Comments on A Political Ecology of Water and Enslavement: Water Ways in Eighteenth-Century Caribbean Plantations by MW Hauser

2018-04-0

Major John Bradford Homestead archaeological collections report

This report describes a collections management project undertaken on archaeological finds excavated at the Major John Bradford Homestead in 1972 and 1973. One of the chief goals of the project were to clean all artifacts that had not been processed after sorting the materials that had been processed and labeled and to reunite them with their provenience groups. The next goal was to catalogue all of the finds and to re-bag and re-box all of the materials in archivally appropriate bags and acid-free boxes and to provide a box inventory keyed to the catalogue so that future researchers or exhibit designers could readily locate objects of interest. A further goal was to provide a narrative about the excavations and to make suggestions about how to interpret the archaeological evidence and to suggest potential future research. All of these goals were met and are detailed in this report

Editor\u27s Introduction

Editor\u27s introduction to the volume

Editor\u27s Introduction

The introduction to the volume by the editor

Comparative analysis of organochlorine accumulation in two top predator shark species with contrasting life history traits

Sharks vary widely in life-history strategies, and possess unique lipid metabolism. Because of this diversity, and organochlorine (OC) lipid association, dynamics of OC accumulation in elasmobranch-rich ecosystems may be ineffectively predicted by the typically relied upon indicators, stable isotopes and body size. I compared ontogenetic OC profiles and concentrations between dusky ( Carcharhinus obscurus ) and white ( Carcharodon carcharias ) sharks. OC concentrations were elevated in the larger, higher trophic position (TP) white shark, but despite a tenably faster growth rate, ontogenetic diet shifts to mammal prey, and regional endothermy, slopes of growth-dilution corrected concentrations with age were equal between species. Similar ontogenetic TP increases, infrequent white shark seal predation, or inaccurate growth parameters are possible explanations. Inshore habitat use and mass varied in white and dusky sharks respectively with OC profiles and concentrations. TP and mass predicted interspecific concentrations and may therefore be considered reliable indicators of OC accumulation in these sharks

Editor\u27s Introduction

Editor\u27s introduction to the volume

Scratching the Surface: Seven Seasons at the Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm, Newbury, Massachusetts

Results of excavations conducted between 1986 and 1994 at the Spencer-Pierce-Little farm, Newbury, Massachusetts, are summarized and evaluated in light of the research questions that have guided the project to date. Under continuous occupation and cultivation from 1635 to the present, the site has that potential to contribute to many topics of interest to historical archaeologists working in New England and elsewhere, including questions about ideological and practical aspects of landscape and land use; changing agricultural practice and the effects of agricultural reform; farm tenancy; the archaeology of the household and homelot; relationships between urban and rural contexts in early America; and a host of other issues

Trying to Think Progressively About 19th-Century Farms

Recent excavations at a 19th-century estate manager\u27s farm at Milton, South Uist, in the Western Isles of Scotland, prompt comparison with New England farms of the same era. Of particular interest is the material signature of the move toward progressive farming manifested through the construction of model farms and the introduction of industrially-inspired farm management practices and technological innovations. Comparisons drawn between the Hebriden case study, Milton Farm, and the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury Massachusetts

Editor\u27s Introduction

Editor\u27s introduction to the volume

Digging up dinner: gastronomical archaeology

Listen to the audio of this talk here: https://soundcloud.com/wcfia/mary-c-beaudry-global-food-2017Global Food+ 2017 is an event open to all that will feature an afternoon of “speed talk” presentations by two dozen top scholars in the Boston area. This event will highlight current research findings at the important nexus between food, agriculture, health, society, and the environment. The twenty-four presenters include scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including anthropology, economics, political science, history, sociology, engineering, biology, and environmental sciences. Each will deliver a seven-minute summary of his or her most recent research findings. The topics covered will include cultural practices and veganism, irrigation and food security, farm subsidies, GMOs, cropland productivity and climate change, food contamination, food waste, the environmental consequences of meat consumption, and rural poverty in Africa