What about this...
Say I plotted all of the known Fremont residential sites by UTMs, and classified them by the dominant ceramic series (i.e., Paragonah=Snake Valley, Five Finger Ridge=Sevier, etc). Then, I would do a k-means cluster analysis of the sites.
I would then overlay the two maps, one with the clusters and one with the dominant ceramic type.
What exactly would it mean if the sites clustered by ceramic type? I think that this would be meaningful, but I'm not exactly sure how. Your input would be appreciated...
Monday, November 21, 2005
Yoffee against optimal foraging.
This post is partly in response to the "semester review" knowledge exchange.
In 501, we've been reading Myths of the Archaic State, by Norman Yoffee.
Yoffee talks about a lot of interesting things, and I will post a better summary once the semester is over. While reading last night, I saw a tidbit about optimal foraging. I'm preaching to the choir, but here it is:
"Rhys Jones (1978) studied a situation in which prehistoric Tasmaninas stopped eating fish after many hundreds of years in which fish were an important part of their diet. Whereas this decision makes no sense to some archaeologists, it shows for others that choices made by hunter-gatherers cannot be reduced to optimal strategies for exploiting the environment" (Yoffee 2005:162).
Sounds pretty good to me.
In 501, we've been reading Myths of the Archaic State, by Norman Yoffee.
Yoffee talks about a lot of interesting things, and I will post a better summary once the semester is over. While reading last night, I saw a tidbit about optimal foraging. I'm preaching to the choir, but here it is:
"Rhys Jones (1978) studied a situation in which prehistoric Tasmaninas stopped eating fish after many hundreds of years in which fish were an important part of their diet. Whereas this decision makes no sense to some archaeologists, it shows for others that choices made by hunter-gatherers cannot be reduced to optimal strategies for exploiting the environment" (Yoffee 2005:162).
Sounds pretty good to me.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
A New Feature -- The Semester in Review
I'd like to see a new feature here at FOF, the "semster in review".
Basically, those of us still taking or teaching classes would post a brief synopsis of each class, and then review it. Was it useful? Did you learn anything cool? Here is some stuff the rest of us should check out? Etc.
Good idea? If you're not in class you can put up some projects or research you've been working on too.
Basically, those of us still taking or teaching classes would post a brief synopsis of each class, and then review it. Was it useful? Did you learn anything cool? Here is some stuff the rest of us should check out? Etc.
Good idea? If you're not in class you can put up some projects or research you've been working on too.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Southwest Symposium
Do all of you vets of the SW seminar remember Jim talking about the Southwest Symposium?
Apparently Jim is going, and openly invited any interested parties. Since presenting at this symposium is by invitaion only, we would be going as spectators, but it still sounds like it could be fun. There are some interesting topics for discussion.
Take a look:
http://www.antrocom.it/file/Southwest0106.pdf
On a side note, he threw a jab in the direction of the GBAC and other conferences, mentioning that the Southwest Symposium is much more polished and professional due to the "invitation only" nature of the forum.
Apparently Jim is going, and openly invited any interested parties. Since presenting at this symposium is by invitaion only, we would be going as spectators, but it still sounds like it could be fun. There are some interesting topics for discussion.
Take a look:
http://www.antrocom.it/file/Southwest0106.pdf
On a side note, he threw a jab in the direction of the GBAC and other conferences, mentioning that the Southwest Symposium is much more polished and professional due to the "invitation only" nature of the forum.
Friday, November 11, 2005
OPA Website
I wanted to let everyone know that the new and improved OPA website is now available for your viewing enjoyment. Just point your browser to http://opa.byu.edu and feast on the eye candy that abounds. Some of the site is still under construction but the majority of the site is functioning.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Great Basin points can't win
I glanced at Hockett's AA article last night and noticed that the proj points had been mislabeled again. If the Smithsonian can't get it right we shouldn't expect AA to I guess...
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Bombs in Jordan
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9979747/
Looks like you won't be getting back to dig for a while Holly...
Looks like you won't be getting back to dig for a while Holly...
