bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Climatic Significance of the Hosterman’s Pit Local Fauna, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Authors: Guilday John E.
Published: April 2006

The change from a boreal to a temperate mammal fauna in central Pennsylvania is believed bracketed by radiocarbon dates associated with two cave faunas at from ca. 9300 to 7290 B.C.
New World Lithic Typology Project: Part I
Authors: Weyer Edward M.
Published: April 2006

A desire to increase efficiency in the description and typological study of stone artifacts led to a conference of ten archaeologists in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This conference concentrated on the delineation of attributes of specimens rather than on the creation of a typological system. It attempted to meet the requirements of this phase of archaeology on a continental rather than a regional scale. Considerable attention was given to the various sorts of punched cards and to data-processing equipment. A glossary of definitions and an attribute form sheet for recording specimens were compiled and issued to the attending members for use in pilot studies of regional collections. The form sheets were laid out with a view to transferring the data to standard IBM cards and determining significant clusters of attributes. The testing of the definitions of attributes and the form sheet through actual use is intended to reveal possible improvements and to evaluate the practicality of rapid-processing methods in typological studies of this nature.
Patterning in Death in a Late Prehistoric Village in Pennsylvania
Authors: Gruber Jacob W.
Published: April 2006

At the Mohr site, a Shenks Ferry Village on the lower Susquehanna River, 98 burials were excavated. These exhibited various features which are ascribed to cultural demands: location in the village, position of body, grave goods, etc. One of these features was the alignment of the body with the head to the east in such a manner as to suggest that the exact alignment was a function of season of interment. This paper completes the record of the mortuary patterns at this site based upon a description of the total population of the dead. Earlier descriptions, based upon incomplete materials, were presented at the VIIth International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences in Prague in 1966 (Gruber 1970) and at the American Anthropological Association Meeting in 1966. The position of these burials conforms to scant ethnographic data on the basis of which a putative cultural identification with the Shenks Ferry component and the southeastern Siouan groups is strengthened.
On the Identification of Pre-Hispanic Obsidian Mines in Southern Hidalgo
Authors: Charlton Thomas H.
Published: April 2006

An examination of reports by Tylor (1861), Holmes (1900, 1919), and Spence and Parsons (1967) describing obsidian mines near Cerro de las Navajas in southern Hidalgo indicates that not one but three mine groups have been visited and described.
Arikara Glassworking Techniques at Leavenworth and Sully Sites
Authors: Ubelaker Douglas H. , Bass William M.
Published: April 2006

Excavations of protohistoric Arikara sites in South Dakota have produced native manufactured blue-glass pendants in association with burials. On the basis of archaeological and laboratory evidence, it is conjectured that the Arikara produced these pendants by first grinding blue-glass seed beads to form a powder. They then moistened the powder to form a paste and shaped and fired the paste to the desired form on a copper plate which often was a rifle butt plate. In addition, it is shown that, through time, the Arikara gradually refined their techniques to produce better made pendants and ornaments of different shapes.
The San Pablo Pantheon Mound: A Middle Preclassic Site in Morelos, Mexico
Authors: Grove David C.
Published: April 2006

In 1967, a mound at San Pablo, Morelos, was partially excavated for salvage reasons. The mound had at one time contained an estimated 150-250 burials, all associated with ceramics identical to certain vessels found at Tlatilco. In addition to being one of the earliest known mounds in central Mexico, the site is believed to be a burial mound, rare at any time period in Mesoamerica. Analysis of the burial ceramics in comparison to assemblages from other Middle Preclassic sites suggests that Tlatilco and other sites of its type are not one-period sites, but exhibit at least two phases, the earlier phase related to highland Olmec, the later to a localization of styles. The San Pablo Pantheon mound appears to represent only the later phase.
Social Integration and the Classic Maya: Some Problems in Haviland's Argument
Authors: Vogt Evon Z. , Cancian Frank
Published: April 2006

We have said that the cargo system integrates contemporary Maya communities and have suggested this interpretation as a model for interpretation of Classic Maya social organization. Haviland's arguments against this idea remain unsupported, especially because he misinterprets Cancian's study of Zinacantan and fails to use other studies of contemporary Maya communities.
Some Thoughts on Amateur Archaeology
Authors: Kelley Jane Holden
Published: April 2006

Amateur collecting of archaeological specimens is not new, but the great increase in the number of collectors since 1945 introduces a new, quantitative element into the rate of destruction of archaeological resources. The sociological forces operating in our own culture to produce great numbers of amateurs have become a factor for professionals to reckon with in an effort to save valuable sites from complete destruction.
Comments on Binford's “Smudge Pits and Hide Smoking: The Use of Analogy in Archaeological Reasoning”
Authors: Munson Patrick J.
Published: April 2006

Binford's specific postulate that archaeological corncobfilled “smudge pits” of the eastern United States were utilized for smoking hides is challenged as being too narrow, and an additional function is postulated, namely, that they were also used in some areas for smudging the interiors of ceramic vessels. Additional references to their archaeological occurrence are also presented, and it is argued that all of these features postdate A.D. 1000.
Huichol Ceremonial Reuse of a Fluted Point
Authors: Weigand Phil C.
Published: April 2006

