- Archaeology Southwest, Preservation Archaeology, Department MemberArchaeology Southwest, Research, Department Member, and 3 moreadd
- Archaeology, Anthropology, Archaeology of ethnicity, Southwestern Archaeology, Greater Southwest, North American archaeology, and 16 moreSocial Sciences, Social Movement, Citizenship, Identity And Social Movements, Southwestern United States (Archaeology in North America), Social Network Analysis (SNA), Social Networks, Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), Archaeological Method & Theory, Archaeology of the U.S. Southwest, Pottery (Archaeology), Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Ceramics (Archaeology), Prehistoric Archaeology, Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), Ancestral Pueblo (Archaeology), and Archaeometryedit
- My general research interests include pre-contact archaeology in the American Southwest (with an emphasis on the Zuni... moreMy general research interests include pre-contact archaeology in the American Southwest (with an emphasis on the Zuni/Cibola and Mimbres regions), Southwestern ethnohistory, ceramic analysis, quantitative methods, demography, social movements, social networks, contemporary social theory, social identity and material culture.edit
Formal network analyses have a long history in archaeology but have recently seen a rapid florescence. Network models drawing on approaches from graph theory, social network analysis, and complexity science have been used to address a... more
Formal network analyses have a long history in archaeology but have recently seen a rapid florescence. Network models drawing on approaches from graph theory, social network analysis, and complexity science have been used to address a broad array of questions about the relationships among network structure, positions, and the attributes and outcomes for individuals and larger groups at a range of social scales. Current archaeological network research is both methodologically and theoretically diverse, but there are still many daunting challenges ahead for the formal exploration of social networks using archaeological data. If we can face these challenges, archaeologists are well positioned to contribute to long-standing debates in the broader sphere of network research on the nature of network theory, the relationships between networks and culture, and dynamics of social networks over the long term.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Social Networks, Research Methods and Methodology, Material Culture Studies, and 10 moreGraph Theory, Complexity, Quantitative methodology, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Agent-based modeling, Material Culture, Network science, Relational Sociology, Archeology, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Migration was a key social process contributing to the creation of the 'Chaco World' between AD 800 and 1200. Dynamic social network analysis allows for evaluation of several migration scenarios, and demonstrates that Chaco's earliest... more
Migration was a key social process contributing to the creation of the 'Chaco World' between AD 800 and 1200. Dynamic social network analysis allows for evaluation of several migration scenarios, and demonstrates that Chaco's earliest ninth-century networks show interaction with areas to the west and south, rather than migration to the Canyon from the Northern San Juan. By the late eleventh century, Chaco Canyon was tied strongly to the Middle and Northern San Juan, while a twelfth-century retraction of networks separated the Northern and Southern San Juan areas prior to regional depopulation. Understanding Chaco migration is important for comprehending both its uniqueness in U.S. Southwest archaeology and for comparison with other case studies worldwide.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Southwestern United States (Archaeology in North America), North American (Archaeology), and 15 moreArchaeological Method & Theory, Neolithic Archaeology, North American archaeology, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Southwestern Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancestral Pueblo (Archaeology), Archaeology of the U.S. Southwest, Network analysis in archaeology, Chaco, Chacoan archaeology, Chaco Canyon, Southwestern United States History, Monumental Architecture, and New Mexico archaeology
This paper presents an overview of major trends in archaeological network research through a bibliometric analysis of a large corpus of publications on the topic between 1965 and 2016. This review is an effort to begin identifying the... more
This paper presents an overview of major trends in archaeological network research through a bibliometric analysis of a large corpus of publications on the topic between 1965 and 2016. This review is an effort to begin identifying the outlines of a burgeoning sub-discipline with its distinct traditions, including the diversity of research approaches and preferred publication venues. Network research in archaeology is at a similar stage of development to historical network research. We argue that archaeologists and historians alike interested in establishing network research as a key tool for exploring social change will have a greater chance for success to the extent that we actively collaborate, pool resources, engage in common community activities and publications, and learn from each other's successes and mistakes.
Research Interests:
Soon after the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law in 1966, the Section 106 process and compliance based archaeology quickly became the primary mechanisms through which new data were generated across the United States.... more
Soon after the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law in 1966, the Section 106 process and compliance based archaeology quickly became the primary mechanisms through which new data were generated across the United States. Heritage management projects facilitated explorations of regions and categories of archaeological sites that had seldom been the focus of academic research and also provided data essential for addressing "big picture" questions at scales not previously possible. In this article, we explore the importance of syntheses and regional databases for both research and preservation. First, we demonstrate the role that compliance archaeology data have played in recent research focused on the late pre-contact period (A.D.1200-1500) in the U.S. Southwest using an example from the Southwest Social Networks Project. We explore how our interpretations of several important regional-scale processes might differ if data generated through work mandated by the NHPA were not available. Next, we demonstrate the utility of synthetic databases for preservation planning by outlining a systematic approach toward identifying and characterizing site/landscape protection priorities. We argue that this approach offers opportunities to go beyond site-by-site evaluations of significance to develop landscape-scale perspectives on the relative importance of cultural resources.
