century British Columbia, especially in the mid-Fraser River region. It significantly expands the scope of historic period archaeology in the province by focusing on First Nations, who have received scant previous attention. The book also provides a useful model for incorporating Indigenous frameworks into archaeological analyses and offers interesting data and insights for comparison.”—BCBookLook.com “This book is more than the sum of its parts. The amalgamation of many separate studies succeeds in giving the reader a very high-resolution picture of the contact-period occupation at Bridge River. Subject matter is well chosen and diverse…. The book breathes life into St’Át’imc society during a critical period in its history.” —Alaska Journal of Anthropology “The premise of the volume is unique, and the collaboration of many scholars (along with the participation of the descendant community) allows for the contribution of diverse theoretical perspectives and interpretations…. The methodological breadth on display across the different chapters will be useful for students and professionals looking for analytical inspiration.” —Pacific Northwest Quarterly

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Book SynopsisHidden away in the canyons of a highly restricted military base on the edge of the Mojave Desert is the largest concentration of rock art in North America, possibly in the world. Images of animals, shamans, and puzzling abstract forms were peckedand painted on stone over thousands of years by a now long-gone culture. Talking Stone: Rock Art of the Cosos is a multivocal investigation of this art. Acclaimed cinematographer Paul Goldsmith takes the reader on a visual journey through this limited access area with more than 160 stunningcolor photographs. The book is structured around Goldsmith’s treks into the remote desert canyons and his meetings with archaeologists, Native Americans, a psychologist, an artist, bow hunters, and the commanding officer in charge of the military base. The result is a visually striking book that gives the viewer a personal and visceral experience of this enigmatic art.Trade Review“This book does a lovely job of showing the range of variability in rock art in the Cosos and the setting for that rock art. The minimal text keeps the attention on the imagery and photos. One can take great pleasure in simply looking at the rock art.” —Amy Gilreath, Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. “This is a very personal take on the enigmatic rock art of the Coso Range. It’s a book built around images—spectacular pictures of some very sophisticated petroglyphs. The images tell the story.” —David Hurst Thomas, Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History “A visual delight. . . . Goldsmith supplements these photos with a narrative that is both personal and well informed. . . . The book will delight everyone with an interest in Native American rock art.”—American Archaeology

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Book SynopsisThe Plainview Paleoindian artifact style was first recognised in 1947, after numerous projectile points were found during excavations of a bison kill site near Plainview, Texas. In the decades that followed, however, Plainview became something of a catch-all category with artifacts from across the continent being lumped together based merely on gross similarities. This volume unravels the meaning of Plainview, detailing what is known about this particular technology and time period. Contributing authors from the United States and Mexico present new data gleaned from the reinvestigation of past excavations, notes, maps, and materials from the original Plainview site as well as reports from other Plainview Paleoindian sites across the Great Plains, northern Mexico, and the southwestern United States.Trade Review“A must-have for anyone interested in the early hunter-gatherers in the Great Plains, Southwest, and/or Great Basin. It has everything one would hope for in a volume of this kind, including thorough descriptions of the Plainview type site, general chronology and paleoenvironmental records, and chapters addressing the challenge of defining Plainview.” —Thomas A. Jennings, director of the Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory, University of West Georgia “More than just a survey of interesting sites and artifacts, this volume makes great strides in helping the discipline to understand why there is so much morphological and technological variation in lithic artifacts during the Late Paleoindian period. It is a collection of fantastic scholarship by some of the leading researchers in the field.” —Matthew E. Hill Jr., associate professor of anthropology, University of Iowa “In short, this volume contextualizes old excavations, defines the geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental context for late Pleistocene cultural components on the southern Plains, summarizes data from new explorations, and approaches the eternal archaeological problem of typology through both traditional methods and new tactics, synthesizing what is known and what still needs to be investigated regarding the Plainview typology and Plainview peoples. The result is a nuanced discussion needed by any Paleoindian researcher or Great Plains archaeologist.”—American Antiquity “The authors have amassed, in one book, archaeological investigations that will be informative and educationally necessary for future researchers for some time....Clear photographs of the early excavations and artifact images, beautifully illustrated point type morphologies, and an array of tables, maps, and figures are integrated throughout and visually contribute to the shared knowledge. The authors of this book provide new in-depth analyses and elaborate on earlier understandings of this ‘enigmatic’ point type.” —Great Plains Research

