Field theory of nucleon to higher-spin baryon transitions

We discuss the nucleon to higher-spin $N$- and $\Delta$-resonance transitions by pions and photons. The higher-spin baryons are described by Rarita-Schwinger fields and, as we argue, this imposes a stringent consistency requirement on the form of the couplings. Popular $\pi N\Delta$ and $\gamma N\Delta$ couplings are inconsistent from this point of view. We construct examples of consistent interactions with the same nonrelativistic limit as the conventional ones.Comment: 5 pages, Revtex, 1 PostScript figure; published versio

Using the present to interpret the past: the role of ethnographic studies in Andean archaeology

Within Andean research it is common to use ethnographic analogies to aid the interpretation of archaeological remains, and ethnographers and archaeologists have developed shared research in technology, material culture and material practice. Although most of this research does not follow the detailed recording methods of spatial patterning envisioned in earlier formulations of ethnoarchaeology, it has had a profound effect on how archaeology in the region has been interpreted. This paper uses examples from the study of pottery production to address earlier debates about the use of ethnographic analogy, discusses the dangers of imposing an idealised or uniform vision of traditional Andean societies onto earlier periods (‘Lo Andino’) but stresses the benefits of combining ethnographic and archaeological research to explore continuities and changes in cultural practice and regional variations