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Scott Stull

SUNY Cortland, Sociology/Anthropology, Faculty Member

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I am interested in status and identity in material culture, the built environment, and daily life. I have examined medieval Europe and colonial America in my studies. I also work in experimental archaeology, specifically with food and ceramic replication.

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Nerissa Russell

Cornell University

University of Glasgow

University of Cambridge

Juan Antonio Quirós Castillo

University of the Basque Country, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

Alessandro Sebastiani

SUNY: University at Buffalo

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)

Alejandra B Osorio

Wellesley College

University of Central Lancashire

Kansas State University

Lancaster University

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Papers by Scott Stull

Experimental Archaeology as Participant Observation: A Perspective from Medieval Food

EXARC Journal, 2017

Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in ... more Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in immersive learning through ethnographic fieldwork. This concept is also important for archaeologists as immersive learning provides an avenue for more robust interpretation and the development of better research questions. Participant observation is not directly possible in the study of medieval archaeology, but replication studies of food culture can serve as one avenue toward immersive learning in archaeology. Replication studies of medieval food, notably the use of medieval cookbooks and replicated medieval vessels, offer insights into medieval life and everyday practice. This paper will discuss two specific examples: replicating a medieval beverage from a fourteenth century cookbook and replicating possible foods cooked in pots from a fifteenth-century tavern in Nuremberg.

Colonization In A Marginal Zone: The Norse In Greenland

The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, ... more The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, with pirate attacks, plague, and hostile natives among the more prevalent explanations offered. This paper integrates a cultural and ecological approach, and suggests no single cause can be held accountable, except perhaps the entire range of attributes which made Norse society "Norse."

A Multi-Method Examination of an American Revolutionary War Era House Fort in New York State’s Mohawk Valley

Archaeological Prospection, 2013

Experimental Archaeology of Medieval Food as Participant Observation

Archaeological Evidence for Trade in Harz Roller Canaries

Northeast historical archaeology, 2016

Using Archaeogeophysical and 3D Laser Surveying to Visualize an Integrated Landscape

King and sayer (editors): the archaeology of Post-Medieval religion

Historical Archaeology, 2012

Finding Fort Hardy: Combining Documentary Research, Archaeo-Geophysics, and Excavation to Locate a French and Indian War Fort

Fort Hardy, a French and Indian War supply fort, was built in 1755 but never saw combat. The ruin... more Fort Hardy, a French and Indian War supply fort, was built in 1755 but never saw combat. The ruined site of Fort Hardy was where the British Army gave up their arms after the Battles of Saratoga, which was the first major victory of the American Revolution. While the general location of the fort is known, the actual boundaries were forgotten through the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Using a combination of documentary research, archaeogeophysics, landscape analysis, and targeted excavation, the western boundary of the fort was relocated, showing the value of this combined approach. Unrelated CRM archaeological testing served to confirm the interpretation of the research results.

Colonial Houses and Cultural Identity in New York State’s Mohawk River Valley

Archaeological Discovery, 2014

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and... more In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and different social, political, and cultural groups were creating their identity through action and material culture, including the built environment. Two houses, built in 1749 and 1750, are compared in relation to identity and social position of their owners. The landscape was investigated using archaeogeophysics and targeted excavation to determine how the houses and their landscapes expressed cultural identity in colonial New York. The houses and landscapes reveal how specific identities were created by the owners of the houses as part of their efforts to improve their social, political, and economic standing on the frontier while also providing a defensive structure in the face of potential French raids into the region.

Architectural Satire in the Tales of the Miller and Reeve

The Chaucer Review, 2016

The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John t... more The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller in ways that hitherto have been only partially recognized. Since medieval houses determined social interaction via their layouts, traffic patterns, and entrances/exits, all of which are crucial in the two tales, this article demonstrates how archaeology and literary criticism together can illuminate the satirical implications of the tales’ two houses. Recognizing the clarity and purposefulness of Chaucer’s architectural logistics, we reconstruct the houses of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller, showing how they support Chaucer’s satire of their owners’ economic aspirations and social pretensions.