A fluted point fragment was located in the Huichol area of Jalisco, Mexico, in 1966. The point was left with a Huichol informant and later reused in a ceremonial context. The nature of the original find and the point"s relocation are discussed. Some general observations on artifact relocation by aboriginal groups are made.
Subsistence Ecology of Scovill, a Terminal Middle Woodland Village
Authors: Munson Patrick J. , Parmalee Paul W. , Yarnell Richard A.
Published: April 2006

Scovill is a Weaver focus site in west-central Illinois. Various techniques were employed to extract maximal amounts and kinds of food remains from the site, and these remains, identified and quantified, are then compared with the estimated food potential from the 10 mi2 area surrounding the site in an attempt to determine both the ecology and the subsistence pattern of the inhabitants. Certain hypotheses concerning the overall settlement-subsistence system of the Weaver focus are presented, and problems involved in the recovery, differential preservation, and quantification of archaeological food remains from open sites are discussed.
Site Designation in the Americas
Authors: Rowe John Howland
Published: April 2006

Some systems of site designation are designed primarily for filing site records; it is possible to design systems which can be used to mark specimens also. In 1953, the author devised a system of the second type for the whole New World; it was published in Peru by Duccio Bonavía in 1966. A comparison with the River Basin Surveys system illustrates some of the problems involved in uniform site designation.
An Estimate of Size and Population for Middle Horizon Tiahuanaco, Bolivia
Authors: Parsons Jeffrey R.
Published: April 2006

Recent opinions as to the size and character of ancient Tiahuanaco, Bolivia, vary greatly. On the basis of published information, it is impossible to assess these important aspects of the site. A two-day survey during November, 1966, strongly suggests a true urban character for Middle horizon Tiahuanaco. At that time the urban core covered approximately 2.4 km2. A range of population between 5,200 and 10,500, and possibly up to 20,000 people, is suggested. Tiahuanaco’s strategic location with respect to three major environmental zones is regarded as a crucial factor in the site’s economic and political importance.
Comments on Mouse Creek-Yuchi Identification
Authors: Mason Carol Irwin
Published: April 2006

Swanton's original identification of Yuchi with Chisca and hence with Mouse Creek does not seem sufficient to establish a firm Mouse Creek-Yuchi relationship. Comparisons of material from the Yuchi site in Alabama with material in Tennessee may indicate a closer relationship with Dallas focus rather than with Mouse Creek.
The Shoup Rockshelters: A Reply
Authors: Swanson Earl H.
Published: April 2006

In a review of the report on the Shoup Rockshelters in East Central Idaho, Richard Forbis used typology to question stratigraphy and early dates for side-notched points. The points are parallel, obliquely flaked, and have an age comparable to those at a number of sites in the West. Correlation of natural deposits was based on the character and origin of the sediments, fluorine analysis of bone, rock-fall counts, and radiocarbon dates.
Technological Analysis of Prehistoric Lower Mississippi Ceramic Materials: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Weaver Elizabeth C.
Published: April 2006

Technological analysis of ceramic materials from the early phases of the Lower Mississippi area indicates that Tchula pottery is untempered, and this throws doubt upon the concept of a fiber-tempered horizon in the Southeast. Certain recommendations are made for technological studies which include the use of close-up photography during the study and in the final report.
Geologic Notes on the Idolo de Coatlichán
Authors: Heizer Robert F. , Williams Howel
Published: April 2006

The largest sculptured monument in Mexico is the unfinished Idolo de Coatlichán, which weighs 197 metric tons and lies in the bottom of a barranco near Texcoco, where it was abandoned by its makers. The Idolo is made of a huge boulder of andesite, which is the same material from which the Diosa de Agua (also stylistically related), found at Teotihuacán, was carved. A tentative attempt is made to compute the number of workers required to transport the finished monument.
An Early Burial from Gordon Creek, Colorado
Authors: Breternitz David A. , Swedlund Alan C. , Anderson Duane C.
Published: April 2006

An isolated burial was excavated from the bank of a tributary of Gordon Creek, Roosevelt National Forest, northern Colorado. A preliminary report was prepared (D. Anderson 1966, 1967) but further analysis of the skeletal material and newly obtained cultural information add significantly to the documentation of the burial.

The body of a woman, aged 25-30 years, was given primary interment in a pit coated with red ocher. The body was placed on its left side with the head to the north, was tightly flexed, and was also coated with red ocher. Burial accompaniments include a large precussion flaked biface or preform, a small biface used as a scraping tool, a hammerstone, an end scraper, a preform with fire pocks, cut and incised animal ribs, and a perforated elk incisor. A radiocarbon assay of bone material from the left ilium produced an age of 9700± 250 radiocarbon years: 7750 B.C. (GX-0530).

No indications of habitation which might be associated with the burial were located in its immediate vicinity.

A reconstruction of the burial ritual is attempted, and the skeletal remains are compared to other early human remains from North America.

