Page 20. Society for Applied Anthropology 20 The Old Main Project By James M. Skibo [ jmskibo@ il... more Page 20. Society for Applied Anthropology 20 The Old Main Project By James M. Skibo [ jmskibo@ ilstu. edu] and Gina L. Hunter [glhunt2@ ilstu. edu] Professors of Anthropology Illinois State University he―Old Main Project ...
People and Things: A Performance-Based Theory.- Behavior, Selection, Agency, Practice, and Beyond... more People and Things: A Performance-Based Theory.- Behavior, Selection, Agency, Practice, and Beyond.- The Origins of Pottery on the Colorado Plateau.- Smudge Pits and Hide Smoking.- The Devil is in the Details.- Ritual Performance: Ball Courts and Religious Interaction.- Social Theory and History in Behavioral Archaeology: Gender, Social Class, and the Demise of the Early Electric Car.- Studying Technological Differentiation.
Abstract Why was pottery developed and adopted? Food residues on ceramic material from three site... more Abstract Why was pottery developed and adopted? Food residues on ceramic material from three sites in the Upper Great Lakes region of North America suggest that there is no single answer, and contradict previous indications that pottery was created for the ritual processing of fish oil. Samples from two sites showed evidence of both plant and animal remains, but no fish oils were detected, even for the site believed to be a fishing camp. Nut oils dominated for the third site, being present on both fire-cracked rocks and pottery, and were suggestive of an acorn-rendering process. All of the vessels were ideally suited to slow simmering, but it seems that their applications were diverse.
Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology, 1992
Beginning in 1973, the Kalinga became the focus of a long-term ethnoarchaeological study (Longacr... more Beginning in 1973, the Kalinga became the focus of a long-term ethnoarchaeological study (Longacre 1974). Longacre made a yearlong study in 1975–1976 and again during 1987–1988 with a field team from the University of Arizona and the University of the Philippines. (For a discussion of Kalinga ethnoarchaeological research, see Graves 1981, 1985, 1991; Longacre 1974, 1981, 1985, 1991b; Longacre and Skibo n.d.; Longacre et al. 1991; Stark 1991.)
Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology, 1992
The previous chapter defined ethnoarchaeology and experimental archaeology and discussed their re... more The previous chapter defined ethnoarchaeology and experimental archaeology and discussed their relationship to archaeological inference. This chapter outlines the role of pottery use-alteration studies in archaeology, focusing on how they can be employed to determine technofunction. Research of pottery technofunction focuses on two different components of pottery utilization: intended and actual use. Recent work in each area is reviewed, and it is argued that research that reconstructs how pottery was actually used, principally through use-alteration analysis, provides the best information for reconstructing past activity. The final section of the chapter outlines a framework for pottery use alteration. Drawing on lithic use-wear research, this framework incorporates all forms of ceramic alteration (use- and nonuse-related) from pottery manufacture through archaeological recovery.
... Stanislawski (1973) for example, used research among the Hopi-Tewa to suggest that other mode... more ... Stanislawski (1973) for example, used research among the Hopi-Tewa to suggest that other modes of design-style transmission from one ... Nancy and Edita Sugao, Judith Sagayo, Iya Lubuagon, Thomasa Dawagon, and John and Delia Sawil (Guina-ang); and Ben Blaza (Ableg). ...
Of the Bnew archaeologists^who developed social models for prehistoric organization, William A. L... more Of the Bnew archaeologists^who developed social models for prehistoric organization, William A. Longacre was a pioneer. Here, we review his contributions and the role he played in expanding archaeological method, theory, and practice. His innovative work in the American Southwest involving ceramic sociology was emulated, critiqued, and extended by several generations of archaeologists. Recognizing the concerns raised by this early work, Longacre developed one of the most successful ethnoarchaeological projects in the world among the Kalinga of northern Luzon in the Philippines. His work and that of his students and colleagues examined multiple, interconnected aspects of ceramic variability linked to a variety of social, technological, functional, and economic processes. Kalinga data and analyses continue to inform archaeological practices and conclusions. Throughout his career, Longacre mentored archaeologists in both the USA and the Philippines, extending his influence geographically and establishing himself as one of the most important practitioners of processual archaeology.
By the 1970s ethnoarchaeology took on a more central role in archaeological method and theory. Du... more By the 1970s ethnoarchaeology took on a more central role in archaeological method and theory. During that era some of the classic ethnoarchaeological projects took place across the globe, all with the general aim of making archaeology more anthropological. Since that time, there have been an increasing number of ethnoarchaeological projects serving not just the original Processual Archaeology goals but also the concerns of an expanding archaeological theory. Despite this increase in ethnoarchaeology, there is a general belief that it does little to serve the concerns of those doing "real archaeology, " that is excavating and making inferences about past activity. Through an analysis of citations in American Antiquity, I assess how ethnoarchaeological work has been used by prehistorians and whether there truly is a disjunction between ethnoarchaeological research and prehistoric reconstructions. In doing so, I explore the role of ethnoarchaeology in theory building, whether archaeological theory really matters, and the most productive way to employ ethnoarchaeological research. It is argued that archaeological theories come and go like snake-oil cures but those that last focus on the relationships between people and material culture. One such theory, a performance-based approach, is offered and contrasted with agency and practice theories.