Research Interests:
Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS... more
Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS has largely focused on simple models and controlled experiments in ecology and climate science. When humans are considered in these arenas they are invariably seen as external sources of disturbance or management. In this article we explore ways to include societal components of socio-ecological systems directly in EWS analysis. Given the growing archaeological literature on 'col-lapses,' or transformations, in social systems, we investigate whether any early warning signals are apparent in the archaeological records of the build-up to two contemporaneous cases of social transformation in the prehistoric US Southwest, Mesa Verde and Zuni. The social transformations in these two cases differ in scope and severity, thus allowing us to explore the contexts under which warning signals may (or may not) emerge. In both cases our results show increasing variance in settlement size before the transformation, but increasing variance in social institutions only before the critical transformation in Mesa Verde. In the Zuni case, social institutions appear to have managed the process of significant social change. We conclude that variance is of broad relevance in anticipating social change, and the capacity of social institutions to mitigate transformation is critical to consider in EWS research on socio-ecological systems.
Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS... more
Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS has largely focused on simple models and controlled experiments in ecology and climate science. When humans are considered in these arenas they are invariably seen as external sources of disturbance or management. In this article we explore ways to include societal components of socio-ecological systems directly in EWS analysis. Given the growing archaeological literature on 'col-lapses,' or transformations, in social systems, we investigate whether any early warning signals are apparent in the archaeological records of the build-up to two contemporaneous cases of social transformation in the prehistoric US Southwest, Mesa Verde and Zuni. The social transformations in these two cases differ in scope and severity, thus allowing us to explore the contexts under which warning signals may (or may not) emerge. In both cases our results show increasing variance in settlement size before the transformation, but increasing variance in social institutions only before the critical transformation in Mesa Verde. In the Zuni case, social institutions appear to have managed the process of significant social change. We conclude that variance is of broad relevance in anticipating social change, and the capacity of social institutions to mitigate transformation is critical to consider in EWS research on socio-ecological systems.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract: Analyzing historical trajectories of social interactions at varying scales can lead to complementary interpretations of relationships among archaeological settlements. We use social network analysis combined with geographic... more
Abstract:
Analyzing historical trajectories of social interactions at varying scales can lead to complementary interpretations of relationships among archaeological settlements. We use social network analysis combined with geographic information systems at three spatial scales over time in the western U.S. Southwest to show how the same social processes affected network dynamics at each scale. The period we address, A.D. 1200–1450, was characterized by migration and demographic upheaval. The tumultuous late thirteenth-century interval was followed by population coalescence and the development of widespread religious movements in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In the southern Southwest these processes resulted in a highly connected network that drew in members of different settlements within and between different valleys that had previously been distinct. In the northern Southwest networks were initially highly connected followed by a more fragmented social landscape. We examine how different network textures emerged at each scale through 50-year snapshots. The results demonstrate the usefulness of applying a multiscalar approach to complex historical trajectories and the potential for social network analysis as applied to archaeological data.
Spanish
El análisis multi-escalar de interacciones sociales y sus trayectorias históricas pueden producir interpretaciones complementarias acerca de las relaciones entre asentamientos arqueológicos. Utilizamos el análisis de redes sociales en combinación con sistemas de información geográfica mediante tres escalas espaciales a través del tiempo en el oeste de la región del Suroeste Norteamericano para demonstrar cómo procesos sociales similares afectaron la dinámica de redes en cada escala. El período de interés, A.D. 1200–1450, se caracterizó por la migración y el desorden demográfico. El tumultuoso siglo trece fue seguido por la coalescencia de poblaciones diversas y por el desarrollo de extensos movimientos religiosos en los siglos catorce y quince. En el Suroeste meridional estos procesos resultaron en una red altamente conectada que atrajo miembros de diferentes asentamientos dentro y entre diferentes valles que habían sido previamente diferenciados. En el Suroeste septentrional las redes inicialmente estuvieron muy conectadas pero fueron sucedidas por un paisaje social fragmentario. Finalmente, examinamos cómo diferentes texturas de redes emergieron en cada escala en períodos de 50 años. Los resultados demuestran la utilidad del análisis multi-escalar para investigar trayectorias históricas complejas y el potencial del análisis de redes sociales para el estudio de datos arqueológicos.
Analyzing historical trajectories of social interactions at varying scales can lead to complementary interpretations of relationships among archaeological settlements. We use social network analysis combined with geographic information systems at three spatial scales over time in the western U.S. Southwest to show how the same social processes affected network dynamics at each scale. The period we address, A.D. 1200–1450, was characterized by migration and demographic upheaval. The tumultuous late thirteenth-century interval was followed by population coalescence and the development of widespread religious movements in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In the southern Southwest these processes resulted in a highly connected network that drew in members of different settlements within and between different valleys that had previously been distinct. In the northern Southwest networks were initially highly connected followed by a more fragmented social landscape. We examine how different network textures emerged at each scale through 50-year snapshots. The results demonstrate the usefulness of applying a multiscalar approach to complex historical trajectories and the potential for social network analysis as applied to archaeological data.