A summary of this paper was given at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, May 3, 1969, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Muskeeta Cove 2: A Stratified Woodland Site on Long Island
Authors: Salwen Bert
Published: April 2006

Muskeeta Cove 2 is a stratified, two-component Woodland site on the north shore of Long Island in Glen Cove, Nassau County, New York. The earlier occupation, in the upper 6 in. of a glacial sand zone, is attributed, on the evidence of its ceramic content, to the earlier segment of the Windsor tradition, most probably its North Beach focus. The second occupation, in a thin layer of black midden earth and shell overlying the sand, is more difficult to identify culturally. By many criteria, most of its pottery can be assigned to the Bowmans Brook focus of the East River tradition, but this assemblage is most distinctive for the disconcerting way in which it blends Bowmans Brook ceramic traits with those of the contemporary Sebonac (Windsor) and Canandaigua (Owasco) foci—often on the same sherds. This mixture of traits has prompted the suggestion that, in this boundary region at least, the generally accepted invasion-replacement relationship between East River and Windsor must be reexamined. After analysis of the pottery from this site, in which the distributions of individual modes as well as their combinations into whole types are considered, a new hypothesis is tentatively advanced: Early East River pottery is seen as the result of the blending of Sebonac, Canandaigua, and central New Jersey decorative modes on vessels with the constricted necks and elongateglobular bodies that were the dominant formal horizon markers throughout the entire region at this time level. Diffusion, rather than invasion, would appear to be the central process here.
The Council Circles of Central Kansas: Were They Solstice Registers?
Authors: Wedel Waldo R.
Published: April 2006

At five Little River focus village sites in Rice and McPherson counties, Kansas, so-called council circles are probably the most notable features present. Each consists of a low central mound surrounded by a ditch or a series of depressions (borrow pits) or both. No village site has more than a single circle. At the only one yet excavated (Tobias site), elongate house pits arranged around a patio within the ditched zone formed a structural complex which is apparently unique in Plains archaeology. The houses were built of poles and grass, earth-covered wholly or in part, and had evidently been destroyed by fire. The covering fill contained numerous large boulders and scattered human bones, some fire-blackened. From their plan and contents, it is suggested that these house complexes were special-purpose structures; from their demonstrated orientation, it is further suggested that one of their functions may have been to record solstitial sunrise (and sunset?) points on the horizon.
A Copper Ornament and a Stone Mask from Middle America
Authors: Thompson J. Eric S.
Published: April 2006

A small mask cast in copper with the features of a Maya merchant god supplies the first incontrovertible evidence that the Maya cast copper. As it has been in the British Museum for nearly a century, its authenticity cannot be doubted. One detail makes it virtually certain that the piece was cast in the lowlands. A large stone mask, collected in Mexico over 50 years ago, can be assigned with some confidence (despite previous doubts as to its authenticity) to southern Veracruz. It reveals attenuated Olmec influence and also has attributes of a merchant god.
An Antler Artifact from the Late Pleistocene of Northeastern Texas
Authors: Slaughter Bob H. , Hoover B. Reed
Published: April 2006

In 1962 a perforated, picklike antler object was found in a deposit with late Pleistocene fauna in Delta County, northeastern Texas. Charcoal from a burned area in the same deposit yielded a radiocarbon date of 9550±375 B.P. Two possible quartzite artifacts were also found in the same deposit.
Variation in Protohistoric Maya Settlement Pattern
Authors: McVicker Donald E.
Published: April 2006

E. Z. Vogt has proposed a reconstruction of ancient lowland Maya social organization based on the settlement pattern and organization of modern central Chiapas highland Indian municipios. The occurrence and persistence of Vogt's "typical" Maya pattern is examined. Archaeological, ethnohistorical, and ethnological data from central Chiapas are used to demonstrate the presence of at least two patterns of settlement in the region at the time of Spanish conquest. These are discussed as imprints of two systems: (1) internally exploitive and (2) externally exploitive. The first represents primary adaptation to natural features of the landscape. The second represents an expansive adaptation to changing social environments. It is suggested that both these systems were in operation at various times in the southern Maya lowlands as well as in the central Chiapas highlands.
Comparison of Iron Meteoritic Material From Ohio and Illinois Hopewellian Burial Mounds
Authors: Kimberlin Jerome , Wasson John T.
Published: April 2006

An iron-nickel bead from Mound 9 at Havana, Illinois is distinctly different from samples from the Hopewell and Turner Mounds in Ohio. Whereas the source of the Ohio material appears to have been the Brenham, Kansas meteorite, there is no known North American meteorite having a composition closely similar to that of the Havana bead.
Q = A · V: Prehistoric Water Canals in Southern Arizona
Authors: Busch C. D. , Raab L. Mark , Busch R. C.
Published: April 2006

Archaeological explanations of Hohokam canal design have stressed the importance of preventing seepage and evaporation. These features are shown to be less important to flow than is the shape of the ditch (ceteris paribus). Models which accurately reflect prehistoric irrigation practices must be based on accurate assumptions about water delivery systems.
A Maya Dam in the Copan Valley, Honduras
Authors: Turner B. L. , Johnson William C.
Published: April 2006