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Book SynopsisAlthough all archaeologists subscribe in principle to building strong cases in support of their inferences, behavioural archaeology alone has created methodology for developing strong cases in practice. The behavioural version of the strong case approach rests on two main pillars: (1) nomothetic (generalising) strategies, consisting of research in experimental archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, and long-term processes of behavioural change to produce principles necessary for inference; and (2) the formation processes of supporting evidence when constructing inferences. The chapters employ a wide range of data classes, demonstrating the versatility and productivity of the approach for fashioning rigorous inferences in history, historical archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, and prehistory. By illustrating the strong case approach with convincing case studies from behavioural archaeology, the editors aim to alert the archaeological community about how the process of archaeological inference can be improved.

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Book SynopsisThis volume highlights the importance of eastern Paleoindian research in understanding some of the first inhabitants of North America.Although diverse in manufacture and style, fluted point production represents the first widespread cultural phenomenon in North America. Volume II of In the Eastern Fluted Point Tradition continues the work begun in Volume I, expanding the Paleoindian literature with up-to-date summaries of late Pleistocene research in the eastern United States. Twenty-one chapters provide data from additional site reports, regional surveys and syntheses, and artifact studies from areas not previously included. Much of the information in this volume comes from sites that were discovered or excavated only in the last decade. These artefact and site-specific studies serve as examples of the detailed analyses required on Paleoindian assemblages and provide an opportunity to better understand changes in population, technology, and settlement over time. Together, the two volumes advance Paleoindian studies in eastern North America, offering new data, interpretations, and hypotheses to create a baseline for future research.Trade Review“The volume is a significant contribution; it contains unpublished data, new ideas, and conclusions that challenge some of our cherished notions about late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in the Eastern Woodlands. As a whole, I think that even those outside the specialty of Paleoindian archaeological research will find it useful.” —Juliet E. Morrow, University of Arkansas, Anthropology & Geoarcheology “The volume has a vast amount of outstanding technical content. It is a major and important work of scholarship that will be widely read by professional and avocational archaeologists alike. Like volume I, this will be a basic reference for the next several decades.” —David G. Anderson, University of Tennessee, Anthropology “This data-rich volume represents an important contribution to our understanding of Paleoindian settlement-subsistence behaviors, regional chronologies, and the placement of sites relative to particular landforms and salient environmental features. It certainly merits a place in any Paleoindian archaeologist’s library.” —Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology “Should prove useful to researchers interested in developing future cross-site comparisons or building and testing regional models of technology, group interaction, and landscape use. This is the major strength of Volume II: it presents―in many cases for the first time―data from both well- and lesser-known fluted point sites in eastern North America in a manner that will provide a foundation upon which to build future studies.” —Journal of California and Great Basin Archaeology “This volume—and every chapter within it—considers evidence of social boundaries, fixed territories, flexible and diverse tool kits and manufacturing practices, diverse raw material selection strategies and exchange, and large populations and aggregations. I look forward to the next steps that the data in this volume offer, including broad comparisons between sites drawing on the detailed site-level and artifact analyses presented. Overall, Volume II of In the Eastern Fluted Point Tradition exceeds its goals, and it is a rich resource that will be harvested for years to come.” —American Antiquity