Spanish
El análisis multi-escalar de interacciones sociales y sus trayectorias históricas pueden producir interpretaciones complementarias acerca de las relaciones entre asentamientos arqueológicos. Utilizamos el análisis de redes sociales en combinación con sistemas de información geográfica mediante tres escalas espaciales a través del tiempo en el oeste de la región del Suroeste Norteamericano para demonstrar cómo procesos sociales similares afectaron la dinámica de redes en cada escala. El período de interés, A.D. 1200–1450, se caracterizó por la migración y el desorden demográfico. El tumultuoso siglo trece fue seguido por la coalescencia de poblaciones diversas y por el desarrollo de extensos movimientos religiosos en los siglos catorce y quince. En el Suroeste meridional estos procesos resultaron en una red altamente conectada que atrajo miembros de diferentes asentamientos dentro y entre diferentes valles que habían sido previamente diferenciados. En el Suroeste septentrional las redes inicialmente estuvieron muy conectadas pero fueron sucedidas por un paisaje social fragmentario. Finalmente, examinamos cómo diferentes texturas de redes emergieron en cada escala en períodos de 50 años. Los resultados demuestran la utilidad del análisis multi-escalar para investigar trayectorias históricas complejas y el potencial del análisis de redes sociales para el estudio de datos arqueológicos.
Research Interests:
In social network analysis, brokerage refers to the processes through which individuals or larger groups mediate interactions between actors that would otherwise not be directly connected. Brokers occupy key intermediate positions that... more
In social network analysis, brokerage refers to the processes through which individuals or larger groups mediate interactions between actors that would otherwise not be directly connected. Brokers occupy key intermediate positions that have alternately been interpreted as sources of social capital or potential disadvantages. Recent empirical studies suggest that the relationship between brokerage and rewards or risks varies considerably depending on the nature of interactions in a given setting. In this study, we use a large settlement and ceramic database including sites across the western U.S. Southwest (C.E. 1200¬–1400) to identify settlements that filled brokerage roles in ceramic networks. We develop a new structural measure of brokerage and compare long-term outcomes for settlements characterized by varying degrees of brokerage. We argue that brokerage was not a major source of social capital in our study area as interactions instead favored the formation of discrete groups over such intermediate positions.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Special issue of Archaeology Southwest Magazine focused on the Southwest Social Networks Project. This project explores the changing nature and scale of social networks in the late precontact period in the western U.S. Southwest.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Diversity is generally valued, although it sometimes contributes to difficult social situations, as is recognized in recent social science literature. Archaeology can provide insights into how diverse social situations play out over the... more
Diversity is generally valued, although it sometimes contributes to difficult social situations, as is recognized in recent
social science literature. Archaeology can provide insights into how diverse social situations play out over the long term.
There are many kinds of diversities, and we propose representational diversity as a distinct category. Representational
diversity specifically concerns how and whether differences are marked or masked materially. We investigate several archaeological
sequences in the U.S. Southwest. Each began with the coming together of populations that created situations of
unprecedented social diversity; some resulted in conflict, others in long-term stability. We trace how representational
diversity changed through these sequences. Specifically, we review the transregional Kayenta migration to the southern
Southwest and focus empirical analyses on regional processes in the Cibola region and on painted ceramics. Results show
that, initially, representational diversity increased above and beyond that caused by the combination of previously separate
traditions as people marked their differences. Subsequently, in some instances, the diversity was replaced by widespread
homogeneity as the differences were masked and mitigated. Although the social causes and effects of diversity are many
and varied, long-term stability and persistence is associated with tolerance of a range of diversities.
social science literature. Archaeology can provide insights into how diverse social situations play out over the long term.
There are many kinds of diversities, and we propose representational diversity as a distinct category. Representational
diversity specifically concerns how and whether differences are marked or masked materially. We investigate several archaeological
sequences in the U.S. Southwest. Each began with the coming together of populations that created situations of
unprecedented social diversity; some resulted in conflict, others in long-term stability. We trace how representational
diversity changed through these sequences. Specifically, we review the transregional Kayenta migration to the southern
Southwest and focus empirical analyses on regional processes in the Cibola region and on painted ceramics. Results show
that, initially, representational diversity increased above and beyond that caused by the combination of previously separate
traditions as people marked their differences. Subsequently, in some instances, the diversity was replaced by widespread
homogeneity as the differences were masked and mitigated. Although the social causes and effects of diversity are many
and varied, long-term stability and persistence is associated with tolerance of a range of diversities.
Research Interests:
This paper identifies rare climate challenges in the long-term history of seven areas, three in the subpolar North Atlantic Islands and four in the arid-to-semiarid deserts of the US Southwest. For each case, the vulnerability to food... more
This paper identifies rare climate challenges in the long-term history
of seven areas, three in the subpolar North Atlantic Islands and four
in the arid-to-semiarid deserts of the US Southwest. For each case,
the vulnerability to food shortage before the climate challenge is
quantified based on eight variables encompassing both environmental
and social domains. These data are used to evaluate the
relationship between the “weight” of vulnerability before a climate
challenge and the nature of social change and food security following
a challenge. The outcome of this work is directly applicable to
debates about disaster management policy.
