Contribution Of Archaeology Research Articles

13 Transforming Archaeology, Transforming Materiality

ABSTRACTThe archaeological contribution to materiality has to date been less widely appreciated by practitioners outside the subdiscipline. This chapter argues that this is in part due to the identification of archaeological materiality with things, objects, or material culture, deriving from the twentieth‐century history of Americanist archaeology in particular. While archaeologists have made important contributions to debates about the agency of objects, object biographies, and critiques of object/subject dichotomies, there are specific perspectives that archaeology could contribute that derive from the nature of archaeological sites as places consisting of material traces. This article examines in depth the concept of trace as it is used in broader social theory, and as it is instantiated in archaeological materialities. It is argued that for materialities of everyday life, in particular, traces have been the most effective kinds of materialities explored by archaeologists.

The Historical Experience of Labor: Archaeological Contributions to Interdisciplinary Research on Chinese Railroad Workers

Since the 1960s, archaeologists have studied the work camps of Chinese immigrant and Chinese American laborers who built the railroads of the American West. The artifacts, sites, and landscapes provide a rich source of empirical information about the historical experiences of Chinese railroad workers. Especially in light of the rarity of documents authored by the workers themselves, archaeology can provide direct evidence of habitation, culinary practices, health care, social relations, and economic networks. As archaeologists expand collaboration with each other and with scholars in other fields, interpretations of archaeological research move beyond site-specific description into analyses that trace the changing experiences of workers as they entered new environments and new landscapes. The materiality of daily life at railroad work camps is interconnected with the risks the workers endured and the wealth that their labor generated for railroad owners and investors.

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN THE FAYYŪM: THE NEW CONTRIBUTION OF ARCHAEOLOGY

The article aims to suggest how, combining the possibilities offered by the Coptic literature and the new results of archaeological excavations and surveys, it is possible to improve our understanding of the early Christian Fayyūm, and of its northern part in particular

HOLOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENT AND PREHISPANIC LANDSCAPE EVOLUTION IN THE BASIN OF MEXICO

AbstractPaleoenvironmental and geoarchaeological data generated over the past three decades for parts of the Basin of Mexico are little known among archaeologists working in the region. This paper summarizes and evaluates what is currently known about the prehistoric environment, landscape development, and human impact in the region. Archaeological evidence indicates that human activity became important in ecosystem evolution in the basin during the Middle-Late Holocene. Most traditional paleoenvironmental studies based on lake sediments, however, generalize results corresponding to this period simply asevidence for human impact. Essentially the same vegetation communities extant in the basin today appear to have been present during most of the Holocene, albeit with broader distributions and variability in secondary taxa. Recognizing potential contributions of archaeology to understanding human adaptation to climatic and ecosystemic change, past and present, should stimulate future research on paleoenvironment in the region.

Raphael Pumpelly (1837–1923): Pioneering archaeological geologist in central Asia

The early twentieth century was a time of rapid expansion of field work in archaeological geology. During this time the connections between geology [especially stratigraphy (Gamio 1913) and geomorphology (Davis 1904)] and archaeology became apparent. Among those involved who made major archaeological contributions during this period was American geologist Raphael Pumpelly. His excavation at Anau in Turkmenistan was an exemplary example of a geologist with no training a experience in archaeology undertaking a successful and pioneering excavation in Central Asia. A similar situation occurred in China where Swedish geologist, Johan Gunnar Andersson, discovered and defined the Chinese Neolithic.

