Cordage from the Ozette village archaeological site A technological, functional, and comparative study

In this report prehistoric cordage artifacts from the Ozette Village archaeological site (45CA24) and other Northwest Coast water- logged sites are examined on three analytical levels. First, the cord- age attribute~ (modes) are considered and compared between sites. Second, cordage .stylistic/technological classes (types) and subclasses are created using a paradigmatic classification scheme. These cordage types and subtypes are compared between sites through the use of cluster analysis techniques. The results of these comparisons indicate a continuity of cordage styles in three separate regions of the Northwest Coast for the last 2000 to 3000 years, potentially indicating cultural continuity in these regions. These results were obtained when comparing basketry modes and types from these sites (Croes 1977b) and, in combination, these data support a hypothesis of regional cultural continuity in these regions. And third, a techno-functional 'classification of cordage artifacts from Ozette Village and other sites is considered. The Ozette cordage materials are especially useful for this purpose since they generally are recovered in their original context in ~ prehistoric household. Comparisons of cordage functional categories from each Northwest Coast wet site demonstrate specific site-use differences. Not only can fishing stations be suggested by the abundance of nets or fishline leaders recovered .at different sites,· but the type of fishing practiced can be demonstrated. The three-level analysis of cordage from Ozette Village and other Northwest Coast wet sites demonstrates a special analytic value for cordage in Northwest Coast prehistoric research

RAGBRAI Learn about the Land; Day 4, July 2012

The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist and Team Archaeology are back on RAGBRAI for another year of Archaeology on the Road, and pleased to partner this year with the IDNR: Geological and Water Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey under the theme “Human and Natural History Partners.” Archaeology on the Road brings you the unique cultural history and prehistory of Iowa on the RAGBRAI route, pointing out interesting and significant archaeological sites and sharing Iowa’s past along the way. Look for our booth at Expo and then again on Days 1, 5 and 6 on the route, and also keep an eye out for our Team Archaeolog

Maritime archaeology in the Mediterranean

The archaeological study of the Mediterranean sea and its coasts is, for the most part, thought of as underwater archaeology, and the history of maritime archaeology in the Mediterranean has conventionally been conceived as the story of underwater exploration. However, the discipline of archaeology as a whole has continued to develop, and the concern with conceptual issues which has characterized much archaeological scholarship in recent years is having an effect on the study of cultural remains found, not just on land, but in the sea as well. This paper will start with a brief review of the history of maritime archaeology in the Mediterranean region, and proceed to consider some of the new approaches which promise to deliver stimulating insights into the function of the sea and the role of seafarers during prehistoric and historic times.peer-reviewe

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology: Characters and Collections

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology first opened its doors in 1915, and since then has attracted visitors from all over the world as well as providing valuable teaching resources. Named after its founder, the pioneering archaeologist Flinders Petrie, the Museum holds more than 80,000 objects and is one of the largest and finest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world. Richly illustrated and engagingly written, the book moves back and forth between recent history and the ancient past, between objects and people. Experts discuss the discovery, history and care of key objects in the collections such as the Koptos lions and Roman era panel portraits. The rich and varied history of the Petrie Museum is revealed by the secrets that sit on its shelves

What may be learnt about the archaeology of islands from archaeologically derived models of the exploration of Polynesia, 1966-2001?

Polynesian archaeology is one regional specialization in the world-wide practice of archaeological investigations of islands, oceans and seas. It is timely to consider how Polynesian archaeology fits within that newly-articulated framework of theoretical and methodological advances concerned with islands. To do this, I examine the history of archaeologically-derived models of the exploration of Polynesia developed since the invention of radiocarbon dating

Archaeology on the Road Again, July 2009

Team Archaeology is back for a second year to share the history of Iowa with the riders and supporters of RAGBRAI

When archaeology meets communities : impacting interactions in Sicily over two eras (Messina, 1861-1918)

When Archaeology Meets Communities examines the history of nineteenth-century Sicilian archaeology through the archival documentation for the excavations – official and casual – at Tindari, Lipari and nearby minor sites in the Messina province from Italy’s Unification to the end of the First World War (1861-1918). The area and historical period have been fully neglected by past scholars and need in-depth investigation. The substantial evidence includes sets of approximately six hundred new records and black and white images from Italian and UK archives. The historical reconstruction, based on analysis of these records, lays the foundations for the entire volume and forms the basis from which the book develops innovative outlines on Sicilian archaeology. The structure follows this central concept. Furthermore, the volume seeks: a) to clarify relationships between the Italian Ministry of Public Education, the Museum of Palermo and local government authorities (‘3-level’ structure of interaction) and to pinpoint contacts with the contemporary social context; b) to compare archaeological research during the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the post-Unification period in northern Sicily in terms of methods, history of collecting, antiquities safeguarding and legislation; and c) to contextualise this work in terms of the evolution of archaeology and social change in the wider Italian and European contexts

Pseudo-archaeology: The Appropriation and Commercialization of Cultural Heritage

Heritage can be defined as the use of the past to construct ideas about identity in the present. The past that this definition references is most commonly linked to tangible objects, and therefore archaeological artifacts. As such, archaeology becomes inexorably linked with cultural heritage in that many cultures are dependent on archaeological objects helping them continue to define their identity. However, there are various threats to cultural heritage, especially as more groups of peoples attempt to evoke objects as belonging to their own cultural background. This has been happening throughout history, but in the nineteenth-century pseudo-archaeology became a new threat. Pseudoarchaeology does not fall in line with academic archaeology and often attempts to appropriate or commercialize heritage to ends that are not scientific or beneficial to the conservation of heritage. Williams argues, “…pseudo-archaeology [is] one of the two greatest challenges to contemporary archaeologists- the other being the destruction of archaeological remains” (Williams 1991: 08). Merely placing pseudo-archaeology on the same level as the actual destruction of tangible heritage shows the threat the adherence to such practices imposes. In this paper, I explore the popularity of pseudo-archaeology that has emerged from several different factors, including nationalism to populism (the way pseudo-archaeology attempts to simplify archaeology for the masses). This popularity poses a threat to cultural heritage by way of appropriation and commercialization

Households without Houses : Mobility and Moorings on the Eurasian Steppe

The research that provided the basis for this paper was carried out in collaboration with the Institutes of History and Archaeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and would not have been possible without my colleagues Chunag Amartuvshin, William Honeychurch, and D. Molor and the hospitality of the people of Egiin Gol and Baga Gazaryn Chuluu. The work was supported by the Center for the Study of Eurasian Nomads, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Institute of Archaeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation, Gettysburg College, Yale University, the Smithsonian Museum’s National Museum of Natural History, the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University, the American School for Prehistoric Research, and the Gerda Henkel Stiftung.Peer reviewedPublisher PD