of seven areas, three in the subpolar North Atlantic Islands and four
in the arid-to-semiarid deserts of the US Southwest. For each case,
the vulnerability to food shortage before the climate challenge is
quantified based on eight variables encompassing both environmental
and social domains. These data are used to evaluate the
relationship between the “weight” of vulnerability before a climate
challenge and the nature of social change and food security following
a challenge. The outcome of this work is directly applicable to
debates about disaster management policy.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The evolution of agricultural economies requires two processes: 1) the domestication of plants and 2) specialization in agricultural practices at the expense of alternative subsistence pursuits. Yet, in the literature, domestication... more
The evolution of agricultural economies requires two processes: 1) the domestication of plants and 2) specialization in agricultural practices at the expense of alternative subsistence pursuits. Yet, in the literature, domestication receives the lion's share of attention while theories of specialization lag behind. In this paper, we integrate ideas from human behavioral ecology (HBE) with tools from dynamical systems theory to study the effects of ecological inheritance on levels of investment in foraging and farming. Ecological inheritance is an outcome of niche construction and our study provides a formal link between foraging theory and niche construction. Our analysis of a dynamic model of foraging and farming illustrates that the optimal allocation of effort to foraging and farming can lead to the emergence of multiple stable states. The consequence of this is that low-level farming optimizes subsistence (e.g., minimizing the effort required to meet a subsistence goal) in a forager-resource system over a few years but makes the whole system vulnerable to punctuated change over decades due to rare events. We use the insights of our model to propose a general ecological framework to explain the evolution and diversity of transitions from foraging to farming. Link to Final: http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1RS9W-JVbUUYA
Research Interests: Human Ecology, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Human Behavioral Ecology, and 15 moreComplex Systems Science, Resilience, Social-Ecological Systems, Agricultural Economics, Evolutionary Anthropology, Ecology, Origins of Agriculture, Evolutionary Ecology, Archaeological Theory, Behavioral Ecology, Niche Construction Theory, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Ancient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), Evolution and Human Behavior, and Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology
Research in psychology has established that humans organize spatial information into “cognitive maps” oriented around visual landmarks. Much of this research focuses on individual cognitive processes such as orienteering and wayfinding.... more
Research in psychology has established that humans organize spatial information into “cognitive maps” oriented around
visual landmarks. Much of this research focuses on individual cognitive processes such as orienteering and wayfinding. We
extend this research to the level of social groups, exploring the degree to which cognitive maps are shared among near and
distant neighbors and the social implications of common, overlapping, or discrete cognitive maps. We develop the concept of “sight communities”—populations which shared similar cognitive maps—and then propose methodologies to (1) identify visual anchors and quantify their visual prominence from different vantage points, and (2) detect and analyze connections
visual landmarks. Much of this research focuses on individual cognitive processes such as orienteering and wayfinding. We
extend this research to the level of social groups, exploring the degree to which cognitive maps are shared among near and
distant neighbors and the social implications of common, overlapping, or discrete cognitive maps. We develop the concept of “sight communities”—populations which shared similar cognitive maps—and then propose methodologies to (1) identify visual anchors and quantify their visual prominence from different vantage points, and (2) detect and analyze connections
Research Interests:
Analyzing historical trajectories of social interactions at varying scales can lead to complementary interpretations of relationships among archaeological settlements. We use social network analysis combined with geographic information... more
Analyzing historical trajectories of social interactions at varying scales can lead to complementary interpretations of relationships among archaeological settlements. We use social network analysis combined with geographic information systems at three spatial scales over time in the western U.S. Southwest to show how the same social processes affected network dynamics at each scale. The period we address, A.D. 1200–1450, was characterized by migration and demographic upheaval. The tumultuous late thirteenth-century interval was followed by population coalescence and the development of widespread religious movements in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In the southern Southwest these processes resulted in a highly connected network that drew in members of different settlements within and between different valleys that had previously been distinct. In the northern Southwest networks were initially highly connected followed by a more fragmented social landscape. We examine how different network textures emerged at each scale through 50-year snapshots. The results demonstrate the usefulness of applying a multiscalar approach to complex historical trajectories and the potential for social network analysis as applied to archaeological data.
Research Interests:
Archaeologists have regarded social networks as both the links through which people transmitted information and goods as well as a form of social storage creating relationships that could be drawn upon in times of subsistence shortfalls... more
Archaeologists have regarded social networks as both the links through which people transmitted information and goods as well as a form of social storage creating relationships that could be drawn upon in times of subsistence shortfalls or other deleterious environmental conditions. In this article, formal social network analytical (SNA) methods are applied to archaeological data from the late pre-Hispanic North American Southwest to look at what kinds of social networks characterized those regions that were the most enduring versus those that were depopulated over a 250-year period (A.D. 1200–1450). In that time, large areas of the Southwest were no longer used for residential purposes, some of which corresponds with well-documented region-wide drought. Past research has demonstrated that some population levels could have been maintained in these regions, yet regional scale depopulation occurred. We look at the degree to which the network level property of embeddedness, along with population size, can help to explain why some regions were depopulated and others were not. SNA can help archaeologists examine why emigration occurred in some areas following an environmental crisis while other areas continued to be inhabited and even received migrants. Moreover, we modify SNA techniques to take full advantage of the time depth and spatial and demographic variability of our archaeological data set. The results of this study should be of interest to those who seek to understand human responses to past, present, and future worldwide catastrophes since it is now widely recognized that responses to major human disasters, such as hurricanes, were “likely to be shaped by pre-existing or new social networks” (as reported by Suter et al. (Research and Policy Review 28:1–10, 2009)).