The Partnership in Research and Presentation of Archaeological Heritage

This contribution presents a successful research and educational project, which was completed in 2014 at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň in cooperation with 3 partner institutions. The project aimed at finding innovative ways of collaboration amongst university, museum and culture heritage management sectors through sharing research and educational resources. This goal was achieved by joint research activities, mostly realized as field schools with students’ participation, as well as through discussion of interdisciplinary topics conducted at educational and dissemination events, namely study stays, conferences, seminars and workshops. IANSA 2014 ● V/2 ● 163–170 Ladislav Smejda: The Partnership in Research and Presentation of Archaeological Heritage 164 everyday tasks carried out at the visited institutions and their individual departments. They participated in field research and gained insight into the predominant routines of laboratory and documentation procedures. An important part of the visits consisted of extensive use of institutional libraries and field reports for pursuing individual research interests, as well as opportunities to consult particular problems with specialists from the cooperating institutions. These discussions and involvement of visitors in the host’s daily agenda led to effective start-ups of new collaborative research plans and the strengthening of personal bonds between the professionals and graduate students of the networked institutions. This type of inter-institutional collaboration and research support has already generated new publications (Kristuf et al. 2012; Moravcova, Vokounova Franzeova 2012; Baierl et al. 2013; Gersdorfova et al. 2013; Hložek 2013; Hložek, Mensik 2013a, b, c). One of the most remarkable outcomes of this joint research was an archaeological contribution to the large published volume presenting the past of the town of Unicov from the first human settlements up to the present (Buresova ed. 2013). This book received the award of the Olomouc Region for Outstanding Book of the Year. A number of these collaborative ventures provided opportunities for running training field schools and courses for students, which represented another structural component of the project. 3. Field schools for students (key activity #2) During the period of project implementation (2011–2014), 25 field schools of varied length and thematic content were realised in total for students of archaeology and related disciplines. These were aimed at obtaining practical fieldwork skills and familiarity with surveying, sampling, excavating and recording of various types of archaeological sites (Figure 1). Field reports have been produced for each conducted campaign and on the basis of these a number of the results have already been published. Detailed publications and several larger studies containing extensive amounts of data are forthcoming and their preparation may be supported by additional follow-up projects. Our team covered a broad spectrum of chronological periods and categories of archaeological sites in order to offer undergraduate and postgraduate students from several universities varied stimuli and exposure to field archaeology. We were focused on and conducted research on the following main categories of archaeological heritage: a) Palaeolithic and Mesolithic landscapes and sites, namely the Horni Břiza and Jistebsko regions (Moravcova, Vokounova Franzeova 2012; Moravcova et al. 2014). b) The Neolithic enclosure in Křimice. c) Prehistoric burial mounds, particularly a Late Eneolithic tumulus cemetery near Dřevohostice in East Moravia (Kristuf et al. 2012; Hejcman et al. 2013), the Middle Bronze Age burial mound Butov near Střibro in West Bohemia (Metlicka 2014) and to a minor extent various sites in South Bohemia (Mensik

The contribution of ethnobotany and experimental archaeology to interpretation of ancient food processing: methodological proposals based on the discussion of several case studies on Prosopis spp., Chenopodium spp. and Cucurbita spp. from Argentina

The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent methodological advances in Argentinean archaeobotany that incorporate the use of ethnobotany as an ethnoarchaeological tool for interpreting ancient food systems in South America. This is an integrative paper that takes into account both published and unpublished results. The role of ethnobotany is examined with reference to ethnobotanical and experimental food processing studies on Prosopis, a wild food plant, and two cultivated ones Chenopodium quinoa and Cucurbita spp., followed by laboratory examinations with microscopy to identify diagnostic changes in plant morphology and anatomy. Experimental materials are then compared with archaeological specimens to identify different types of ancient food processing, and to make inferences about prehistoric post-harvest systems. We demonstrated that: (a) it was critical for our food processing studies to achieve the best taxonomical identification resolution that the plant remains allow; (b) a multi-proxy approach was highly advantageous; (c) ethnobotanical data were crucial to identify food processing pathways of individual plants and combinations of them; (d) the understanding of commensality in the wider sense of the term allows us to determine food patterns both in domestic and funerary contexts. These investigations, the first ones of this type in Argentina, constitute a qualitative step in the methodology for this country because they expand our abilities to interpret the nature of routine plant processing from archaeobotanical assemblages, and they are also a substantial contribution to the development of our discipline in general because the taxa discussed in this paper are distributed throughout South America, as well as in other parts of the world.