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Book SynopsisEastern North America is one of only a handful of places in the world where people first discovered how to domesticate plants. In this book, anthropologist Shane Miller uses two common, although unconventional, sources of archaeological data—stone tools and the distribution of archaeological sites—to trace subsistence decisions from the initial colonization of the American Southeast at the end of the last Ice Age to the appearance of indigenous domesticated plants roughly 5,000 years ago.Miller argues that the origins of plant domestication lie within the context of a boom/bust cycle that culminated in the mid-Holocene, when hunter-gatherers were able to intensively exploit shellfish, deer, oak, and hickory. After this resource “boom” ended, some groups shifted to other plants in place of oak and hickory, which included the suite of plants that were later domesticated. Accompanying these subsistence trends is evidence for increasing population pressure and declining returns from hunting. Miller contends, however, that the appearance of domesticated plants in eastern North America, rather than simply being an example of necessity as the mother of invention, is the result of individuals adjusting to periods of both abundance and shortfall driven by climate change.Trade Review“Miller’s methods are novel and make creative use of the archaeological data available. The overall theoretical framework has high potential for generality, meaning that the analysis is surely to be emulated and seen as a key contribution to the broader field of prehistory.” —Bruce Winterhalder, professor emeritus, Department of Anthropology & Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California at Davis “Not only is this a new form of regional data collection, Miller demonstrates manipulation of traditional big data sets, archaeological site files, in new ways with incorporation of data from other sources to examine biases. This approach and these methods will start unique trends in the archaeology of eastern North America.” —Philip J. Carr, professor of anthropology and director, Archaeology Museum, University of South Alabama “An interesting account of the conditions that led to the origins of plant domestication in the southeastern US some 5,000 years ago.… The book is well written, well illustrated, and well referenced.”—CHOICE “Miller’s work is an excellent example of the usefulness of human behavioral ecology models in adding interpretive power to diachronic datasets. His conversational writing style makes this an accessible read for a wide range of audiences, including students of all stripes. With its broad applicability in terms of theoretical framework, datasets employed, and approachable writing, this book is a valuable read for researchers interested in population responses to changing ecological conditions in regions well outside eastern North America.” —American Antiquity

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Book SynopsisIn April 1780, Military Governor Ugarte and Chief Engineer Rocha were sent on a reconnaissance mission through the northwestern frontier of New Spain, land that today is northern Sonora and southeastern Arizona. Seeking information on the advisability of placing a presidio at the junction of the San Pedro and Gila rivers, Ugarte and Rocha described the landscape in unprecedented detail. Their accounts provide valuable baseline information on environment and culture that allows for analysis of changes at a critical moment in borderland history. To the Corner of the Province provides not just the translations of their orders, summary reports, journal, and map, but commentary informed by a variety of sources. Drawing on ethnography, borderland history, ethnohistory, oral history, and archaeology, authors Seymour and Rodriguez elucidate the significance of these documents, expounding on the content and providing a glimpse into the harsh realities and intrinsic beauty of the region. Seymour’s more than thirty years’ experience working in this part of the Southwest adds depth and perspective to the narrative.Trade ReviewSeymour is without peer in her ability to weave archaeological, cartographic, documentary, and ethnographic evidence into this story. This is an important work of scholarship that will be appreciated and debated, and thereby elevate our understanding of the Southwest Borderlands of Arizona and Sonora. Her detailed and precise supporting evidence, whether cartographic or archaeological, will make this book the latest word, if probably not the final word, in our discussions of the region in the late eighteenth century." —James F. Brooks, professor of history and anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara

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Book SynopsisColor attracts attention, evokes emotions, conveys information, carries complex meanings, and makes things beautiful. Color is so meaningful, in fact, that research on the color choices of Ancestral Pueblo people has the potential to deepen our understanding of religious, social, and economic change in the ancient Southwest. This volume explores museum collections and more than a century of archaeological research to create the first systematic understanding of the many ways Ancestral Pueblo people chose specific colors through time and space to add meaning and visual appeal to their lives. Beginning with the technical and practical concerns of acquiring pigments and using them to create paints, the authors explore how connections to landscapes and sacred places are embodied by many colorful materials. Contributors examine the development of polychromes and their juxtaposition with black-on-white vessels; document how color was used in rock paintings and architecture; and consider the inherent properties of materials, arguing that shell, minerals, and stone were valued not only for color but for other visual properties as well. The book concludes by considering the technological, economic, social, and ideological factors at play and demonstrates the significant role color played in aesthetic choices.Trade ReviewArchaeologists are often hesitant to go out on a limb to pursue certain lines of evidence. It takes guts to think outside the box, draw together multiple gossamers of evidence, and weave them into a convincing fabric. The volume in question could not have had better editors and authors for such a task. The discussions of colors’ multidimensionality, embodiment, animation, and nexus with history are fascinating, and I suspect that readers will adopt similar approaches with their own research." — Will G. Russell, historic preservation specialist, Arizona Department of Transportation