Research Interests: Ancient History, Demography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, and 27 moreSocial Networks, Social Sciences, Material Culture Studies, Disaster risk management, Migration, Crisis Management, Ancient Networks, North American Southwest, Social Archaeology, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Migration Studies, Disaster Management, Sociology of Migration, Migration (Anthropology), Southwestern Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Material Culture, Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), Historical Network Research, Historical network analysis, Risk and crisis management, Archaeological Interaction and Networks, Kayenta Archaeology, Archaeological Network Analysis, Salado Archaeology, Hopi Archaeology, and Zuni Archaeology
Research Interests:
The construction of the protohistoric Zuni towns in the late 14th and early 15th centuries was marked by major changes in settlement, architecture, ceramic design/technology, and burial practices that suggest that the Zuni region was a... more
The construction of the protohistoric Zuni towns in the late 14th and early 15th centuries was marked by major changes in settlement, architecture, ceramic design/technology, and burial practices that suggest that the Zuni region was a destination for populations from some of the areas to the south that were largely depopulated between 1450 and 1540. In this chapter, I explore the population history of the Zuni region from a biodistance perspective. Using methods for quantitative comparison of skeletal morphometric variation, I assess genetic evidence for immigration across the protohistoric transition. Further, I compare skeletal variation in the Zuni region with a number of other areas across the Southwest in order to identify potential regional scale patterns of gene flow related to population movement. This biogeographical perspective is particularly important because long distance population movement has frequently been implicated in many of the changes associated with the establishment of the protohistoric Zuni towns. The results presented here suggest that the protohistoric transition at Zuni involved substantial immigration, potentially from several sources across the Southwest, but that there was also a large local population. The history of population movement suggested by this analysis has further implications for considerations of many widespread changes occurring across the Southwest during the so called "lost century."
Research Interests:
Regional planning is an essential element of comprehensive archaeological management programs. Most regional planning efforts in archaeology focus on predictive modeling to distinguish areas based on the likelihood of encountering... more
Regional planning is an essential element of comprehensive archaeological management programs. Most regional planning efforts in archaeology focus on predictive modeling to distinguish areas based on the likelihood of encountering archaeological resources. We discuss a complementary approach that uses known sites and expert opinion to identify spatially explicit cultural resource preservation priorities. Loosely analogous to biodiversity conservation planning, priority cultural resource assessments provide an evolving vision of an archaeological reserve network which, if managed appropriately, could protect a significant part of our cultural heritage. We outline an efficient approach to identifying spatially explicit Priority Areas within portions of Arizona and New Mexico. This information complements assessments of individual site eligibility for purposes of listing on the National Register of Historic Places by providing an added layer of regionally contextualized information at larger geographic scales. By establishing priorities, this information can also enhance cultural resource considerations in local, state, and federal land use planning. While our consideration of significance is based on the potential information content of the resource, we argue that this planning process can easily incorporate other cultural resource values and help to address preservation actions in support of this broader set of values.
Research Interests:
Over the last several years, network methods and models from the social and physical sciences have gained considerable popularity in archaeology. Many of the most common network methods begin with the creation of binary networks where... more
Over the last several years, network methods and models from the social and physical sciences have gained considerable popularity in archaeology. Many of the most common network methods begin with the creation of binary networks where links among some set of actors are defined as either present or absent. In most archaeological cases, however, the presence or absence of a specific kind of relationship between actors is not straightforward as we must rely on material proxies for assessing connections. A common approach in recent studies has been to define some threshold for the presence of a tie by partitioning continuous relational data among sites (e.g., artifact frequency or similarity data). In this article, using an example from the U.S. Southwest, we present a sensitivity analysis focused on the potential effects of defining binary networks from continuous relational data. We show that many key network properties that are often afforded social interpretations are fundamentally influenced by the assumptions used to define connections. We suggest that, although network graphs provide powerful visualizations of network data, methods for creating and analyzing weighted (non-binarized) networks often provide a better characterization of specific network properties.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Ceramic seriation is one of the primary tools used by archaeologists to create chronologies, especially for surface survey data. In this article, we outline a bootstrapped approach to correspondence analysis-based seriation designed to... more
Ceramic seriation is one of the primary tools used by archaeologists to create chronologies, especially for surface survey data. In this article, we outline a bootstrapped approach to correspondence analysis-based seriation designed to help assess and improve the stability of relative orderings produced through such analyses. This procedure systematically identifies and removes small samples and sites with unusual samples, such as those with multiple components, which are not handled well by seriation and require secondary interpretation. Our approach combines data from multiple projects in the Zuni region of the American Southwest in order to gauge the effects of intraregional variation in ceramic distributions and reexamine prior interpretations of demographic change based on individual projects. This analysis highlights two previously unknown regional trends, including variation in the distribution of multicomponent sites and potential short-term depopulation of a significant part of the region. Based on this example, we further suggest that our method may be particularly useful in situations where little prior chronological knowledge is available.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Full book available online from University Press of Colorado: see link
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Change is inevitable, but some changes and transformations are more dramatic and fraught with suffering than others. Resilience theory suggests the concept of a "rigidity trap" as an explanation for these differences. In rigidity traps, a... more
Change is inevitable, but some changes and transformations are more dramatic and fraught with suffering than others. Resilience theory suggests the concept of a "rigidity trap" as an explanation for these differences. In rigidity traps, a high degree of connectivity and the suppression of innovation prolong an increasingly rigid state, with the result that the eventual transformation is harsh. Three archaeological cases from the U.S. Southwest (Mimbres, Mesa Verde, and Hohokam) and new methods for assessing transformations and rigidity are used to evaluate this concept. They reveal the expected association between the severity of transformation and degree of rigidity, suggesting that a rigidity trap contributed to the Hohokam decline, which included significant human suffering. Possible causes of rigidity, with implications for today's world, are explored.