From West to East: Current Approaches to Medieval Archaeology

This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in... more This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in North America, with a comprehensive view rather than a local or regional perspective, allowing scholars from different regions access to research from across the medieval world. It includes chapters from well-established professors and up-and-coming scholars. The majority of the papers came from the first annual conference in medieval archaeology held at the State University of New York at Cortland in 2013. This conference gave those located in North America who were interested in medieval archaeology, both of Europe and the Mediterranean world, a chance to see what the latest developments were in the discipline. This volume includes both methodological and theoretical approaches, such as integrating remote sensing with laser scanning or exploring the definition of ethnicity; chapters include Viking Vinland, castles in Ireland and England, several Byzantine and Islamic-era sites in the eastern Mediterranean, and various other topics, ranging from a church in Hungary to the social construction of the medieval diet.

Castles of Conquest or Factionalism and the Creation of Political Landscapes

The Surrender and Aftermath of the Battles

The Saratoga Campaign

Experimental Archaeology as Participant Observation A Perspective from Medieval Food

EXARC Journal, 2017

Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in ... more Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in immersive learning through ethnographic fieldwork. This concept is also important for archaeologists as immersive learning provides an avenue for more robust interpretation and the development of better research questions. Participant observation is not directly possible in the study of medieval archaeology, but replication studies of food culture can serve as one avenue toward immersive learning in archaeology. Replication studies of medieval food, notably the use of medieval cookbooks and replicated medieval vessels, offer insights into medieval life and everyday practice. This paper will discuss two specific examples: replicating a medieval beverage from a fourteenth century cookbook and replicating possible foods cooked in pots from a fifteenth-century tavern in Nuremberg.

Architectural Satire in the Tales of the Miller and Reeve

by Michael Twomey and Scott Stull

The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John t... more The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller in ways that hitherto have been only partially recognized. Since medieval houses determined social interac- tion via their layouts, tra c patterns, and entrances/exits, all of which are crucial in the two tales, this article demonstrates how archaeology and literary criticism together can illuminate the satirical implications of the tales’ two houses. Recognizing the clarity and purposefulness of Chaucer’s architectural logistics, we reconstruct the houses of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller, showing how they support Chaucer’s satire of their owners’ economic aspirations and social pretensions.

From West to East: Current Approaches to Medieval Archaeology

This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in... more This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in North America, with a comprehensive view rather than a local or regional perspective, allowing scholars from different regions access to research from across the medieval world. It includes chapters from well-established professors and up-and-coming scholars. The majority of the papers came from the first annual conference in medieval archaeology held at the State University of New York at Cortland in 2013. This conference gave those located in North America who were interested in medieval archaeology, both of Europe and the Mediterranean world, a chance to see what the latest developments were in the discipline. This volume includes both methodological and theoretical approaches, such as integrating remote sensing with laser scanning or exploring the definition of ethnicity; chapters include Viking Vinland, castles in Ireland and England, several Byzantine and Islamic-era sites in the eastern Mediterranean, and various other topics, ranging from a church in Hungary to the social construction of the medieval diet.

Colonial Houses and Cultural Identity in New York State’s Mohawk River Valley

by Michael Rogers and Scott Stull

Archaeological Discovery, Mar 25, 2014

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and... more In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and different social, political, and cultural groups were creating their identity through action and material culture, including the built environment. Two houses, built in 1749 and 1750, are compared in relation to identity and social position of their owners. The landscape was investigated using archaeogeophysics and targeted excavation to determine how the houses and their landscapes expressed cultural identity in colonial New York. The houses and landscapes reveal how specific identities were created by the owners of the houses as part of their efforts to improve their social, political, and economic standing on the frontier while also providing a defensive structure in the face of potential French raids into the region.