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Book SynopsisComplex sets of environmental factors have interacted over the past 5,000 years to affect how changes in climate, temperature, relative precipitation, and the levels of Lake Michigan influence the preservation of archaeological sites in coastal sand dunes along Lake Michigan. As a collaboration between earth scientists, archaeologists, and geoarchaeologists, this study draws on a wealth of research and multidisciplinary insights to explore the conditions necessary to safeguard ancient human settlements in these landscapes. A variety of contemporary and innovative techniques, including numerous dating methods and approaches, were employed to determine when and for how long sand dunes were active and when and for how long archaeological sites were occupied. Knowledge of dune processes and settlement patterns not only affects archaeological interpretations, but it is also consummately important to land planners responsible for managing heritage archaeological sites in the Lake Michigan coastal zone.

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Book SynopsisChronicles the modal patterns, diversity, and change of ancient mortuary practices from across the US Southwest and northwest Mexico over four thousand years of Prehispanic occupation.

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Book SynopsisOlmec Lithic Economy at San Lorenzo examines the specialized craft production, manufacturing, adoption, and spread of obsidian cutting tools at San Lorenzo, Mexico, the first major Olmec center to develop in the southern Gulf Coast region of Mesoamerica.

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Book SynopsisAncient Households on the North Coast of Peru provides insight into the organization of complex, urban, and state-level society in the region from a household perspective, using observations from diverse north coast households to generate new understandings of broader social processes in and beyond Andean prehistory.

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Book SynopsisNight and Darkness in Ancient Mesoamerica is the first volume to explicitly incorporate how nocturnal aspects of the natural world were imbued with deep cultural meanings and expressed by different peoples from various time periods in Mexico and Central America.

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Book SynopsisThis volume of proceedings from the fifteenth biennial Southwest Symposium makes the case for engaged archaeology, an approach that considers scientific data and traditional Indigenous knowledge alongside archaeological theories and methodologies.

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Book SynopsisMaya Gods of War investigates the Classic period Maya gods who were associated with weapons of war and the flint and obsidian from which those weapons were made.

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Book SynopsisThe Archaeology of Greater Nicoya is the first edited volume in a quarter century to provide an overview of this fascinating archaeological subarea of Mesoamerica, encompassing Pacific Nicaragua and northwestern Costa Rica. Inhabited by diverse peoples of Mesoamerican origin centuries before Spanish colonization, Greater Nicoya remains controversial in the twenty-first century as scholars struggle to achieve consensus on questions of geography, chronology, and cultural identity. Drawing on approaches ranging from ethnohistory to bioarchaeology to scientific and culture-historical archaeology, the book is organized into sections on redefining Greater Nicoya, projects and surveys, material culture, and mortuary practices. Individual chapters explore Indigenous groups and their origins, extensive summaries of the three largest scholarly archaeological projects completed in Pacific Nicaragua in the last quarter century, clear evidence of Mesoamerican connections from Costa Rica's Bay of Culebra, detailed histories of lithic analysis and rock art studies in Nicaragua, new insights into mortuary and cultural practices based on osteological evidence, and reinterpretations of diagnostic ceramic types as products of related potting communities and the first definitive identification of production centers for these types. Drawing upon new 14C dates, this volume also provides the most substantial revision of the late pre-colonial chronology since the 1960s, a correction that has critical implications for understanding the prehistory of Greater Nicoya.