Research Interests:
By the beginning of the Civil War, the African American newspaper had already proved to be an indispensable ally in the struggle for the rights of African Americans throughout the United States. In the antebellum period, as many as 100... more
By the beginning of the Civil War, the African American newspaper had already proved to be an indispensable ally in the struggle for the rights of African Americans throughout the United States. In the antebellum period, as many as 100 African American newspapers were printed and distributed throughout the nation and beyond. The goal of this study is to delineate how and why the antebellum African American run newspapers of the mid-nineteenth century became important as platforms of political agency, intended for those who were largely denied conventional means of participation within the United States government. In particular, I focus on four main avenues through which the African American newspapers were utilized to afford political agency to African Americans: (1) the material and rhetorical support of black suffrage, (2) the promotion and facilitation of public protest, (3) the promotion of material and moral elevation, (4) and the creation of a black national and historical identity.
Research Interests:
The interdisciplinary framework known as resilience theory used by ecologists, social scientists, as well as policy makers, is primarily concerned with the sources of transformation and stability in complex socioecological systems. The... more
The interdisciplinary framework known as resilience theory used by ecologists, social scientists, as well as policy makers, is primarily concerned with the sources of transformation and stability in complex socioecological systems. The laboratory of the long and diverse archaeological record is uniquely suited to testing some of the implications of this theoretical perspective. In this paper, we consider the history of land use and landscape change across the transition from foraging to agricultural subsistence economies in the Middle Chevelon Creek region of northern Arizona. Through this discussion, we highlight the potential roles of diversity and flexibility at multiple spatial and temporal scales in the resilience of human land use practices from the prehistoric past. Expressing the long-term history of this region in a more general theoretical language that bridges the social and natural sciences promotes the collaboration of scientists with expertise deriving from different traditional disciplines. Such a broad perspective is necessary to characterize changes and stabilities in complex socioecological systems.
Research Interests:
The value of “diversity” in social and ecological systems is frequently asserted in academic and policy literature. Diversity is thought to enhance the resilience of social-ecological systems to varied and potentially uncertain future... more
The value of “diversity” in social and ecological systems is frequently asserted in academic and policy literature. Diversity is thought to enhance the resilience of social-ecological systems to varied and potentially uncertain future conditions. Yet there are trade-offs; diversity in ecological and social domains has costs as well as benefits. In this paper, we examine social diversity, specifically its costs and benefits in terms of decision making in middle range or tribal societies, using archaeological evidence spanning seven centuries from four regions of the U.S. Southwest. In these nonstate societies, social diversity may detract from the capacity for collective action. We ask whether as population density increases, making collective action increasingly difficult, social diversity declines. Further, we trace the cases of low diversity and high population density across our long-temporal sequences to see how they associate with the most dramatic transformations. This latter analysis is inspired by the claim in resilience literature that reduction of diversity may contribute to reduction in resilience to varied conditions. Using archaeological data, we examine social diversity and conformity through the material culture (pottery styles) of past societies. Our research contributes to an enhanced understanding of how population density may limit social diversity and suggests the role that this association may play in some contexts of dramatic social transformation.
Research Interests:
For at least the past 8000 years, small-scale farmers in semi-arid environments have had to mitigate shortfalls in crop production due to variation in precipitation and stream flow. To reduce their vulnerability to a shortfall in their... more
For at least the past 8000 years, small-scale farmers in semi-arid environments have had to mitigate shortfalls in crop production due to variation in precipitation and stream flow. To reduce their vulnerability to a shortfall in their food supply, small-scale farmers developed short-term strategies, including storage and community-scale sharing, to mitigate inter-annual variation in crop production, and long-term strategies, such as migration, to mitigate the effects of sustained droughts. We use the archaeological and paleoclimatic records from A.D. 900-1600 in two regions of the American Southwest to explore the nature of variation in the availability of water for crops, and the strategies that enhanced the resilience of prehistoric agricultural production to climatic variation. Drawing on information concerning contemporary small-scale farming in semi-arid environments, we then suggest that the risk coping and mitigation strategies that have endured for millennia are relevant to enhancing the resilience of contemporary farmers’ livelihoods to environmental and economic perturbations.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Social Networks, Pottery (Archaeology), Social Networking, and 7 moreSocial Network Analysis (SNA), Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Southwestern Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancestral Pueblo (Archaeology), Archaeology of the U.S. Southwest, and Hohokam Archaeology
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
How robust were agrarian social networks to drought? Social networks help absorb weather related shocks by facilitating resource flows to afflicted settlements and population flows away from them. This property of social networks depends... more
How robust were agrarian social networks to drought? Social networks help absorb weather related shocks by facilitating resource flows to afflicted settlements and population flows away from them. This property of social networks depends on the degree to which the networks can connect topographically accessible locations that tend to experience different weather patterns. We thus expect rainfall covariance in space and time to interact with patterns of landscape connectivity
to structure prehistoric social networks.