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Palm Trees and Island Shores
Well I'm afraid I'll be incommunicato for the next week and a half. Why you ask? Because my friends, I'll be laying on the beachs of Hawaii from Nov 10th through the 18th. Yes...as you all know I am independently wealth, money by the bucket loads. So I thought I would just hop over to the islands for a little break. Ok, the independently wealth part is untrue but the rest is. Sally's family has always gone to Hawaii for Christmas instead of giving presents, but since the kids are all grown up and have families, they don't take everyone anymore. Instead they try to take one of the families each year. So this year its our turn. All we have to pay for is food. I inform you all of this because I will be away from the internet during this time and will not be able to respond to the intellectually stimulating conversations going on. But didn't want you to think it was because I was a slacker like Holly. Aloha.
Friday, November 04, 2005
$400
I feel a little guilty, but I scored $400 bucks from graduate studies to attend the RMAC in Park City. In my application, I implied that my research would help shape economies in developing nations.
Anyone else score? And yes, I am going to hell...
Anyone else score? And yes, I am going to hell...
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Great Basin Foraging in American Antiquity
After school today, I came home to find everyone's favorite academic journal in my mailbox.
I've yet to read them, but there are TWO articles on Great Basin subsistence strategies in the Archaic and Holocene. One by some people from Far Western Anthropological Research Group, CA and one by Bryan Hocket from the Elko BLM. They look interesting.
When/if we have time to read them, they should provide good discussion fodder.
Unless of course, we aren't finished with the Green Hoagie motif....
I've yet to read them, but there are TWO articles on Great Basin subsistence strategies in the Archaic and Holocene. One by some people from Far Western Anthropological Research Group, CA and one by Bryan Hocket from the Elko BLM. They look interesting.
When/if we have time to read them, they should provide good discussion fodder.
Unless of course, we aren't finished with the Green Hoagie motif....
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Welcome Molly
FOF is proud to welcome Molly Hall as our newest member. Long may you post, and long may the Stars and Stripes wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave...
Monday, October 31, 2005
Technoarchaeology in Action
Having seen that my posts have been far and few between (few being the key word) I thought I'd give a summary of some "Technoarchaeology" in action and add another post to my name. The field is alive and well as coined by Mike and Scott so long ago. My work the past few months has actually been consumed by it. These are a few of the innovating avenues my company is taking in an effort to get archaeology up to speed with the rest of the technological savvy world.
All data collected from surveys, monitoring, etc. related to the
The Access database is the key to whole process. The database not only stores and organizes all information collected in the field, but feeds data into any query or report imaginable. Our database prints out IMACS forms, as well as feeds into SPSS (our stats program).
The Visual Basic programs capture data that we would normally record on an IMACS form while in the field. Data such as flake size, vegetation, landforms, etc. These VB (Visual Basic) programs ensure accuracy and consistency. They are “dummy” friendly and require little, if any, actual user input. The program consists of a handful of forms. These forms contain combo and list boxes that are populated by items that we would expect the user to record. For example, the drop down box for a combo box labeled “Site Type” lets a user select “Lithic Scatter, Quarry, Habitation, Camp, Rock Shelter, Agave Pits, Rock Art.” Thus, all the field crew must do is point and click! Sites are recorded in minutes. The VB program saves the information that a user selects into comma-delimitated text file. The files are automatically saved with a date stamp, ensuring that all data is organized by day and section surveyed. At the end of each field day the files are attached to an email and sent to me in the office. All I have to do is back the files up on the serve and import them into the Access database. Quick and painless; we waste no time transferring data from paper to electronic form.
This is still in the works but we are writing a program that allows site sketches and artifact sketches to be recorded on the handhelds and saved in a format able to be imported into Pathfinder office and/or Arc View as a shape file to be added to concurrently collected GPS coverage.
This same process can be replicated by anyone having knowledge of Access and a little code writing experience. Code is difficult to learn at first but after a few months of editing code on previous programs I’ve actually been able to write my own without too much difficulty. Starting next Monday we begin a project in
Its refreshing to know that some companies like this are pursuing more efficient and consistent means of recording sites. As we all venture off to various places, it’ll be exciting to hear how other companies/institutions are embracing the new field of Technoarchaeology!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
What makes a Fremont - a thesis excerpt
In a sense, seeking a definition of the Fremont is a moot point. The dominant theoretical perspective claims it is impossible, and the dissident minority insists that doing so isn’t useful. What the two factions do seem to agree on is the need for a rough definition of the Fremont as an archaeological culture, a “constantly recurring assemblage of artefacts which are assumed to be representative of a particular set of activities carried out at a particular time and place” (Darvill 2002:109). Madsen (1989:67) proposes that the term “Fremont” should be applied as an “umbrella” to include a diversity of human behavior. Four relatively distinct artifact classes are identified as the material manifestations of this behavior: one-rod-and-bundle basketry, the “Fremont” hock-style moccasin, distinctive trapezoidal anthropomorphic figures in rock art and clay figurines, and distinctive grayware pottery. The umbrella concept is declared “useful” by Janetski and Talbot (2000a:7), particularly in its rejection of bounded models of regional variation. To Madsen’s list of common physical objects they add architecture and socio-economic emphases.