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Book SynopsisArchaeological research on the late Pleistocene and early Holocene periods has tended to focus on rock shelters, caves, large game kills, and occasionally butchery sites. Diversity in Open-Air Site Structure across the Pleistocene/Holocene Boundary examines a diverse range of open-air sitesbounded both naturally and culturallyin Siberia and Germany and throughout North America. Open-air sites are difficult for researchers to locate and, because of depositional processes, often more difficult to interpret; they contain many superimposed events but often show evidence of only the most recent. Working to overcome the limitations of data and poor preservation, using decades of prior research and new analytical tools, and diverging from a one-size-fits-all mode of interpretation, the contributors to this volume offer fresh insight into the formation and taphonomy of open-air sites. Contributors: Douglas B. Bamforth, Ian Buvit, Brian J. Carter, Robin Cordero, Robert Dello-Russo, George C. Frison, Kelly E. Graf, Bruce B. Huckell, Michael A. Jochim, Joshua D. Kapp, Robert L. Kelly, Aleksander V. Konstantinov, Banks Leonard, Madeline E. Mackie, Christopher W. Merriman, Matthew J. O'Brien, Spencer Pelton, Neil N. Puckett, Beth Shapiro, Todd A. Surovell, Karisa Terry, Steve Teteak, Robert Yohe

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Book SynopsisSustainability and Water Management in the Maya World and Beyond investigates climate change and sustainability through time, exploring how political control of water sources, maintenance of sustainable systems, ideological relationships with water, and fluctuations in water availability have affected and been affected by social change. Contributors focus on and build upon earlier investigations of the global diversity of water management systems and the successes and failures of their employment, while applying a multitude of perspectives on sustainability. The volume focuses primarily on the Precolumbian Maya but offers several analogous case studies outside the ancient Maya world that illustrate the pervasiveness of water's role in sustainability, including an ethnographic study of the sustainability of small-scale, farmer-managed irrigation systems in contemporary New Mexico and the environmental consequences of Angkor's growth into the world's most extensive preindustrial settlement. The archaeological record offers rich data on past politics of climate change, while epigraphic and ethnographic data show how integrated the ideological, political, and environmental worlds of the Maya were. While Sustainability and Water Management in the Maya World and Beyond stresses how lessons from the past offer invaluable insight into current approaches of adaptation, it also advances our understanding of those adaptations by making the inevitable discrepancies between past and present climate change less daunting and emphasizing the sustainable negotiations between humans and their surroundings that have been mediated by the changing climate for millennia. It will appeal to students and scholars interested in climate change, sustainability, and water management in the archaeological record. Contributors: Mary Jane Acuña, Wendy Ashmore, Timothy Beach, Jeffrey Brewer, Christopher Carr, Adrian S. Z. Chase, Arlen F. Chase, Diane Z. Chase, Carlos R. Chiriboga, Jennifer Chmilar, Nicholas Dunning, Maurits W. Ertsen, Roland Fletcher, David Friedel, Robert Griffin, Joel D. Gunn, Armando Anaya Hernández, Christian Isendahl, David Lentz, Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach, Dan Penny, Kathryn Reese-Taylor, Michelle Rich, Cynthia Robin, Sylvia Rodríguez, William Saturno, Vernon Scarborough, Payson Sheets, Liwy Grazioso Sierra, Michael Smyth, Sander van der Leeuw, Andrew Wyatt

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Book SynopsisMaterializing Ritual Practices explores the deep history of ritual practice in Mexico and Central America and the ways interdisciplinary research can be coordinated to illuminate how rituals create, destroy, and transform social relations. Ritual action produces sequences of creation, destruction, and transformation, which involve a variety of materials that are active and agential. The materialities of ritual may persist at temporal scales long beyond the lives of humans or be as ephemeral as spoken words, music, and scents. In this book, archaeologists and ethnographers, including specialists in narrative, music, and ritual practice, explore the rhythms and materiality of rituals that accompany everyday actions, like the construction of houses, healing practices, and religious festivals, and that paced commemoration of rulers, ancestor veneration, and relations with spiritual beings in the past. Connecting the kinds of observed material discursive practices that ethnographers witness to the sedimented practices from which archaeologists infer similar practices in the past, Materializing Ritual Practices addresses how specific materialities encourage repetition in ritual actions and, in other circumstances, resist changes to ritual sequences. The volume will be of interest to cultural anthropologists, archaeologists, and linguists with interests in Central America, ritual, materiality, and time. Contributors: M. Charlotte Arnauld, Giovani Balam Caamal, Isaac Barrientos, Cedric Becquey, Johann Begel, Valeria Bellomia, Juan Carillo Gonzalez, Maire Chosson, Julien Hiquet, Katrina Kosyk, Olivier Le Guen, Maria Luisa Vasquez de Agredos Pascual, Alessandro Lupo, Philippe Nondedeo, Julie Patrois, Russel Sheptak, Valentina Vapnarsky, Francisca Zalaquett Rock

