Detecting Apprentices and Innovators in the Archaeological Record: The Shell Bead-Making Industry of the Channel Islands

Archaeologists have demonstrated that it is challenging but feasible to identify the material remains of apprenticing activities associated with stone tool and ceramic assemblages. Building on this work, I explore apprenticing behavior in North America??s most intensive ancient shellworking context, using the large bead-making assemblages from California's Channel Islands. I examine a spectrum of production errors associated with a newly identified variant of Olivella shell bead and offer generalizations about what we should find in the material record of apprentices engaged in manufacturing ornamental goods. I also explore how we may distinguish novices?? errors from the mistakes of skilled experts experimenting with new bead forms. Existing ethnoarchaeological studies of children??s roles and contemporary craft practitioners specializing in ceramics, bead making, stone work, and other materials are foundational sources of data for this project, providing insights into the transmission of technical information from experts to novices in communities of practice. Such work directly informs archaeological research and facilitates our understanding of apprenticing from periods and regions where ethnographic information is insufficient or inapplicable.     

Rivet's Mission in Colonial Indochina (1931–1932) or the Failure to Create an Ethnographic Museum

By focusing on a transfer of a museological model from the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro to colonial Indochina, the paper examines the failure to create an ethnographic museum. The paper analyses, on the one hand, the collecting practices in the field and the circulation of knowledge, people, and objects from metropole to colony and vice versa. On the other hand, it seeks to highlight why Rivet and the École Française d'Extrême-Orient focused their research programme on the Montagnards from 1932 onwards at a time when French administration attempted to control the Highlands due to its strategic importance in terms of controlling Indochina. The concern with establishing ethnographic collections in Indochina extending from 1920s to 1938 attests the ways in which museums could be evolved in the governance of colonial populations. However, this concern underestimated the very fact that ethnographic museums differed for metropolitan populations and for colonizers.     

Determining the Provenance of Cayo Pottery from Grenada,Lesser Antilles,Using Portable X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Portable XRF was used to analyse the chemical composition of 52 indigenous Cayo ceramics from excavations and from private collections on Grenada, Lesser Antilles. Initially, a comparative baseline of data representing three different islands (Grenada, St Vincent and Trinidad) was created by analysing with pXRF ceramic material that had previously been analysed both chemically and petrographically. The field data, when compared to the laboratory baseline data, indicated that the majority of the ceramics were made with clay local to Grenada. Four samples were potentially made with clay from another, as yet unidentified, source.     

LUSTRE-DECORATED CERAMICS FROM A 15TH TO 16TH CENTURY PRODUCTION IN SEVILLE*

A set of 17 fragments of ceramics have been uncovered on the occasion of excavations of a workshop in Triana near Seville. These ceramics are typical of objects that are not commonly encountered in present collections in spite of intensive production during the 15th–16th centuries. Chemical and mineralogical analyses have been performed using various techniques (X-ray fluorescence and diffraction, SEM, ion beam analyses). The majority of the ceramic sherds represent the diversity of the Seville production; three fragments recovered in the same archaeological context were not locally produced and belong to the production of eastern Spain (Valence area). The ceramic bodies of the Seville sherds are compatible with the use of clays from the Guadalquivir valley. The glaze and the lustre decoration are comparable to those produced in eastern Spain. These conclusions are based on data that represent the production of a single workshop in Seville; the scatter of the data is due to variations in the processing and/or to alterations during the five centuries of burial of the ceramic fragments.     

Ceramics and change: an overview of pottery production techniques in northern South Africa and eastern Zimbabwe during the first and second millennium AD

In southern African Iron Age studies, there are few attempts to systematically apply and include laboratory analyses when studying archaeological ceramic materials. As demonstrated in this paper, such analyses help to understand the technological aspects such as raw materials, manufacturing techniques and vessel function. Combined with vessel shape and decoration as well as ethnographic studies, the results provide new ways to understand local and regional distribution networks of the ceramics craft. Furthermore, laboratory analyses are most useful when studying continuity and changes in the ceramics handicraft over time, which has implications both on cultural and social change as seen in the shift in ceramic production techniques. We use examples from Zimbabwe and South Africa to illustrate these changes and discuss them in a broader social and technological context in Iron Age southern Africa.     