To test this hypothesis, we compare diachronic social-network proxies from the U.S. Southwest to a paleoclimate model simulation. We first use outputs from the Community Climate System Model Last Millennium project to calculate a multiscalar drought index for the period AD 1200-1400. We then use Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to decompose these complex space-time fields into maps of the leading modes of drought variability. Finally, we compare these maps to network data produced by the Southwest Social Networks project, testing whether ties between nodes in opposing climate dipoles are stronger than would be expected by chance alone. Mobilising these two spatially explicit and diachronic archaeological and climatological datasets allows us to quantitatively assess the complex interplay between social and ecological dynamics on large regional scales.
to structure prehistoric social networks.
To test this hypothesis, we compare diachronic social-network proxies from the U.S. Southwest to a paleoclimate model simulation. We first use outputs from the Community Climate System Model Last Millennium project to calculate a multiscalar drought index for the period AD 1200-1400. We then use Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to decompose these complex space-time fields into maps of the leading modes of drought variability. Finally, we compare these maps to network data produced by the Southwest Social Networks project, testing whether ties between nodes in opposing climate dipoles are stronger than would be expected by chance alone. Mobilising these two spatially explicit and diachronic archaeological and climatological datasets allows us to quantitatively assess the complex interplay between social and ecological dynamics on large regional scales.
Research Interests:
Two large nucleated villages occupied ca. AD 1250-1325 in the Quemado region of west-central New Mexico, are believed to have been destroyed by people from the Zuni region, possibly in a single campaign. We use Solometo’s dimensions of... more
Two large nucleated villages occupied ca. AD 1250-1325 in the Quemado region of west-central New Mexico, are believed to have been destroyed by people from the Zuni region, possibly in a single campaign. We use Solometo’s dimensions of warfare to evaluate the nature of conflict in relation to evidence for social connections between these regions. Ceramic compositional and technological analyses suggest that interaction between these two areas did occur, but that it may have taken place in a limited number of social contexts. The brutal violence seen in this case is unexpected given the frequent social interaction between the regions.
En la región Quemado del oeste-central de Nuevo Mexico se encuentran dos pueblos que fueron ocupados alrededor del 1250-1325 d.C. que se presume fueron destruidos por los pobladores del región Zuni quizás en una compaña singular. Usamos las dimensiones de guerra escrito por Solometo para evaluar el conflicto en relación a la evidencia por conexiones sociales entre estas dos regiones. Los resultados de estudios de composición y tecnología de cerámica indican que la interacción entre los dos grupos si existía pero en contextos sociales específicos. La violencia de este caso está fuera de lo que se esperaría si existía tanta interacción normalmente entre las dos regiones.
En la región Quemado del oeste-central de Nuevo Mexico se encuentran dos pueblos que fueron ocupados alrededor del 1250-1325 d.C. que se presume fueron destruidos por los pobladores del región Zuni quizás en una compaña singular. Usamos las dimensiones de guerra escrito por Solometo para evaluar el conflicto en relación a la evidencia por conexiones sociales entre estas dos regiones. Los resultados de estudios de composición y tecnología de cerámica indican que la interacción entre los dos grupos si existía pero en contextos sociales específicos. La violencia de este caso está fuera de lo que se esperaría si existía tanta interacción normalmente entre las dos regiones.
Research Interests:
The Cibola region on the Arizona–New Mexico border has fascinated archaeologists for more than a century. The region’s core is recognized as the ancestral homeland of the contemporary Zuni people, and the area also spans boundaries... more
The Cibola region on the Arizona–New Mexico border has fascinated archaeologists for more than a century. The region’s core is recognized as the ancestral homeland of the contemporary Zuni people, and the area also spans boundaries between the Ancestral Puebloan and Mogollon culture areas. The complexity of cross-cutting regional and cultural designations makes this an ideal context within which to explore the relationship between identity and social change at broad regional scales.
In Connected Communities, Matthew A. Peeples examines a period of dramatic social and political transformation in the ancient Cibola region (ca. A.D. 1150–1325). He analyzes archaeological data generated during a century of research through the lens of new and original social theories and methods focused on exploring identity, social networks, and social transformation. In so doing, he demonstrates the value of comparative, synthetic analysis.
The book addresses some of the oldest enduring questions in archaeology: How do large-scale social identities form? How do they change? How can we study such processes using material remains? Peeples approaches these questions using a new set of methods and models from the broader comparative social sciences (relational sociology and social networks) to track the trajectories of social groups in terms of both networks of interactions (relations) and expressions of similarity or difference (categories). He argues that archaeological research has too often conflated these different kinds of social identity and that this has hindered efforts to understand the drivers of social change.
In his strikingly original approach, Peeples combines massive amounts of new data and comparative explorations of contemporary social movements to provide new insights into how social identities formed and changed during this key period.
