ABSTRACT This study evaluates war’s existence in a region where the Panche, a Carib-affiliated group, settled during pre-Hispanic times through a study of regional settlement patterns. Like most Carib people, the Panche were described by the Spanish in the 16th century a.d. as a warrior group. This study shows that in the absence of strong evidence, such as defensive constructions, iconography, and trauma in human skeletal remains, settlement patterns are useful tools for assessing the existence of warfare in prehistoric societies. This method is relevant for analyzing conflict in societies with small populations or those without much sociopolitical complexity, where conflict was not intense or frequent and therefore did not leave a significant archaeological signature. Archaeological indicators of warfare are discussed, and the existence of war evaluated. Some dimensions of war (e.g., social distancing, scale of society, tactics, goals, frequency, and duration) are considered, and the possible causes of war are evaluated.

ABSTRACT The authors analyze the burial of a woman from the 7th and 8th centuries a.d. at the site of La Corona associated with an enigmatic title held by few elite women in the Maya Lowlands. Drawing on isotopic data, epigraphic evidence, and analyses of burial goods and attire, they argue that she was a local noble weaver who likely held a ritual role. The study underscores how both local and foreign women helped sustain political communities, contributing to cross-cultural discussions on the roles of women in power consolidation. While La Corona rulers regularly engaged in hypogamous marriages with foreign women from the more powerful Kaanul dynasty, the burial sheds light on the contributions of elite women who are less visible in hieroglyphic texts. The findings offer valuable insights into how women shaped their political communities in ways that are not always captured by the epigraphic record.

ABSTRACT Archaeological methods are partly shaped by logics of hierarchy, rigid taxonomies, and single-axis distinctions and can result in the erasure and ignorance of non-dominant narratives in the archaeological record. Such adherence to scientism is characterized by a “methodological habitus” that unintentionally and uncritically standardizes and biases interpretations. Intersectionality and critical feminist science offer an avenue out of this habitus, as they resist deterministic taxonomies and overly confident reconstructions. To demonstrate how methodological habitus operates, we turn to the case of “zeacentrism” in the Americas to explore how quantitative and “objective” categorical analyses can flatten social experiences. Our approach embraces greater epistemological accountability in archaeological knowledge production—a deliberate reckoning with how methodological choices and interpretive habits are shaped by scientism, taxonomic essentialism, and unexamined assumptions about validity. Ultimately, we argue that hypothesis- and data-driven inquiry and theories of Intersectionality can be complementary, more fully recognizing the ambiguity inherent in our world.

ABSTRACT This article investigates how conflict influenced the socio-political organization and demographic centralization of Tairona chiefdom communities in the Río Frío Basin, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, during the Tairona period (10th–16th centuries a.d.). Drawing from European chronicles and geostatistical methods, we examine the Pocigüeica chiefdom, a political entity recognized for its belligerent character and warrior chiefs with segmented decision-making structures, which resisted Spanish conquest in the 16th century a.d. As part of an ongoing regional-scale survey and reconnaissance program, this study examines how political integration and demographic centralization related to territorial strategies linked to intercommunity conflict. Although ethnohistoric sources highlight Tairona belligerence, archaeological research has not explored the relationship between conflict, political leadership, and social organization. By integrating spatial analysis, settlement pattern data, and multivariate analysis, this paper provides an empirical framework to assess warfare’s role as both a disruptive and integrative force in complex society evolution.

ABSTRACT Little is known about pre-contact Indigenous agronomic practices in northeastern North America. While there is historical documentation from the early 20th century a.d. of field remnants, only a few have been subject to archaeological investigation. Recently obtained stable nitrogen isotope ratio measurements (15N/14N or δ15N) on charred maize (Zea may ssp. mays) kernels have led to new insights on pre-contact Iroquoian agronomy. Here, we extend that analysis to the Burnham-Shepard and Morgan sites in Connecticut, two key late pre-contact Algonquian sites in the Connecticut River Valley. Results of δ15N on maize kernels recovered from these sites indicate nitrogen was not a limiting factor for maize in the sites’ agricultural fields. New AMS dates on maize and other annual plant structures revise the occupational chronology of both sites.