Review of The Archaeology of Post-Medieval Religion

Historical Archaeology, Dec 2012

The Social Order of the Colonial House in Massachusetts

The early colonial house in Massachusetts is a continuation of the post-medieval tradition in Eng... more The early colonial house in Massachusetts is a continuation of the post-medieval tradition in England. The growth and development of the colonial house in the seventeenth century maintained the social order which grew out of the collapse of the middle ages. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Georgian style was brought to New England, and a new form of house was added to the colonial repertoire for use by the elite. From about 1700 to the revolution, two distinct forms of houses, united by a similar stylistic regime, were found in Massachusetts. The spatial order of the two types of houses marked the differences between the elite and non-elite sectors of colonial society, while the Georgian style served to unite it.

Colonization in a Marginal Zone: the Norse in Greenland

The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, ... more The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, with pirate attacks, plague, and hostile natives among the more prevalent explanations offered. This paper integrates a cultural and ecological approach, and suggests that no one single cause can be held accountable, except perhaps the entire range of attributes which made Norse society "Norse."

Experimental Archaeology as Participant Observation: A Perspective from Medieval Food

EXARC Journal, 2017

Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in ... more Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in immersive learning through ethnographic fieldwork. This concept is also important for archaeologists as immersive learning provides an avenue for more robust interpretation and the development of better research questions. Participant observation is not directly possible in the study of medieval archaeology, but replication studies of food culture can serve as one avenue toward immersive learning in archaeology. Replication studies of medieval food, notably the use of medieval cookbooks and replicated medieval vessels, offer insights into medieval life and everyday practice. This paper will discuss two specific examples: replicating a medieval beverage from a fourteenth century cookbook and replicating possible foods cooked in pots from a fifteenth-century tavern in Nuremberg.

Colonization In A Marginal Zone: The Norse In Greenland

The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, ... more The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, with pirate attacks, plague, and hostile natives among the more prevalent explanations offered. This paper integrates a cultural and ecological approach, and suggests no single cause can be held accountable, except perhaps the entire range of attributes which made Norse society "Norse."

A Multi-Method Examination of an American Revolutionary War Era House Fort in New York State’s Mohawk Valley

Archaeological Prospection, 2013

Experimental Archaeology of Medieval Food as Participant Observation

Archaeological Evidence for Trade in Harz Roller Canaries

Northeast historical archaeology, 2016

Using Archaeogeophysical and 3D Laser Surveying to Visualize an Integrated Landscape

King and sayer (editors): the archaeology of Post-Medieval religion

Historical Archaeology, 2012

Finding Fort Hardy: Combining Documentary Research, Archaeo-Geophysics, and Excavation to Locate a French and Indian War Fort

Fort Hardy, a French and Indian War supply fort, was built in 1755 but never saw combat. The ruin... more Fort Hardy, a French and Indian War supply fort, was built in 1755 but never saw combat. The ruined site of Fort Hardy was where the British Army gave up their arms after the Battles of Saratoga, which was the first major victory of the American Revolution. While the general location of the fort is known, the actual boundaries were forgotten through the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Using a combination of documentary research, archaeogeophysics, landscape analysis, and targeted excavation, the western boundary of the fort was relocated, showing the value of this combined approach. Unrelated CRM archaeological testing served to confirm the interpretation of the research results.

Colonial Houses and Cultural Identity in New York State’s Mohawk River Valley

Archaeological Discovery, 2014

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and... more In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and different social, political, and cultural groups were creating their identity through action and material culture, including the built environment. Two houses, built in 1749 and 1750, are compared in relation to identity and social position of their owners. The landscape was investigated using archaeogeophysics and targeted excavation to determine how the houses and their landscapes expressed cultural identity in colonial New York. The houses and landscapes reveal how specific identities were created by the owners of the houses as part of their efforts to improve their social, political, and economic standing on the frontier while also providing a defensive structure in the face of potential French raids into the region.

Architectural Satire in the Tales of the Miller and Reeve

The Chaucer Review, 2016

The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John t... more The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller in ways that hitherto have been only partially recognized. Since medieval houses determined social interaction via their layouts, traffic patterns, and entrances/exits, all of which are crucial in the two tales, this article demonstrates how archaeology and literary criticism together can illuminate the satirical implications of the tales’ two houses. Recognizing the clarity and purposefulness of Chaucer’s architectural logistics, we reconstruct the houses of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller, showing how they support Chaucer’s satire of their owners’ economic aspirations and social pretensions.