A prehispanic Maya dam is reported in the Copan Valley of Honduras. The dam is situated in the foothills above the river bottom at the headwaters of a small tributary, the Quebrada Petapilla. Constructed of cut stone and mortar, the dam was built immediately downstream from a spring and once created a small, flowing pond. The function of the dam is uncertain, although the creation of a greater head of water for the irrigation of the quality farmlands in the foothill zone is a possibility. The dam probably dates no later than the Late Classic period [A.D. 650-800].
New Views on the Fremont: The Fremont and the Sevier: Defining Prehistoric Agriculturalists North of the Anasazi
Authors: Madsen David B.
Published: April 2006

A satisfactory and explicit definition of the Fremont has not been produced in over 50 years of research—a failure which suggests that no comprehensive entity exists. Attempts to define a Fremont through the use of trait lists have failed, although such lists have provided the basis for three apparently conflicting theories of origin. Analyses of subsistence economies and settlement patterns suggest that no comprehensive entity exists and that all three origin theories may possibly be valid. A Sevier "culture," based on marsh collecting and supplemented by corn agriculture, can be defined in the eastern Great Basin. A Fremont "culture," based on corn agriculture and supplemented by hunting, can be defined on the Colorado Plateau. A third unnamed, but possibly Plains-related, culture may be defined to the north of these. These "cultures" are distinctive enough to be separated on the same taxonomic level as are the Anasazi and the Sinagua.
The No-Collection Strategy in Archaeology
Authors: Butler William B.
Published: April 2006

The no-collection strategy in archaeology is examined from the perspective of site integrity, artifact analysis, pothunting, irreplaceable resources, and curation and is found to be destructive of the data base for present and future archaeological applications.
A Further Criticism of the Type-Variety System: The Data can't Be Used
Authors: Smith Michael E.
Published: April 2006

The type-variety system of ceramic classification has been criticized on a number of theoretical points concerning typology in general; yet it remains very popular among archaeologists. This paper adds a methodological criticism to the debate: ceramic data presented according to the highest standards of type-variety analysis simply cannot be used for independent reanalysis. An attempt to reanalyze some data presented according to the type-variety system [Formative period ceramics from the site of Barton Ramie, Belize] is described, and shortcomings of type-variety data presentation are pointed out. These findings are in direct opposition to claims made by type-variety practitioners as to the adequacy of their format of ceramic description and illustration.
Archaeological Evidence for Occupational Specialization Among the Classic Period Maya at Tikal, Guatemala
Authors: Becker Marshall Joseph
Published: April 2006

Recent models for the organization of Classic period Maya in the Guatemala lowlands suggest a complex system of stratified social classes. Much of the basic data supporting such theoretical models is derived from the evidence for the existence of numerous occupational specializations. Previously, the data have been largely inferential, but extensive and comprehensive excavations at Tikal over a period of 13 yr have provided significant information suggesting that the occupations of residents of specific buildings or house groups can be determined. This evidence also suggests techniques by which future excavations might be directed in order to augment existing information.
Spatial Analysis of Occupation Floors II: The Application of Nearest Neighbor Analysis
Authors: Whallon Robert
Published: April 2006

The statistical method of nearest neighbor analysis is presented for the study of distributional patterns of artifacts over occupation floors. It is compared with the previously presented method of dimensional analysis of variance. Nearest neighbor analysis is found to be much more sensitive in its detection of non-random spatial clustering. It has the advantage of not being particularly limited in application by problems of size or shape of the area under study, although it does require coordinates for each artifact and cannot be applied when only counts per grid unit are known. On the other hand, nearest neighbor analysis encounters considerable problems in defining the artifact clusters on an area and in comparing the distributions of several artifact types. These problems severely limit the utility of nearest neighbor analysis at the moment. Dimensional analysis of variance handles them better.
A Method for Estimation of Live Weight of Fish from the Size of Skeletal Elements
Authors: Casteel Richard W.
Published: April 2006

This paper presents a quantitative method for estimating the total live weight of fish based upon linear measurement of various skeletal elements. The method has the advantage of being both highly accurate and indicating the confidence limits of the estimates. The method is based upon Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson's concept of “… weigh[ing] the animal with a measuring-rod…” (Thompson 1917, in Bonner 1966:16).
The Key Marco, Florida Collection: Experiment and Reflection
Authors: Purdy Barbara A.
Published: April 2006

The organic material, especially the wooden objects, from the Key Marco, Florida collection are badly warped and are in an advanced stage of disintegration. An experiment was conducted to preserve a wooden stool from this collection in order to prevent further degradation. The specimen was treated with polyethylene glycol (Carbowax 1000). The loss of the specimens for study from this famous site is lamentable and should cause archaeologists to reflect upon their obligations.
Early Domesticated Cottons from Archaeological Sites in Central Coastal Peru
Authors: Stephens S. G. , Moseley M. Edward
Published: April 2006