The Social Dynamics of Everyday Life

The four books under review illustrate different ways of analyzing past societies through households, houses, and the conduct of everyday life. Grounded on the materiality, spatiality, and temporality of prehistoric data, spanning from the Palaeolithic through to the recent past, these books provide important archaeological contributions to the anthropological study of social organization, inviting challenge and interdisciplinary dialogue. Each book has a distinctive approach, yet all four reflect wider epistemological shifts toward a concern with context, scale, diversity, and interaction. In summarizing and critiquing them, most attention is paid to their social perspectives and definitions. This leads to consideration of related work in wider anthropology.

The archaeology of kinship: advancing interpretation and contributions to theory

Archaeology has been subjected to a wide range of misunderstandings of kinship theory and many of its central concepts. Demonstrating that kinship is the foundation for past societies' social organisation, particularly in non-state societies, Bradley E. Ensor offers a lucid presentation of kinship principles and theories accessible to a broad audience. He provides not only descriptions of what the principles entail but also an understanding of their relevance to past and present topics of interest to archaeologists. His overall goal is always clear: to illustrate how kinship analysis can advance archaeological interpretation and how archaeology can advance kinship theory. The Archaeology of Kinship supports Ensor's objectives: to demonstrate the relevance of kinship to major archaeological questions, to describe archaeological methods for kinship analysis independent of ethnological interpretation, to illustrate the use of those techniques with a case study, and to provide specific examples of how diachronic analyses address broader theory. As Ensor shows, archaeological diachronic analyses of kinship are independently possible, necessary, and capable of providing new insights into past cultures and broader anthropological theory. Although it is an old subject in anthropology, The Archaeology of Kinship can offer new and exciting frontiers for inquiry. Kinship research in general--and prehistoric kinship in particular--is rapidly re-emerging as a topical subject in anthropology. This book is a timely archaeological contribution to that growing literature otherwise dominated by ethnology.

The archaeological contribution of forensic craniofacial reconstruction to a portrait drawing of a Korean historical figure

Craniofacial reconstruction (CFR) is a technique used to rebuild the living facial appearance onto a skull in order to recognise or identify an individual. This technique is primarily employed in forensic investigation, but also utilised in archaeological research to recreate the faces of paleontological and archaeological humans. In this study, the face of a 17th century historical figure from Korea was reconstructed utilising computerized tomography from the mummified remains. A geographic surface comparison programme was employed to evaluate the accuracy of the CFR produced using a three-dimensional computerized modelling system. Analysis of the facial tissue depth discrepancies demonstrated that the CFR may have acceptable resemblance to the living face of the historical individual. Using computerised graphic technology, the CFR outcome, along with the archaeological information about the hair style, ornaments, and dress discovered in the tomb, a portrait-styled in the typical drawing trend from the era was created. The research suggests that current CFR techniques can provide an accurate portrait drawing of historical figures in Korea.

The Study of Prehistoric Artefacts in National Context: Belgian Archaeologists and the Problem of Ancient Stone Implements

During the early nineteenth century European archaeologists were formulating new ideas about the significance of ancient stone artefacts. Some, such as Christian Thomsen in Copenhagen, believed that in Scandinavia, a Stone Age had preceded the Bronze and Iron Ages. In France some excavations had retrieved stone artefacts from deep levels of peat and cave deposits that suggested that these objects were of very great antiquity. While the collection and study of stone artefacts occurred across much of Europe, there were regional variations in their interpretation. Assisted by local institutions and motivated by patriotism, Belgian archaeologists who participated in this research, had much in common with their colleagues elsewhere in Europe, but the nature of local archaeological sites and the ideas of local researchers had an impact on the development and contributions of Belgian prehistoric archaeology.