Cross-cultural interaction on Wuvulu Island,Papua New Guinea: the perspective from use-wear and residue analyses of turtle bone artifacts

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of Indigenous producers and traders in the formation of ethnographic museum collections, but have found difficulty in finding concrete evidence for their active roles. A use-wear and residue study of turtle bone cleavers from Wuvulu Island, Papua New Guinea provides the opportunity to test whether objects that comprise a significant component of early collections were made specifically for sale, as hypothesized by contemporary observers in the late 19th century. Comparative studies of used and unused turtle bone artifacts from the Caroline Islands and Papua New Guinea identified differences between wear traces resulting from manufacture and use. Analyses of the Wuvulu turtle bone cleavers showed they had been heavily used prior to sale. Rather than produce artifacts to meet the high demand from German traders, the local people sold old, worn-out objects, many of which had been repaired. The study demonstrates that archaeological approaches to ethnographic museum collections can trace Indigenous agency within cross-cultural interaction. It also showcases the potential of use-wear and residue analytical techniques for the analysis of bone tools and the utility of digital, hand-held microscopes for the analysis of large artifacts.     

European trade ceramics on the Arabian Peninsula 1800–1960

European trade ceramics found across Arabia date from the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries and were made at factories mostly located within northwest Europe. After c. 1930, imitations of European ceramics are increasingly represented from factories in Japan and later China. Combining the information from archaeological excavations on the Arab coast of the Gulf and ceramics from museum and private collections, information from the archives of the British India Office and the Maastricht pottery order books for Arabia, a relatively detailed overview of this market for trade ceramics can be reconstructed. Three key points may be highlighted: First, the complex routes via which European ceramics arrived within Arabia, second, the significance of the link between producers and consumers on opposite sides of the globe, exemplified by specific designs and types of vessels manufactured for the Arabian market, and third, new layers of meaning that were given to such objects as they were incorporated into the homes, social fabric and the lives of people in Arabia.     

Anthropologies of extinction

This guest editorial reflects on the relevance of anthropology for extinction concerns, a rapidly expanding practical, ethnographic and theoretical space at a time of impending mass extinction. While biological extinction is necessarily a multispecies development (usually implicating humans), traditional species talk – focused on taxonomies, collections and classification – needs critical rethinking as it necessarily diverts attention from the vitality of life. The broad discipline of anthropology has much to offer for understanding processes of extinction and recovery, fleshing out habitat problems and prospects of extinction, and advancing meaningful environmentalist practices.     

Ethno-archaeology of the Meitei’s of Thongjao Village: A Pottery Making Village of Manipur,North-East India

An ethno-archaeological study of the people of Thongjao village considered to be one of the ancient pottery makers in Manipur provided a detailed account of the techniques and procedures of pottery making. The present study attempts to bridge the gap between the present ethnographic account and past archaeological account in respect of the ceramics of Manipur by drawing similarities between the Thongjao village and prehistoric ceramics of Manipur on the one hand and by making analogical interpretations of the latter on the basis of parallelism that exists between the two on the other. This study also highlighted the use of raw materials and their techniques used in making pottery and their prehistoric similarities in respect of their composition. The paper studies the different types of pottery found in this village and also reveals the socio-cultural association of the people, changes and continuity.     

Displayed or Concealed? Cross Cultural Evidence for Symbolic and Ritual Activity Depositing Iron Age Animal Bones

Although Iron Age rituals involving the depositing of animal bones in pits have been discussed intensively in the literature, possible cross-cultural and ethnographic parallels for the symbolism of such activity have been neglected. This paper begins to remedy this deficiency. Archaeological and ethnographic examples occur world-wide, especially relating to the symbolism and treatment of animal heads and crania. They support previous arguments that at least some Iron Age bone deposits involved the renewal and protection of fertility, for example those associated with grain storage pits and other archaeological features, perhaps also foundation deposits, especially at later periods.     