Seeds, fiber samples, and boll parts recovered from 4 pre-ceramic sites in the Ancon-Chillon area of Peru were compared with those of living forms, both wild and cultivated, collected from the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. All the living forms belong to the species, Gossypium barbadense L., and it was concluded that the archaeological cotton belonged to this same species. Chocolate and reddish-brown colored fibers recovered from 4 sites (Tank, Punta Grande, Pampa, and Camino) and encompassing a time sequence from approximately 2500 B.C. to approximately 1750 B.C. resembled closely those still to be found in present-day cultivars in coastal Peru and Ecuador. On the other hand, certain characteristics exhibited by the archaeological material (small beaked bolls, fuzzy seeds, narrow fiber diameter) resemble more closely those of present-day wild forms. Seed size and fiber diameter show progressive increases from the older to the more recent levels. The finding of (1) chocolate colored fibers and (2) a single boll with a fringeless nectary (both characteristic of G. barbadense) among the archaeological samples suggests that they represent a very early stage in the domestication of that species.
Late Holocene Sea-Level Oscillations in Mobile Bay
Authors: Holmes Nicholas H. , Trickey E. Bruce
Published: April 2006

An archeological chronology for the region of Mobile Bay, Alabama was first worked out by Trickey in 1958 (Trickey 1958). Systematic excavations and radiocarbon dating now suggest that Indian sites, marked by shell middens and artifacts, were periodically overwhelmed by rise in water level and then re-occupied during each succeeding state of low sea level. Middens are dated at 4100, 3090, 2040 and 1080 B.P.
Behavior and Status in a Middle Woodland Mortuary Population from the Illinois Valley
Authors: Tainter Joseph A.
Published: April 2006

One shortcoming of the archaeological study of prehistoric societies is a failure to pursue the behavioral correlates of social distinctions. This paper shows, through a study of Middle Woodland mortuary populations, that analysis of degenerative joint disease is a productive approach to investigating status-linked behavior in archaeological populations.
A Brief Report on Paleoindian-Archaic Occupation in the Quiche Basin, Guatemala
Authors: Brown Kenneth L.
Published: April 2006

Recent research within the Quiche Basin of Highland Guatemala has revealed at least 117 sites with remains suggestive of Paleoindian and Archaic periods of occupation. Partly because these artifacts are predominantly of a gray, fine-grained basalt rather than obsidian, we have been able to rapidly recognize surface indications of these occupations. Tentative settlement patterns for these time periods are discussed. These patterns-particularly the Archaic pattern-suggest that early human occupation may have been somewhat different in the Quiche Basin from patterns defined for other areas of Mesoamerica. This may be due to the environmental conditions of the areas involved.
A Functional Analysis of “Clear Fork” Artifacts From the Rio Grande Plain, Texas
Authors: Hester Thomas Roy , Gilbow Delbert , Albee Alan D.
Published: April 2006

A series of "Clear Fork" tools from the Rio Grande Plain of southern Texas have been subjected to a functional analysis. Macroscopic, microscopic, and edge angle studies were conducted. A high frequency of nibbling wear was recorded on steeply-angled working edges. Comparisons of these data with several published studies indicate that this tool form was used in the working of wood or other tough materials.
An Empirical Test for Steward's Model of Great Basin Settlement Patterns
Authors: Thomas David Hurst
Published: April 2006

Julian Steward's theory of Great Basin cultural ecology and settlement patterns has been subjected to empirical validation. Since the only data available to test this hypothesis are archaeological, it was first necessary to determine the artifactual correlates for the posited ethnographic system. These deductive propositions were determined by the BASIN I computer simulation model. On the basis of data obtained in a regional random sampling project in the Reese Valley of central Nevada, over 75% of the nearly 130 deductive predictions were statistically verified. The rejected propositions probably reflect failure of the computer model rather than shortcomings in Steward's theory. The archaeological manifestation of the Shoshonean pattern is defined as the Reese River Subsistence-Settlement System which operated in the central Great Basin from about 2500 B.C. to historic times.
Arrow Points or Knives? Comments on the Proposed Function of “Stockton Points”
Authors: Hester Thomas R. , Heizer Robert F.
Published: April 2006

In a recent paper, Nance has proposed that the serrated "Stockton Points" of central California were used as cutting implements rather than as arrow points. His sample comprised 10 specimens. Functional analyses of 87 additional examples (plus the examination of 2 specimens imbedded in human bone) are reported here and indicate that Nance’s hypothesis is incorrect. We argue the obvious point that very limited artifact samples are inadequate for generalizing on functional use.
Comment on Pickersgill's “Cultivated Plants as Evidence for Cultural Contacts”
Authors: Jett Stephen C.
Published: April 2006

Pickersgill has proposed situations in which cultivated plants cannot be used as evidence for contacts between areas, and are evidence against contacts. Alternative hypotheses involving contacts are presented. Pickersgill's examples of “independent” domestications are also questioned.
Dimensional Analysis of Behavior and Site Structure: Learning from an Eskimo Hunting Stand
Authors: Binford Lewis R.
Published: April 2006

Detailed behavioral observations permitted the dimensional analysis of formation processes operative on the Mask site, a Nunamiut Eskimo hunting stand. Activity structure, technological organization, disposal mode, and spatial organization were all seen as behavioral dimensions that could each vary, altering the patterns of assemblage content and spatial disposition at an archaeological site. These ethnoarchaeological experiences were then contrasted with those recently reported by John Yellen (1977), and a critical evaluation of his “conclusions” was conducted from the perspective of the Eskimo experience. It was pointed out that basic differences in philosophy and approach to research largely conditioned the contrasting character of the conclusions drawn from the different experiences.
Reevaluation of the Lindenmeier Folsom: A Replication Experiment in Lithic Technology
Authors: Flenniken J. Jeffrey
Published: April 2006