In Connected Communities, Matthew A. Peeples examines a period of dramatic social and political transformation in the ancient Cibola region (ca. A.D. 1150–1325). He analyzes archaeological data generated during a century of research through the lens of new and original social theories and methods focused on exploring identity, social networks, and social transformation. In so doing, he demonstrates the value of comparative, synthetic analysis.
The book addresses some of the oldest enduring questions in archaeology: How do large-scale social identities form? How do they change? How can we study such processes using material remains? Peeples approaches these questions using a new set of methods and models from the broader comparative social sciences (relational sociology and social networks) to track the trajectories of social groups in terms of both networks of interactions (relations) and expressions of similarity or difference (categories). He argues that archaeological research has too often conflated these different kinds of social identity and that this has hindered efforts to understand the drivers of social change.
In his strikingly original approach, Peeples combines massive amounts of new data and comparative explorations of contemporary social movements to provide new insights into how social identities formed and changed during this key period.
Research Interests: Social Movements, Social Networks, Social Identity, Southwestern United States (Archaeology in North America), Identity (Culture), and 8 moreSocial Network Analysis (SNA), Archaeology of ethnicity, Southwestern Archaeology, Social Network Analysis (Social Sciences), Network science, Archaeology of Identity, Archaeology of the U.S. Southwest, and Social Network Analysis
The last several decades have seen the publication of a considerable amount of scholarly and popular literature concerning the collapse of complex societies, yielding a fair amount of comparative data and hypotheses regarding this... more
The last several decades have seen the publication of a considerable amount of scholarly and popular literature concerning the collapse of complex societies, yielding a fair amount of comparative data and hypotheses regarding this phenomenon. More recently, scholars have begun to challenge these works, rejecting the notion of collapse altogether in favor of focusing on concepts such as resilience and transformation. Driven by these developments, archaeologists have turned their attention to what occurs in the aftermath of sociopolitical decline, attempting to identify factors that contribute to the regeneration, transformation, or reorganization of complex sociopolitical institutions. Subsequent research has provided important data shedding light on political environments that were once characterized as “dark ages.” In that time, general theoretical approaches have transformed as well, and recent frameworks reconsider collapse and reorganization not as unrelated or sequential phenomena but as integral components in a cyclical understanding of the evolution of complex societies. The most recent of these approaches incorporates the tenets of Resilience Theory, as developed by environmental scientists.
In March 2013, an international conference held at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale brought together scholars with diverse theoretical perspectives to present and synthesize new data and approaches to understanding the collapse and reorganization of complex societies. No restrictions were imposed regarding chronological periods, geographical regions or material specialties, resulting in a wide-ranging potential for comparative analysis. This publication is the outcome of that meeting. It is not organized merely as a collection of diverse case studies, but rather a collaborative effort incorporating various data sets to evaluate and expand on theoretical approaches to this important subject. The works contained within this volume are organized into five sections: the first sets the stage with introductory papers by the editor and distinguished contributor, Joseph Tainter; the second contains works by distinguished scholars approaching collapse and reorganization from new theoretical perspectives; the third presents critical archaeological analyses of the effectiveness of Resilience Theory as a heuristic tool for modeling these phenomena; the fourth section presents long-term adaptive strategies employed by prehistoric societies to cope with stresses and avoid collapse; the final section highlights new research on post-decline contexts in a variety of temporal and geographic ranges and relates these data to the more comprehensive works on the subject.
In March 2013, an international conference held at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale brought together scholars with diverse theoretical perspectives to present and synthesize new data and approaches to understanding the collapse and reorganization of complex societies. No restrictions were imposed regarding chronological periods, geographical regions or material specialties, resulting in a wide-ranging potential for comparative analysis. This publication is the outcome of that meeting. It is not organized merely as a collection of diverse case studies, but rather a collaborative effort incorporating various data sets to evaluate and expand on theoretical approaches to this important subject. The works contained within this volume are organized into five sections: the first sets the stage with introductory papers by the editor and distinguished contributor, Joseph Tainter; the second contains works by distinguished scholars approaching collapse and reorganization from new theoretical perspectives; the third presents critical archaeological analyses of the effectiveness of Resilience Theory as a heuristic tool for modeling these phenomena; the fourth section presents long-term adaptive strategies employed by prehistoric societies to cope with stresses and avoid collapse; the final section highlights new research on post-decline contexts in a variety of temporal and geographic ranges and relates these data to the more comprehensive works on the subject.
Research Interests:
We are very happy to announce the publication of the first issue of the Journal of Historical Network Research. Behind us lie two years of preparations. At this stage we would like to thank our reviewers and members of the Advisory Board... more
We are very happy to announce the publication of the first issue of the Journal of Historical Network Research. Behind us lie two years of preparations. At this stage we would like to thank our reviewers and members of the Advisory Board for their support and guidance and the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History for its ongoing support. Finally, we are especially grateful to our authors who shared their research for this very first issue.
The next call for papers is just around the corner, and we look forward to preparing Issue #2.
The Editors
(Christian Rollinger, Robert Gramsch-Stehfest, Martin Stark, Marten Düring)
The next call for papers is just around the corner, and we look forward to preparing Issue #2.
The Editors
(Christian Rollinger, Robert Gramsch-Stehfest, Martin Stark, Marten Düring)