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Book SynopsisAfter Darkexplores the experience of nighttime within ancient urban settings.

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Book SynopsisRuins and remnants of the past are endowed with life, rather than mere relics handed down from previous generations. Living Ruins explores some of the ways Indigenous people relate to the material remains of human activity and provides an informed and critical stance that nuances and contests institutionalized patrimonialization discourse on vestiges of the past in present landscapes. Ten case studies from the Maya region, Amazonia, and the Andes detail and contextualize narratives, rituals, and a range of practices and attitudes toward different kinds of vestiges. The chapters engage with recently debated issues such as regimes of historicity and knowledge, cultural landscapes, conceptions of personhood and ancestrality, artifacts, and materiality. They focus on Indigenous perspectives rather than mainstream narratives such as those mediated by UNESCO, Hollywood, travel agents, and sometimes even academics. The contributions provide critical analyses alongside a multifaceted account of how people relate to the place/time nexus, expanding our understanding of different ontological conceptualizations of the past and their significance in the present. Living Ruins adds to the lively body of work on the invention of tradition, Indigenous claims on their lands and history, ?retrospective ethnogenesis,? and neo-Indianism in a world where tourism, NGOs, and Western essentialism are changing Indigenous attitudes and representations. This book is significant to anyone interested in cultural heritage studies, Amerindian spirituality, and Indigenous engagement with archaeological sites in Latin America. Contributors: Cedric Becquey, Laurence Charlier Zeineddine, Marie Chosson, Pablo Cruz, Philippe Erikson, Antoinette Molinié, Fernando Santos-Granero, Emilie Stoll, Valentina Vapnarsky, Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen

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Book SynopsisLife at the Margins of the State examines thesociopolitical and cultural nuances, negotiations, and strategies of resistance developed by marginal communitiesincluding frontiers, borderlands, borders, and other locations where there was a substantive difference in scale from more hegemonic political entities. The volume explores not just the nature of interactions in the political margins but the political, social, and economic trajectories of the societies that formed there. Case studies from the New and Old Worldsincluding historic California, medieval Iceland, ancient Mesoamerica, ancient Nubia, colonial El Salvador, the prehistoric Levant, pre-Columbian Amazon, Africa's historic central Sahel, and ancient Peruoffer novel perspectives on how borderland societies adapted to the unique human and natural environments of these liminal spaces. Contributors draw on archaeological evidence as well as historical documents and linguistic data to facilitate the documentation of local histories and the strategies employed by communities living in or near ancient states and empires. This close study of groups on the margins shows that peripheral polities are not simply the by-products of complexity emanating from a political core and demonstrates that traditional assumptions and models need to be reconsidered. Contributors: Tara D. Carter, Mikael Fauvelle, Elena A.A. Garcea, Esteban Gomez, Scott MacEachern, Claire Novotny, Bradley J Parker, Erin Smith, John H. Walker

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Book SynopsisClimatic events, pathogens, and animals as nonhuman agents, ranging in size from viruses to mega-storms, have presented our species with dynamic conditions that overwhelm human capacities.

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Book SynopsisPower and Identity at the Margins of the Ancient Near East rethinks the dichotomy between antiquated terms such as core and periphery, explores lived realities in the margins of central authority, and centers those margins as places of resistance and power in their own right.

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Book SynopsisPushing Boundaries in Southwestern Archaeology draws together the proceedings from the sixteenth biennial Southwest Symposium.

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