This article reports on a continuing study of the stoneworking technology of the Lindenmeier Folsom. Production time, sequential stages of manufacture, and fluting technique are examined and discussed on the basis of extensive replication and experimentation, as well as of macroscopic and microscopic analysis of one of the original Lindenmeier Folsom assemblages. Results of this study indicate that simplicity of technique, along with desired form, were crucial factors in the decision making associated with the production of the Lindenmeier Folsom.
A Refinement of Chronological Seriation Using Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling
Authors: Drennan Robert D.
Published: April 2006

A method of chronological seriation and a system of collecting data for it were devised to cope with certain practical and theoretical inadequacies of other methods. The method and collecting system are described in the context of solving problems encountered in the course of a particular archaeological study. It is believed that the method described here will be of use to others. Finally, some implications of this kind of seriation for the way in which ceramics change are discussed.
Formative Period Occupations in the Highlands of Northern Ecuador
Authors: Myers Thomas P.
Published: April 2006

Valdivia-related ceramics found near Lake San Pablo (Imbabura) demonstrate that this area was in contact with coastal Ecuador prior to 2000 B.C. The interaction between the coast and highlands is attributed to the existence of trade routes which probably originated in preceramic times. It is suggested that coca was among the scarce resources which attracted trade to the northern highlands.
Shoe-Pots, Patajos, and the Principle of Whimsy
Authors: Dixon Keith A.
Published: April 2006

The traditional broad category of shoe-shaped pots (or bird-forms or patojos) is invalid for analytic purposes. It is a catch-all category for vessels which may have had different histories, uses, and meanings. One kind, the culinary shoe-pot, does form a distinctive class with a special use in cooking and was widely distributed in space and time. Previous researchers, including Varner, Beals, and Sisson most recently, have generated spurious problems and have been led to erroneous conclusions. The following recommendations are explained: (1) culinary shoe-pots should not be classified with bird or foot effigies, although they sometimes become effigies as visual puns; (2) they should not be grouped with other asymmetrical pots on the single criterion of horizontal body elongation without considering the other vessel attributes; (3) further ethnographic and linguistic field investigation should be done where culinary shoe-pots are still used; (4) primary and secondary uses of culinary shoe-pots should not be confused.
Testing Contemporaneity and Averaging Radiocarbon Dates
Authors: Long Austin , Rippeteau Bruce
Published: April 2006

Techniques for pragmatically interpreting arrays of radiocarbon dates are given. These include weighted averaging, statistical rejection of data, and the evaluation of contemporaneity. Commonly encountered situations are discussed with several actual examples to illustrate these procedures. This paper is Contribution No. 70, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona.
Miscellaneous Studies in Hard-Hammer Percussion Flaking: The Effects of Oblique Impact
Authors: Speth John D.
Published: April 2006

Steel balls were dropped on to massive glass prisms at an impact angle of 45° in order to determine the effects of oblique impact on several attributes of flake size and flake shape. The results indicate that a flake produced by oblique impact is shorter, but not significantly thinner (except in the immediate area of the cone), than a flake of comparable platform thickness produced by vertical impact.
The Early Horizon Site of Huaca de los Reyes: Societal Implications
Authors: Pozorski Thomas
Published: April 2006

From 1973 to 1974, investigations were carried out at a series of Initial Period and Early Horizon sites known as the Caballo Muerto complex, located in the Moche Valley on the North Coast of Peru. One site, Huaca de los Reyes, contains numerous adobe friezes that are noted both for their wide variety and early date. The amount of labor investment and the degree of architectural planning of the site strongly imply ranked societal divisions of the people responsible for its construction. Differential frieze distribution also supports this contention.
K-Means and Temporal Variability in Kansas City Hopewell Ceramics
Authors: Johnson Alfred E. , Johnson Ann S.
Published: April 2006

A temporal framework for the Kansas City Hopewell complex has been created by seriating rim sherds from four sites, within a 20-mile radius, in the Missouri River Valley to the north of Kansas City. Data used in the sedation are formal and decorative attributes of the rims. The k-means clustering technique, and an option which allows sherd locations in n-dimensional space to be plotted two-dimensionally, was used to generate the seriation. Tests of the seriation, as an essentially temporal ordering, are by means of stratigraphy, radiocarbon dates, and comparison with the ceramic sequence of the Illinois River Valley.
Some New Glyphs On An Unusual Maya Stela
Authors: Liman Florence F. , Durbin Marshall
Published: April 2006

An unusual Maya stela in the St. Louis Art Museum has a number of distinguishing characteristics: (1) The cylindrical shape is comparatively rare for a free-standing Maya monument. (2) Thegtyphic inscription contains four previously unnoted glyph groups. (3) The inscription includes a rare glyph group of which only a very few examples are known. (4) The shape of the glyphs and the placement of the numbers seem to be governed by aesthetic considerations, although the variations of the tun glyph may have semantic implications.
Binford's Hunting Stand Hypothesis and the Joint Site
Authors: Schiffer Michael B.
Published: April 2006