Regional behaviour among late Neanderthal groups in Western Europe: A comparative assessment of late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial tool variability

Population dynamics between and within Pleistocene groups are vital to understanding wider behavioural processes like social transmission and cultural variation. The late Middle Palaeolithic (MIS 5d-3, ca. 115,000–35,000 BP [years before present]) permits a novel, data-driven assessment of these concepts through a unique record: bifacial tools made by classic Neanderthals. Previously, studies of late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial tools were hampered by a convoluted plethora of competing terms, types and regional entities. This paper presents a large-scale intercomparison of this tool type, and bridges typo-technological and spatio-temporal data from across Western Europe (Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany).Results indicate a high level of variation among individual bifacial tools and assemblages. Each bifacial tool concept is correlated with various methods of production, resulting in large degrees of morphological variation. Despite such variation, a distinct three-fold, macro-regional pattern was identified: the Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition (MTA) in the southwest dominated by handaxes, the Keilmessergruppen (KMG) in the northeast typified by backed and leaf-shaped bifacial tools, and, finally a new unit, the Mousterian with Bifacial Tools (MBT), geographically situated between these two major entities, and characterised by a wider variety of bifacial tools.Differing local conditions, such as raw material or function, are not sufficient to explain this observed macro-regional tripartite. Instead, the MTA and KMG can be viewed as two distinct cultural traditions, where the production of a specific bifacial tool concept was passed on over generations. Conversely, the MBT is interpreted as a border zone where highly mobile groups of Neanderthals from both the east (KMG) and west (MTA) interacted.Principally, this study presents an archaeological contribution to behavioural concepts such as regionality, culture, social transmission and population dynamics. It illustrates the interpretive potential of large-scale lithic studies, and more specifically the presence of regionalised cultural behaviour amongst late Neanderthal groups in Western Europe.

The Effects of the Economic Crisis on Archaeology in Greece

ABSTRACT The economic crisis in Europe has reverberated through all facets of society, even archaeology and heritage. The following forum takes into account some of the economic effects on the archaeological industry along with its impact on people, places, and material culture. Considering the contribution of archaeology to the economy of Greece, as well as its influence on culture and society, there is an argument that a greater investment should be made in the protection and preservation of heritage. Proponents also suggest that archaeology should work to garner wider public support and seek alternative financial opportunities for funding. While heritage may not be the solution for this crisis, it could play a part in unifying people during this period.

Fences, Boats and Teas: Engendering Patient Lives at Peel Island Lazaret

Within institutions, a separate social world comes into existence. Gender is a crucial shaper of relations in this new world, defining status, relationships to others and personal identity. Understanding the gendered conditions of, and responses to, institutional care is an important social contribution of historical archaeology to contemporary society. Research on the Peel Island Lazaret in Moreton Bay, Queensland, uses a model for engendering archaeology, with modifications pertinent to historical archaeology. Analysis builds on the work of others who have investigated the ways in which men and women of the confined and confining classes experienced institutions and interacted with each other. This study also extends beyond these approaches in exploring the areas of “interpersonal agency” and relationship building, and the ways in which disadvantage minimization was mediated by the structuring principle of gender.

The Birth of the Herd

Abstract One of the most significant contributions of archaeology to the studies of human-animal relations is the concept of the “domestication” of non-human animals. Domestication is often seen as a specific human-animal relation that explains the ways people and animals interact. However, I argue, that “domestication” does not explain anything but has to be explained or “reassembled” by focusing on the many historically specific ways human and animals live together. Thus, the paper tackles the emergence of a “herd”, an assembly of animals, humans and things that appeared in the Neolithic, by following the ways the different agencies—human, animal, material and composite—are involved in the creation of new sociality. Living with animals is always already a material practice. It includes material culture, bodies, gestures, actions, habits, and body skills. It requires new practices and skills of flocking, herding, closing, observing, separating, amassing, and forming a queue; skills to be learned and employed by the participants. However, numerous resistances and translations are encountered and employed along the way, changing everybody in the process. In this way new bodies and persons—human and animal—are created, ultimately leading to the “herd”, a new way of association of animals, people, and things. From this perspective the agency and power is distributed and not confined to one species or group. There is no single locus of power and agency and no hegemony or “domination” but power and resistance that works from everywhere. Living with animals is not a matter of management, control or domination, but it is about making hybrid society work, a matter of politics, for all the parties involved.