From West to East: Current Approaches to Medieval Archaeology

This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in... more This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in North America, with a comprehensive view rather than a local or regional perspective, allowing scholars from different regions access to research from across the medieval world. It includes chapters from well-established professors and up-and-coming scholars. The majority of the papers came from the first annual conference in medieval archaeology held at the State University of New York at Cortland in 2013. This conference gave those located in North America who were interested in medieval archaeology, both of Europe and the Mediterranean world, a chance to see what the latest developments were in the discipline. This volume includes both methodological and theoretical approaches, such as integrating remote sensing with laser scanning or exploring the definition of ethnicity; chapters include Viking Vinland, castles in Ireland and England, several Byzantine and Islamic-era sites in the eastern Mediterranean, and various other topics, ranging from a church in Hungary to the social construction of the medieval diet.

Castles of Conquest or Factionalism and the Creation of Political Landscapes

The Surrender and Aftermath of the Battles

The Saratoga Campaign

Experimental Archaeology as Participant Observation A Perspective from Medieval Food

EXARC Journal, 2017

Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in ... more Central to anthropology is the concept of participant observation, where a researcher engages in immersive learning through ethnographic fieldwork. This concept is also important for archaeologists as immersive learning provides an avenue for more robust interpretation and the development of better research questions. Participant observation is not directly possible in the study of medieval archaeology, but replication studies of food culture can serve as one avenue toward immersive learning in archaeology. Replication studies of medieval food, notably the use of medieval cookbooks and replicated medieval vessels, offer insights into medieval life and everyday practice. This paper will discuss two specific examples: replicating a medieval beverage from a fourteenth century cookbook and replicating possible foods cooked in pots from a fifteenth-century tavern in Nuremberg.

Architectural Satire in the Tales of the Miller and Reeve

by Michael Twomey and Scott Stull

The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John t... more The houses in the Miller’s and Reeve’s Tales mutely speak to Chaucer’s characterization of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller in ways that hitherto have been only partially recognized. Since medieval houses determined social interac- tion via their layouts, tra c patterns, and entrances/exits, all of which are crucial in the two tales, this article demonstrates how archaeology and literary criticism together can illuminate the satirical implications of the tales’ two houses. Recognizing the clarity and purposefulness of Chaucer’s architectural logistics, we reconstruct the houses of John the Carpenter and Symkyn the Miller, showing how they support Chaucer’s satire of their owners’ economic aspirations and social pretensions.

From West to East: Current Approaches to Medieval Archaeology

This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in... more This volume is a collection of current work in medieval archaeology, mainly as it is practiced in North America, with a comprehensive view rather than a local or regional perspective, allowing scholars from different regions access to research from across the medieval world. It includes chapters from well-established professors and up-and-coming scholars. The majority of the papers came from the first annual conference in medieval archaeology held at the State University of New York at Cortland in 2013. This conference gave those located in North America who were interested in medieval archaeology, both of Europe and the Mediterranean world, a chance to see what the latest developments were in the discipline. This volume includes both methodological and theoretical approaches, such as integrating remote sensing with laser scanning or exploring the definition of ethnicity; chapters include Viking Vinland, castles in Ireland and England, several Byzantine and Islamic-era sites in the eastern Mediterranean, and various other topics, ranging from a church in Hungary to the social construction of the medieval diet.

Colonial Houses and Cultural Identity in New York State’s Mohawk River Valley

by Michael Rogers and Scott Stull

Archaeological Discovery, Mar 25, 2014

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and... more In the mid-eighteenth century, the Mohawk River Valley was the colonial frontier in New York, and different social, political, and cultural groups were creating their identity through action and material culture, including the built environment. Two houses, built in 1749 and 1750, are compared in relation to identity and social position of their owners. The landscape was investigated using archaeogeophysics and targeted excavation to determine how the houses and their landscapes expressed cultural identity in colonial New York. The houses and landscapes reveal how specific identities were created by the owners of the houses as part of their efforts to improve their social, political, and economic standing on the frontier while also providing a defensive structure in the face of potential French raids into the region.