Lewis R. Binford has recently disputed the inference, advanced in Behavioral Archeology, that the inhabitants of the Joint Site hunted more often during the last years of the site's occupation. As an alternative he suggests that the site was used after abandonment as a hunting camp. These conclusions, which stem from a misunderstanding of the nature and purpose of the analytic units employed in the Joint Site study, are shown to be without substantial foundation.
Systems in Archaeology: A Comment on Salmon
Authors: Lowe John W. G. , Barth Robert J.
Published: April 2006

Salmon (1978) has discussed the role of systems theory and systems explanation in archaeology. Her article raises several salient points, such as the difficulties inherent in depending upon general systems theory to solve all archaeological problems. We would argue, however, that her conclusion, to wit, that general systems theory and mathematical systems theory are of no relevance to archaeologists, is overdrawn and that systems explanations offer archaeologists a valuable means of examining complex cultural phenomena.
Cultural and Scientific Evolution: Some Comments on “The Decline and Rise of Mesopotamian Civilization”
Authors: Dunnell Robert C. , Wenke Robert J.
Published: April 2006

Norman Yoffee raises some interesting issues in a consideration of the cyclical nature of Near Eastern civilizations. The main thrust of his discussion is a critique of evolutionary frameworks for explaining these processes. He also asserts the value of contemporary historical documents as a source of important data. While acknowledging the value of some of his insights, we find his basic arguments unconvincing. Aside from substantive disagreements, we attempt to show that there are basic theoretical flaws in his main arguments that are common to many archaeological approaches.
Alta Vista (Chalchihuites), Astronomical Implications of a Mesoamerican Ceremonial Outpost at the Tropic of Cancer
Authors: Aveni Anthony F. , Hartung Horst , Kelley J. Charles
Published: April 2006

We have empirically tested and evaluated several astronomically related hypotheses about the ruins of Alta Vista near the modern town of Chalchihuites, Zacatecas, in Northwest Mexico. We conclude that the site was deliberately located and oriented astronomically by people of the Teotihuacan civilization.

As supporting evidence we analyze (a) a double solar alignment incorporating a labyrinthine hallway at the ruins, and (b) a pair of circle-shaped markers, of a type found at Teotihuacan, pecked into a flat stone on a hilltop to the south. The former can be correlated with an equinoctial sunrise observation and the latter with a summer solstice sunrise, each over the same distant peak. Furthermore, a detailed examination of the pecked petroglyphs reveals that they may have served as time-marking devices.
Terminal Classic Interaction on the Southeastern Maya Periphery
Authors: Joyce Rosemary A.
Published: April 2006

A review of material from Copan, originally assigned a post A.D. 1000 date, suggests the existence of two separate temporal episodes, one a Terminal Classic equivalent. A rare trade ceramic found in this Copan Terminal Classic and at contemporary Seibal is also present in a ceramic group of Lepa phase (A.D. 625–1000) Quelepa, El Salvador. This identification supports the placement of the Copan material in the Terminal Classic. New data from the Ulua Valley, northwest Honduras, document an extreme southeastern extension of the Terminal Classic Altar Fine Orange ceramic sphere of Seibal. Two networks of interaction linking the southeastern extreme of Mesoamerica and the western Maya area suggested by these ceramic correlations are examined, and the processes involved are discussed.
Dental Evidence for Prehistoric Dietary Change on the Northern Channel Islands, California
Authors: Walker Phillip L. , Erlandson Jon M.
Published: April 2006

Santa Rosa Island skeletal collections, dating from between 4000 and 400 B.P., were analyzed for evidence of dental caries. Carious lesions were found to decrease significantly through time, as were sexual differences in caries rates. These trends in dental health appear to reflect changes in diet and sexual division of labor associated with a subsistence shift from the exploitation of roots, tubers, and other cariogenic plant foods to the intensive exploitation of fish. Analysis of dental caries can provide information on prehistoric carbohydrate intake that is unavailable using conventional methods of faunal and artifactual analysis.
On the Inapplicability of “Oriental Despotism” and the “Asiatic Mode of Production” to the Aztecs of Texcoco
Authors: Offner Jerome A.
Published: April 2006

Sanders and Price, Palerm, Carrasco, and others have argued for the utility of the theoretical formulations of "oriental despotism" and the "Asiatic mode of production" for the investigation and comprehension of Aztec political organization and society. Accordingly, it has been claimed that irrigation played an important role in the consolidation of Aztec states, that no significant private property in land existed among the Aztecs, and that government control of the economy was thoroughgoing and complete. All of these theoretically generated positions are demonstrably false, at least for the important Aztec state of Texcoco. Irrigation played no significant role in the origin or consolidation of the Texcocan state; extensive private property in land did exist among the Texcocans, and the government of Texcoco did not at all dominate the Texcocan economy. Marketing was clearly the principal mechanism within the empire for the transference of goods. The basic principles of Aztec society are to be discovered through objective examination of the ethnohistorical and archaeological data and cannot be determined through the imposition of inappropriate or outmoded theoretical formulations.
Ancient Human Remains from Central Peru
Authors: Beynon Diane E. , Siegel Michael I.
Published: April 2006