ABSTRACT The adoption of pottery in the Upper Great Lakes region occurs quite late compared to th... more ABSTRACT The adoption of pottery in the Upper Great Lakes region occurs quite late compared to the greater Eastern Woodlands. Recent organic residue analyses suggest that the earliest pottery in the Upper Great Lakes region was likely used to process acorns. Through experimental means using temperature as a proxy, this paper evaluates the efficacy of leaching tannins from acorns by comparing two regionally available cooking technologies: stone boiling versus simmering in a ceramic vessel. Our results indicate that tannins can be more effectively leached at simmering temperatures like those provided by ceramic vessels. At boiling temperatures, tannins are irreversibly bound to the acorn starches, rendering the nutmeat inedible in further processing. While there are a number of reasons to adopt and use pottery, it appears that processing acorns may be another important addition to this growing list.
Three Na'tional Science Foundation awards supported my research. Data collection was supported by... more Three Na'tional Science Foundation awards supported my research. Data collection was supported by funds (BNS-87-10275) awarded to W.A. Longacre, the analysis was fund,ad by a dissertation improvement grant (BNS-09-15359), and laboratory and analytical research money came from two grants (BNS-86-46597 and BNS-89-01797) awarded to M.B. Schiffer. Research among the Kalinga was a rewarding profesElional and personal experience. Although many people in the village made our stay both pleasant and productive, our assistants need special thanks. They include Amboy Lingbawan,
... and Strategies of Knowledge Formation in American Archaeology 40 ALAN P. SULLIVAN III 4 Some ... more ... and Strategies of Knowledge Formation in American Archaeology 40 ALAN P. SULLIVAN III 4 Some Thoughts on the Archaeological Study of Social Organization 57 MICHAEL BRIAN SCHIFFER 5 Smudge Pits and Hide Smoking Revisited 72 JAMES M. SKIBO, JOHN G ...
Page 20. Society for Applied Anthropology 20 The Old Main Project By James M. Skibo [ jmskibo@ il... more Page 20. Society for Applied Anthropology 20 The Old Main Project By James M. Skibo [ jmskibo@ ilstu. edu] and Gina L. Hunter [glhunt2@ ilstu. edu] Professors of Anthropology Illinois State University he―Old Main Project ...
People and Things: A Performance-Based Theory.- Behavior, Selection, Agency, Practice, and Beyond... more People and Things: A Performance-Based Theory.- Behavior, Selection, Agency, Practice, and Beyond.- The Origins of Pottery on the Colorado Plateau.- Smudge Pits and Hide Smoking.- The Devil is in the Details.- Ritual Performance: Ball Courts and Religious Interaction.- Social Theory and History in Behavioral Archaeology: Gender, Social Class, and the Demise of the Early Electric Car.- Studying Technological Differentiation.
Abstract Why was pottery developed and adopted? Food residues on ceramic material from three site... more Abstract Why was pottery developed and adopted? Food residues on ceramic material from three sites in the Upper Great Lakes region of North America suggest that there is no single answer, and contradict previous indications that pottery was created for the ritual processing of fish oil. Samples from two sites showed evidence of both plant and animal remains, but no fish oils were detected, even for the site believed to be a fishing camp. Nut oils dominated for the third site, being present on both fire-cracked rocks and pottery, and were suggestive of an acorn-rendering process. All of the vessels were ideally suited to slow simmering, but it seems that their applications were diverse.
Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology, 1992
Beginning in 1973, the Kalinga became the focus of a long-term ethnoarchaeological study (Longacr... more Beginning in 1973, the Kalinga became the focus of a long-term ethnoarchaeological study (Longacre 1974). Longacre made a yearlong study in 1975–1976 and again during 1987–1988 with a field team from the University of Arizona and the University of the Philippines. (For a discussion of Kalinga ethnoarchaeological research, see Graves 1981, 1985, 1991; Longacre 1974, 1981, 1985, 1991b; Longacre and Skibo n.d.; Longacre et al. 1991; Stark 1991.)
Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology, 1992
The previous chapter defined ethnoarchaeology and experimental archaeology and discussed their re... more The previous chapter defined ethnoarchaeology and experimental archaeology and discussed their relationship to archaeological inference. This chapter outlines the role of pottery use-alteration studies in archaeology, focusing on how they can be employed to determine technofunction. Research of pottery technofunction focuses on two different components of pottery utilization: intended and actual use. Recent work in each area is reviewed, and it is argued that research that reconstructs how pottery was actually used, principally through use-alteration analysis, provides the best information for reconstructing past activity. The final section of the chapter outlines a framework for pottery use alteration. Drawing on lithic use-wear research, this framework incorporates all forms of ceramic alteration (use- and nonuse-related) from pottery manufacture through archaeological recovery.
... Stanislawski (1973) for example, used research among the Hopi-Tewa to suggest that other mode... more ... Stanislawski (1973) for example, used research among the Hopi-Tewa to suggest that other modes of design-style transmission from one ... Nancy and Edita Sugao, Judith Sagayo, Iya Lubuagon, Thomasa Dawagon, and John and Delia Sawil (Guina-ang); and Ben Blaza (Ableg). ...
Of the Bnew archaeologists^who developed social models for prehistoric organization, William A. L... more Of the Bnew archaeologists^who developed social models for prehistoric organization, William A. Longacre was a pioneer. Here, we review his contributions and the role he played in expanding archaeological method, theory, and practice. His innovative work in the American Southwest involving ceramic sociology was emulated, critiqued, and extended by several generations of archaeologists. Recognizing the concerns raised by this early work, Longacre developed one of the most successful ethnoarchaeological projects in the world among the Kalinga of northern Luzon in the Philippines. His work and that of his students and colleagues examined multiple, interconnected aspects of ceramic variability linked to a variety of social, technological, functional, and economic processes. Kalinga data and analyses continue to inform archaeological practices and conclusions. Throughout his career, Longacre mentored archaeologists in both the USA and the Philippines, extending his influence geographically and establishing himself as one of the most important practitioners of processual archaeology.
By the 1970s ethnoarchaeology took on a more central role in archaeological method and theory. Du... more By the 1970s ethnoarchaeology took on a more central role in archaeological method and theory. During that era some of the classic ethnoarchaeological projects took place across the globe, all with the general aim of making archaeology more anthropological. Since that time, there have been an increasing number of ethnoarchaeological projects serving not just the original Processual Archaeology goals but also the concerns of an expanding archaeological theory. Despite this increase in ethnoarchaeology, there is a general belief that it does little to serve the concerns of those doing "real archaeology, " that is excavating and making inferences about past activity. Through an analysis of citations in American Antiquity, I assess how ethnoarchaeological work has been used by prehistorians and whether there truly is a disjunction between ethnoarchaeological research and prehistoric reconstructions. In doing so, I explore the role of ethnoarchaeology in theory building, whether archaeological theory really matters, and the most productive way to employ ethnoarchaeological research. It is argued that archaeological theories come and go like snake-oil cures but those that last focus on the relationships between people and material culture. One such theory, a performance-based approach, is offered and contrasted with agency and practice theories.
ABSTRACT The adoption of pottery in the Upper Great Lakes region occurs quite late compared to th... more ABSTRACT The adoption of pottery in the Upper Great Lakes region occurs quite late compared to the greater Eastern Woodlands. Recent organic residue analyses suggest that the earliest pottery in the Upper Great Lakes region was likely used to process acorns. Through experimental means using temperature as a proxy, this paper evaluates the efficacy of leaching tannins from acorns by comparing two regionally available cooking technologies: stone boiling versus simmering in a ceramic vessel. Our results indicate that tannins can be more effectively leached at simmering temperatures like those provided by ceramic vessels. At boiling temperatures, tannins are irreversibly bound to the acorn starches, rendering the nutmeat inedible in further processing. While there are a number of reasons to adopt and use pottery, it appears that processing acorns may be another important addition to this growing list.
Three Na'tional Science Foundation awards supported my research. Data collection was supported by... more Three Na'tional Science Foundation awards supported my research. Data collection was supported by funds (BNS-87-10275) awarded to W.A. Longacre, the analysis was fund,ad by a dissertation improvement grant (BNS-09-15359), and laboratory and analytical research money came from two grants (BNS-86-46597 and BNS-89-01797) awarded to M.B. Schiffer. Research among the Kalinga was a rewarding profesElional and personal experience. Although many people in the village made our stay both pleasant and productive, our assistants need special thanks. They include Amboy Lingbawan,
... and Strategies of Knowledge Formation in American Archaeology 40 ALAN P. SULLIVAN III 4 Some ... more ... and Strategies of Knowledge Formation in American Archaeology 40 ALAN P. SULLIVAN III 4 Some Thoughts on the Archaeological Study of Social Organization 57 MICHAEL BRIAN SCHIFFER 5 Smudge Pits and Hide Smoking Revisited 72 JAMES M. SKIBO, JOHN G ...
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