The Archaeology of Emotion and Affect

The literature on the archaeology of emotion and affect is mostly quite recent and is not extensive. This review considers the main lines of approach taken so far and explores how different understandings of what constitutes an emotion underlie the work of archaeologists in this area. A distinction is made between past emotion as a subject of study and examination of the emotional subjectivity of the archaeologist as a method. The potential contribution of archaeology to emotion studies in the future includes bringing a sense of contextual historicity to the discussion and developing our knowledge of how material things and places are involved in shaping and expressing emotion. Inspired by some historians of emotion, a focus on shared emotional meanings, values, and codes seems a more productive direction than the exploration of idiosyncratic personal emotional experience.

Archaeological Contributions to Climate Change Research: The Archaeological Record as a Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Archive

Recent decades have seen a resurgence of interest in human ecodynamics—the relationship among climate, environment, and culture. Most published research concentrates on the potential causal role of climate and environment in culture change. We approach the issue from the other side: The archaeological record often incorporates important, sometimes unique, proxy records of climate, of environment, and of change in both. We detail four case studies, from South America, Southwest Asia, North America, and the Shetland Islands. In each case, the paleoclimatic and/or paleoenvironmental data resulted from multidisciplinary archaeological projects whose major objective was to understand past human behavior. Nevertheless, in each case, the projects generated important information about the natural world in the past. Often, these data play a role in modeling future climatic and environmental change of potential significance to humans. We note a growing use of archaeological proxy data by climate scientists and predict an increase in this trend on the basis of recent history.

Assessing the Contribution of Commercial Archaeology to the Study of Roman South and West Yorkshire, 1990–2004

South and West Yorkshire form one of four pilot areas selected (in a project funded by English Heritage) for a detailed assessment of the research potential of ‘grey literature’ — unpublished archaeological reports deposited in local authority Historic Environment Records — and the more general impact of commercial archaeology in the study of the Roman period. The following account covers the period 1990–2004 and seeks to identify topics and themes where commercial archaeology has generated new data, as well as those areas where less progress has been made. It concludes that commercial archaeology has provided an uneven but invaluable sample, mainly in a north-south running band in the eastern extremities of the counties where quarrying and road schemes have been most concentrated. By far the most new information relates to rural settlement, revealing different regional patterns of continuity and discontinuity.

Indicios en la tierra: inhumaciones y fosfatos. Una experiencia en Tucumán (Argentina)

Se presentan los resultados de una intervención que se propuso generar una base teóricametodológica que respaldara una etapa pericial para la Justicia Federal de la provincia de Tucumán (Argentina). Durante la instancia de investigación confl uyeron los aportes de la Ingeniería Industrial, de las Geociencias, de la Arqueología y la Química, posibilitando proponer un Plan de Trabajo que viabilice la detección de inhumaciones clandestinas en un territorio militar comprometido con las prácticas sociales genocidas llevadas a cabo en Tucumán desde mediados de la década de 1970. En este trabajo se discuten los resultados de una prospección geoquímica que permitió –a partir de la experimentación y evaluación en terreno y laboratorio– por un lado, contribuir con una propuesta de detección de inhumaciones clandestinas en contextos en los que se presume su existencia y, por otro, generar información para futuras intervenciones en el sitio histórico Estancia de San José de Lules (Tucumán).

Don’t abhor your neighbor for he is a pastoralist: the GIS-based modeling of the past human–environment interactions and landscape changes in the Wadi el-Hasa, west-central Jordan

Recently developed modules in GRASS GIS combine a wide variety of spatial data such as climatic, geological, and cultural in order to estimate how long-term interactions among these factors contribute to the evolution of natural environment and anthropogenic landscapes. Additionally, these modules allow users to visualize anthropogenic impacts of extensive agropastoralism on landscapes by subjecting the pre-defined catchment areas to repeated land use activities. The results emphasize the economic and ecological value of extensive agropastoralism in the marginal landscapes, which make anthropogenic activities more sustainable in the long-term. The results of this research are not only significant for its methodological contributions in anthropological archaeology but also have broader significance for researchers interested in interdisciplinary approaches in assessing the long-term dynamics of human-environment relations.