With a macroscalar approach, general material patterns among the Formative people north of the Colorado River can be delineated. The Fremont were fairly sedentary pithouse dwellers (Talbot 2000a, 2000b) for whom maize was a major food source, though an assortment of wild food resources were also exploited (for a summary of Fremont subsistence see Janetski and Newman 2000). A distinctive style of basketry, moccasin, pottery, and art distinguish the Fremont from their neighbors (Adavasio 1986; and Madsen 1989). These fairly egalitarian people, with four known exceptions, also buried their dead without preserved objects (Madsen and Lindsay 1977; Roberts 1991; Janetski and Talbot 2000a).
The people that shared these archaeologically observable characteristics may have recognized a variety of group affiliations among themselves. They may have shared a common language, but they just as likely could have spoken a variety of distinct languages or dialects. Some may have not even recognized an affiliation between their own kin group and other prehistoric farmers with the characteristics listed above. Regardless of how Fremont groups organized themselves socially and politically, the material culture traits shared across the Fremont area are meaningful, indicating some sort of commonality. The nature and meaning of this commonality are beyond the scope of this research, and I recognize that this is a difficult subject to address with archaeological evidence. I argue, however, that the subject is an important one that demands further investigation. Rather than seeing the Fremont material culture complex as some sort of indicator of a pan-Fremont identity, I interpret these shared characteristics as the material manifestation of participation in an agricultural-based regional system north of the Colorado River (Janetski and Talbot 2000a) that archaeologists have identified as “Fremont.”
With a macroscalar approach, general material patterns among the Formative people north of the Colorado River can be delineated. The Fremont were fairly sedentary pithouse dwellers (Talbot 2000a, 2000b) for whom maize was a major food source, though an assortment of wild food resources were also exploited (for a summary of Fremont subsistence see Janetski and Newman 2000). A distinctive style of basketry, moccasin, pottery, and art distinguish the Fremont from their neighbors (Adavasio 1986; and Madsen 1989). These fairly egalitarian people, with four known exceptions, also buried their dead without preserved objects (Madsen and Lindsay 1977; Roberts 1991; Janetski and Talbot 2000a).
The people that shared these archaeologically observable characteristics may have recognized a variety of group affiliations among themselves. They may have shared a common language, but they just as likely could have spoken a variety of distinct languages or dialects. Some may have not even recognized an affiliation between their own kin group and other prehistoric farmers with the characteristics listed above. Regardless of how Fremont groups organized themselves socially and politically, the material culture traits shared across the Fremont area are meaningful, indicating some sort of commonality. The nature and meaning of this commonality are beyond the scope of this research, and I recognize that this is a difficult subject to address with archaeological evidence. I argue, however, that the subject is an important one that demands further investigation. Rather than seeing the Fremont material culture complex as some sort of indicator of a pan-Fremont identity, I interpret these shared characteristics as the material manifestation of participation in an agricultural-based regional system north of the Colorado River (Janetski and Talbot 2000a) that archaeologists have identified as “Fremont.”
Friday, October 28, 2005
Fremont mortuary practices - where the H are they?
Cady and I were talking today about Fremont mortuary practices. After digging for 4 years in Escalante, we didn't find one Fremont burial. Does that strike anyone else as strange? Similarly, in the 10 years of digging that UCLA did in the Parowan Valley, they found maybe 10-15 burials, of which only a few were "formal" internments. We really don't find too many burials at all do we? Were there even any found in all of Clear Creek?
What if the Fremont were burying most of their people outside of the residential sites, you know, maybe just out in the woods or something. Here's how it could be tested.
1. Compile a database of known Fremont burials, Yoder style. I bet there are less than 200 known, it wouldn't be that hard to do. The most important field would be "burial context" (i.e., house floor, midden, etc).