ABSTRACT Statistical approaches to the study of archaeological surface survey datasets are problematic, as they are often characterized by excessive zero counts and overdispersion. This paper introduces a Bayesian Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) model to classify survey grid units into user-defined functional areas based on artifact distributions. This approach was applied to the Roman maritime villa of Mascherone, located near the city of Siponto (northern Apulia, Italy), surveyed using a total sampling strategy. After filtering, 52 squares (20 × 20 m) containing 21 distinct artifact types were analyzed to identify three hypothesized functional areas: residential, storage, and craft. The model explicitly accounts for structural and sampling-derived zeros in the dataset while also handling overdispersion. Furthermore, it provides probabilistic classifications with quantified uncertainty for each square unit. Results indicate a residential core consistent with legacy aerial evidence, while storage and craft zones remain less certain due to limited indicators. This approach effectively addresses zero-inflation in survey datasets and offers a scalable framework for broader archaeological and landscape analyses.

ABSTRACT The earliest documentation of hundreds of ancient settlements in South Asia, including some of the most famous and significant sites, lies in largely unacknowledged subaltern hands. Operating during the British colonial period, teams employed by the Survey of India systematically mapped the colonial dominions and produced high-quality maps that depicted topography and land use across vast areas. Systematic analysis of these map sheets combined with ground-truthing is demonstrating that these teams documented thousands of mound features, and a significant number of these are (or sadly in many cases were) archaeological sites. Members of the original survey teams were for the most part not in a position to contribute their thoughts to the historical narrative, but the legacy of what they documented has long been hidden in plain sight. The collaborative Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia (MAHSA) project is systematically documenting this archaeological heritage. Its work is demonstrating that the teams carrying out the Survey of India topographic surveys incidentally conducted the first systematic survey of archaeological sites in South Asia. This was potentially the world’s most extensive (albeit incidental) archaeological survey.

ABSTRACT This article presents an ethnographic exploration of the relationship between archaeology and construction in the context of developer-funded projects. Although what follows is a UK-focused discussion, much will be relevant in countries where the Valletta Convention has been ratified (Council of Europe 1992) and where developer-funded (or preventive) systems operate, so an international context is provided to widen the scope of this study. We provide some contextualized background to both occupations, examining major differences and some similarities in practice. We then analyze communication between both disciplines, as well as the perception of archaeology as a risk for developers, before arguing that the notion of incommensurability helps us understand both issues. This phenomenon can be observed in the need that archaeologists have to “translate” when interacting and working in developer-funded contexts and by the issues caused by uncertainty, which is a key tenet of archaeological epistemologies, as recently explored by Frieman’s discussion of unproof (2024); both elements are also affected by the unequal relationship of power within which this specific archaeological praxis exists.

ABSTRACT Depreciative behaviors are unintentional actions by individuals that damage the resource or impact the experiences of others. Rock imagery is highly susceptible to these types of behaviors, and the damage may be permanent. As visitation to rock imagery increases, the opportunity for depreciative behavior likewise increases. There has been surprisingly little research on how to reduce these types of behaviors, specifically around cultural resources. This study designed, installed, and assessed the effectiveness of a moral-appeal message using the Norm Activation Theory of Prosocial Behavior, the current Bureau of Land Management (BLM) threat-appeal message, and a no-message control at reducing depreciative behaviors at a rock imagery site. This research resulted in a significant decrease in depreciative behavior, specifically touching, when the moral-appeal message was installed. The study found that the BLM threat-appeal message led to an increase in visitor touching as compared to the control, suggesting that current land management agencies should reevaluate their indirect management approach to protect rock imagery.