Book•
The Archaeology of Ethnicity: Constructing Identities in the Past and Present
01 Jan 1997-
TL;DR: Sian Jones as mentioned in this paper argues for a fundamentally different view of ethnicity, as a complex dynamic form of identification, requiring radical changes in archaeological analysis and interpretation, and presents a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent theories of ethnicity in the human sciences.
Abstract: The question of ethnicity is highly controversial in contemporary archaeology. Indigenous and nationalist claims to territory, often rely on reconstructions of the past based on the traditional identification of 'cultures' from archaeological remains. Sian Jones responds to the need for a reassessment of the ways in which social groups are identified in the archaeological record, with a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent theories of ethnicity in the human sciences. In doing so, she argues for a fundamentally different view of ethnicity, as a complex dynamic form of identification, requiring radical changes in archaeological analysis and interpretation.
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TL;DR: The importance of plants in the diet of Pampean hunter-gatherers and the effective use of ceramic containers for processing and preparation of these resources are suggested.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of archaeobotanical studies of plant microremains adhered to the surfaces of charred cooking-pot residues, corresponding to a context of hunter-gatherer societies in semiarid environments (Western Pampa, Argentina). Microparticles (starch granules, phytoliths, micro-charcoal, ochre-coloured organic matter and fungal remains) were identified, and the taphonomic factors that affected the plant microremains were described. Results indicate the use of ceramic containers for processing wild plants (Poaceae and Prosopis sp.), cultivated plants (Zea mays L.) and other ingredients. This study suggests the importance of plants in the diet of Pampean hunter-gatherers and the effective use of ceramic containers for processing and preparation of these resources.
23 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a review of Rwanda's ceramic typologies and integrate these with recent regional ones through the consideration of four new ceramic assemblages dating to three distinct phases across the past 2,000 years.
Abstract: This paper reviews Rwandan ceramic typologies and integrates these with recent regional ones through the consideration of four new ceramic assemblages dating to three distinct phases across the past 2,000 years. In addition to providing a synthesis of ceramic approaches as a research resource, it also suggests that ceramics previously termed type C might now better be understood as a transitional form of Urewe. In so doing, it both describes how previous accounts of Rwanda's archaeological ceramics reproduced a contested ethno-racial colonial construction of Rwandan society and suggests the replacement of these with non-ethno-racial explanations of material culture change proposed elsewhere for comparable circumstances in Great Lakes Africa. Finally, as the government seeks to reintroduce secondary school history teaching using archaeological narratives, it discusses the contemporary political significance of this and other research in post-genocide Rwanda, arguing that archaeology, whether framed in technical language or not, has contemporary political reference.
22 citations
01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the excavation of a small site, consisting of a main building and othe structural remains, as well as terraces and caves, is described, with a review of Hasmonean policy in the late second century in the light of the excavations.
Abstract: Report on the excavation of a small site, consisting of a main building and othe structural remains, as well as terraces and caves. The site first settled in the Chalcolithic, with comparatively meagre finds dating from before the later Iron Age, the site's main period of occupation ocurring during the Hellenistic era. Reports discuss architecture and stratigraphy, ceramics, coins and other small finds, and floral and faunal remains. The volume concludes with a review of Hasmonean policy in the late second century in the light of the excavations.
22 citations
04 May 2018
TL;DR: The Bandafassi Regional Archaeological Project (BRAP) explores a multiethnic landscape in the upper Gambia River region heavily impacted by slavery as mentioned in this paper and assesses discourses of diffe...
Abstract: The Bandafassi Regional Archaeological Project (BRAP) explores a multiethnic landscape in the upper Gambia River region heavily impacted by slavery. The project assesses discourses of diffe...
22 citations
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a case study in which that cross-fertilization extended beyond theory to practice in the field, focusing on the cultural landscape of southeastern Colorado, a fertile ground for both types of investigation.
Abstract: As exemplified by James Deetz’ use of Henry Glassie’s ideas, there has long been a theoretical cross-fertilization between vernacular architecture studies and historical archaeology. This chapter presents a case study in which that cross-fertilization extended beyond theory to practice in the field. The project, a joint historical archaeology and vernacular architecture study, focused on the cultural landscape of southeastern Colorado, a fertile ground for both types of investigation. In this chapter the authors discuss significant theoretical foundations common to both disciplines, and suggest ways practitioners can benefit from one another’s innovations and expertise.
22 citations