2. Calculate a per capita ratio of people buried in village contexts / number of residential structures.
3. Do the same calculation for some contemporary PII sites. Include some big pueblos as well as some unit pueblos.
4. Compare the two figures.
Essentially, we'd have a rough idea of how many Fremont and Anasazi folks were buried within their settlement per household. The Anasazi numbers are going to be through the roof when compared to the Fremont. We think that per household, there were far fewer individuals buried within the village, and that they had to be buried somewhere else. Ideas??
What if the Fremont were burying most of their people outside of the residential sites, you know, maybe just out in the woods or something. Here's how it could be tested.
1. Compile a database of known Fremont burials, Yoder style. I bet there are less than 200 known, it wouldn't be that hard to do. The most important field would be "burial context" (i.e., house floor, midden, etc).
2. Calculate a per capita ratio of people buried in village contexts / number of residential structures.
3. Do the same calculation for some contemporary PII sites. Include some big pueblos as well as some unit pueblos.
4. Compare the two figures.
Essentially, we'd have a rough idea of how many Fremont and Anasazi folks were buried within their settlement per household. The Anasazi numbers are going to be through the roof when compared to the Fremont. We think that per household, there were far fewer individuals buried within the village, and that they had to be buried somewhere else. Ideas??
Do YOU want to become a Friend of the Fremont?
If you've been lurking, waiting, yearning to join us in our friendship with and investigation of the Fremont, here is your opportunity to join. Post a comment on this thread about why you'd like to join us, and we'll consider adding you to the team. We'll need your email address, which you could forward to an existing member (if you don't want it on the internet) or just leave it in your comment. Please keep in mind that if you're deemed a non-participant, you'll be booted! We welcome contributors, and kick out the loads! Holly is pretty much almost kicked out, so let her be a lesson to the rest of you.
Aaron's Blog
Hey, this is actually a quick note for Aaron. I tried to post a comment on your blog, but am not a "team member", so I wasn't allowed to post. Maybe you could take that filter off. I promise I won't SPAM you. For those who have not visited, it is quite a thrill. Aaron has posted some sharp ideas that may cut you to the core. No puns intended...just really bad humor.
http://www.toolreplication.blogspot.com/
Peace in the Middle West
http://www.toolreplication.blogspot.com/
Peace in the Middle West
Friday, October 21, 2005
My First Hohokam Paper
Here in the Phoenix Basin, there exists a "sacred" map of the prehistoric Hohokam settlements made by Omar Turney in the 1920s. This map is almost always taken at face value, even though some of Turney's informants were known to be full of it.
I have decided to evaluate the plots of these sites by plotting the map over ALL of the CRM projects undertaken in the Valley. I will code each site for the presence/absence of buried features and tag all of the confirmed canal locations to see which plots are correct and which ones may be dubious. Most of this information is contained in the City of Phoenix archaeological database. I have a meeting with the City of Phoenix archaeologist next week to discuss the research.
KIVA here I come!
I have decided to evaluate the plots of these sites by plotting the map over ALL of the CRM projects undertaken in the Valley. I will code each site for the presence/absence of buried features and tag all of the confirmed canal locations to see which plots are correct and which ones may be dubious. Most of this information is contained in the City of Phoenix archaeological database. I have a meeting with the City of Phoenix archaeologist next week to discuss the research.
KIVA here I come!
James Adovasio and pre Clovis
Last night James Adovasio came and gave a guest lecture on the current changing views of Clovis and info on pre-Clovis groups. It was pretty darn good. He talked about some of the reasons that Clovis has always been seen as a big game hunting culture and how excavations in the past 20 years have really been changing this view. It's looking, he says, more and more like Clovis subsistence and settelment was much more like the Archaic than anyone wanted to recognize. Then he went on and talked about his Meadowcroft Rockshelter excavations and the old dates he got out of there (in addition to Clovis dates he had some as early as 14,000). Finally he wrapped up discussing some current sites with dates ranging from 20,000BP on up into the Archaic. He says the the archaeologists working on these sites have been really careful and he believes the dates. It was really interesting. I'm pretty sure North Creek Shelter is going back at least into the 20,000's! Adovasio got his degree from the good ole University of Utah. We went out to dinner with him before the lecture and he talked a little about Jennings. And let me say this, although he was the man, the more I hear about him the more I'm glad I wasn't around the same time he was. Sounds like a tough dude. Anyway, so there's your dose of daily Paleo info. (Paleo info, cool...say it again Paallleeeoooo iinnnnffffoooo)
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