Within the past 10 to 15 years human remains of great antiquity have been found in archaeological sites located in the highlands and coastal area of central Peru. The remains in this study have assigned radiocarbon dates of 6000-10,000 B.P. and consist of four naturally mummified (desiccated) human bodies and four virtually complete skeletons. They represent some of the oldest skeletal remains and certainly the oldest preserved bodies hitherto found in South America. While the paleopathological and tomographic analyses of the bodies is presently in progress, this report describes the archaeological context of the entire sample and presents a descriptive analysis of the skeletal material. Age, sex, stature, and general pathology are discussed.
Comments on Cordell and Plog's “Escaping the Confines of Normative Thought”
Authors: Hunter-Anderson Rosalind L.
Published: April 2006

Cordell and Plog's recent article in American Antiquity is criticized. It is maintained that their alternative suggestions for redescription and interpretation of the Southwestern archaeological data base are not supported by theories and therefore are no more desirable than the traditional conceptual schemes employed thus far.
A Bison Antiquus Kill Site, Wacissa River, Jefferson County, Florida
Authors: Webb S. David , Milanich Jerald T. , Alexon Roger , Dunbar James S.
Published: April 2006

Metric analysis of an excellently preserved Bison skull with horn cores recovered from a northern Florida river identifies the specimen as an evolutionarily late representative of Bison antiquus. A fragment of chert protrudes from the right fronto-parietal area of the skull. Radiocarbon and biostratigraphic dating place the age of the Bison at about 11,000 years, thereby documenting an association between the animal and Paleoindians. It is likely that the animal was killed and butchered adjacent to a now-inundated water hole.
Hydrological Dynamics and the Evolution of Field Form and Use: Resolving the Knapp-smith Controversy
Authors: Moseley Michael E. , Feldman Robert A.
Published: April 2006

Ongoing gradual uplift of the Pacific watershed of Peru results in water table subsidence. As a mechanical consequence, the form and use of embankment-bound fields evolve through a series of distinct stages. Conflicting interpretations arise as a consequence of different investigators having addressed field structures in different stages of evolution.
New Perspectives on Moche Metallurgy: Techniques of Gilding Copper at Loma Negra, Northern Peru
Authors: Lechtman Heather , Erlij Antonieta , Barry Edward J.
Published: April 2006

The metal objects found in 1969 at the north Peruvian site of Loma Negra, in the region of Cerro Vicús, form one of the largest and most important single groups of Moche metal artifacts known. Since the objects were looted from burials at the site, they are without context, seriously compounding the problems of their relative chronology within the Moche sequence and of their relations with Moche material from the coast farther to the south. Metallurgical studies of a group of gilt copper objects from Loma Negra have shown that the gilding was achieved by an electrochemical replacement plating process in which gold and silver are dissolved in an aqueous solution of corrosive minerals. The precious metals are then plated from solution onto the copper objects. Moche metal craftsmen can now be credited with having developed the two most sophisticated of Andean gilding procedures: depletion gilding and electrochemical replacement plating.
An Interpretation of the Pictographs at La Peña Pintada, Jalisco, Mexico
Authors: Mountjoy Joseph B.
Published: April 2006

A recently discovered sheltered rock scar covered with red pictographs, in Jalisco, west Mexico, is a major addition to the rather meager data on pictographs in Mesoamerica. It appears to contain a complex set of data pertaining to the cosmology of the relatively unknown Indians who inhabited the Jalisco coast during the last Pre-Hispanic period. Analysis of the scar has incorporated both the artistic symbolism of the nearby Huichol Indians, and concepts developed through archaeoastronomy. This analysis suggests that the ceiling pictographs record the use of sky transits of the sun, Venus, or the constellation Orion as wet-season/dry-season calendrical markers. Wall pictographs show the sun on the mountainous horizon, below which is the earth filled with symbols of plants and animals; among these stand shamans calling down the life-giving rain from the god(s) of the sky. I also explore the possibility that one of the ceiling pictographs is a record of the appearance of the Crab supernova in the sky in A.D. 1054.
The Dating of Casas Grandes
Authors: LeBlanc Steven A.
Published: April 2006

The dating of Casas Grandes is re-evaluated, and new relevant dates for southwestern New Mexico are presented. It is suggested that Casas Grandes dates from ca. A.D. 1150-A.D. 1300. This would make the site's florescence postdate the Bonito phase of Chaco Canyon and the Mimbres phase. Furthermore, it appears that Casas Grandes did not overlap the Civano phase of the Hohokam.
Raw Materials Source Areas and “Curated” Tool Assemblages
Authors: Gramly Richard Michael
Published: April 2006

Excavation of the workshop of an ancient rhyolite quarry yielded three classes of artifacts. One class consists of worn and broken tools made of exotic stones. It is argued that these tools represent a "curated" assemblage and one that is highly revealing of the duration and distance of population movements.