Review of The Archaeology of Post-Medieval Religion

Historical Archaeology, Dec 2012

The Social Order of the Colonial House in Massachusetts

The early colonial house in Massachusetts is a continuation of the post-medieval tradition in Eng... more The early colonial house in Massachusetts is a continuation of the post-medieval tradition in England. The growth and development of the colonial house in the seventeenth century maintained the social order which grew out of the collapse of the middle ages. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Georgian style was brought to New England, and a new form of house was added to the colonial repertoire for use by the elite. From about 1700 to the revolution, two distinct forms of houses, united by a similar stylistic regime, were found in Massachusetts. The spatial order of the two types of houses marked the differences between the elite and non-elite sectors of colonial society, while the Georgian style served to unite it.

Colonization in a Marginal Zone: the Norse in Greenland

The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, ... more The reason for the collapse of the Norse colony in Greenland has been debated in the literature, with pirate attacks, plague, and hostile natives among the more prevalent explanations offered. This paper integrates a cultural and ecological approach, and suggests that no one single cause can be held accountable, except perhaps the entire range of attributes which made Norse society "Norse."

Gift giving, Fortifications, and the structure of power in late 12th-century Germany

The organization of power in medieval Europe is often discussed in terms of the feudal order, the... more The organization of power in medieval Europe is often discussed in terms of the feudal order, the idealized system of hierarchical power distribution of medieval Europe. In medieval Germany, a unique institution of unfree knights, or ministerials, developed to counter the autonomous tendencies of the German nobility. One group of ministerials of the late twelfth century will be discussed using archaeological evidence, exploring the structure of authority created by the Holy Roman Emperor in the late twelfth century in the wake of the defeat of Henry the Lion of Saxony.

From symbol of royal authority to religious treasure: Hedwig Beakers in medieval Europe.

Norman royal authority in Sicily was challenged from its beginnings in 1130 until its conquest by... more Norman royal authority in Sicily was challenged from its beginnings in 1130 until its conquest by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1194. A wide variety of techniques were used by the Norman Kings to support their rule, including art, architecture, and material culture. Based on recent research in glass studies, the objects known as Hedwig Beakers, associated with St Hedwig of Silesia, should be included in the Norman projection of royal identity. Discussion of the Holy Roman Emperor, members of the Andechs family in his court, and St Hedwig herself will reveal how this transformation took place.

Objects, Action, and Places: Hedwig Beakers from Norman Sicily to the Holy Roman Empire.

Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration relies on the concept of action in space and time as the... more Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration relies on the concept of action in space and time as the origin of meaning and culture in society. Structuration also applies to action and meaning in objects or material culture. A group of objects now known as Hedwig Beakers demonstrate both how material culture and meaning was transmitted from Islamic Egypt and North Africa to Norman Sicily, and how that meaning changed when these objects were relocated to the Holy Roman Empire after the end of the Norman dynasty in Sicily.
Hedwig Beakers are carved glass cups made in the style of Egyptian and other Islamic glass and crystal work. Carved glass and crystal was given a specific social and political meaning in the southern and eastern Mediterranean, and that meaning was transmitted to Sicily and adopted by the Norman rulers during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Used in Sicily, the cups now known as Hedwig Beakers served as one of many material supports to Norman authority. When Sicily was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, support for Norman rulership was no longer desirable. The objects carried economic and social value, though, and so were distributed as rewards to Imperial allies. Among them was Hedwig of Silesia, a member of the Andechs family and later sainted for piety. The glass cups became associated with St Hedwig and religious piety, transforming these formerly political objects into religious icons.

Chaucer's Houses in the Miller's and Reeve's tales

Using an approach rooted in archaeology and built environment studies helps develop an understand... more

Field School in Medieval Archaeology Summer 2016

This four week summer course offers a unique field school opportunity, giving students the opport... more

ARKEO3035 Medieval Archaeology syllabus Summer2014