Bringing the Art Inside: a Preliminary Analysis of Black Linear Rock-art from Limestone Caves in Erromango,Vanuatu

While surveying and recording rock-art on Erromango over two field-seasons in 1996 and 1997, I had the pleasure of working with Vanuatu Cultural Centre (VCC) fieldworkers Jerry Taki and Sophie Nempan Sei. During this time, both Jerry and Sophie constructed a context of ‘meaning’ for the ‘black linear’ pictures that predominate in the rock-art of the island. Their ideas were highly influential in determining the direction of my research. Jerry spoke of the association of rock-art with warfare and women. Sophie identified certain motifs as clan designs, particularly those located in sites close to where she lives, at Happyland village in the south of the island. The aim of this paper is to understand more about the rock-art of Erromango by combining local knowledge and archaeological techniques of rock-art analysis. I focus on the black linear rock-art, describing its temporal placement and context of production. Temporal information is gleaned from patterns of superimposition among particular rock-art techniques and motif forms, as well as from independent archaeological and ethnographic contexts. It is proposed that black linear rock-art belongs to the most recent period of rock-art production on Erromango, likely within the last 400 years. Rock-art production and use is explored through artistic motifs evident on other items of material culture, including objects which are known, from ethnographic records, to be produced by either women or men. I suggest that black linear motifs were at least in part produced by women, perhaps to register their connection to place during periods of displacement. In accordance with Jerry's statements, ethnographic and archaeological evidence indicates that a salient feature of the island's social landscape over the last 400 years was small and large-scale intra- and inter-island wars. The black linear rock-art is interpreted in relation to this unstable social context.     

The Heele Stone

The cancioneiro (song-collection) of São João (St John) is one of the richest manifestations of Portuguese popular culture. In this article, we review the principal bibliography—song collections and studies—devoted to the saint in popular (both traditional and non-traditional) or pseudo-popular song. We examine the symbolic and ethnographic importance of São João in the collective imagery, taking into account the relationship between literary representation and the anthropological and cultural aspects of this festivity.     

清末银钱比价波动与地方官府赋税征解(1901-1911)

清末十余年间,在国内外种种因素交互作用下,银钱比价波动具有阶段性特征与区域性特征.受银钱比价波动阶段性的影响,地方各级官府的赋税征解经历了一个由征钱解银到征银解银发展演变的过程.地方各级官府在赋税征收中私自采取的种种抑勒浮收行径,是造成银钱比价波动具有区域性特征的不可或缺的因素.地方官府财政税收行为与货币金融市场之间构成一种复杂的恶性互动关系.这种恶性互动关系的进一步发展演变,则导致清末币制更趋紊乱,吏治更加腐败,国家财政日益困窘,商贸运营严重受阻,民生愈益艰难,从而大大加剧清政府统治的危机.     

Archaeology and in situ Preservation in Canton Thurgau,Switzerland

Canton Thurgau (approximately 1000 km²) is situated in the north-east of Switzerland. Its diverse landscape is notable for its hills, the Thur Valley, and Lake Constance. The Archaeology Department of Canton Thurgau is responsible for its archaeology. The archaeological map is quite complete and has over one thousand sites, ranging from the Palaeolithic to post-medieval periods. Particularly remarkable are the prehistoric lakeside dwellings (among them, four UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and the Roman sites, some of which have extraordinarily good conditions for preservation. The vicus Tasgetium (Eschenz) has produced one of the largest collections of Roman wooden objects and features found anywhere in the world. The Archaeology Department of Canton Thurgau conducts field surveys, excavations and scientific research. Its collections and archive are also of great importance. A major goal is to preserve the numerous sites of the canton in situ. In sensitive shore areas, where erosion (wave action, shipping etc.) threatens the exposed prehistoric cultural layers of the pile dwellings, measures are being taken to cover the areas and keep destruction at bay. These interventions are accompanied by monitoring. But numerous Roman and medieval ruins have also been restored according to the latest standards and thus prevented from gradual destruction. Thanks to zoning plans and a close working relationship with the local authorities, timely intervention can take place when sites are threatened. The results of the archaeological research are conveyed to the public and professional circles through the Museum for Archaeology and by way of popular and subject-specific publications.     

骨角质文物保护研究进展

骨角质文物丰富的历史价值使其成为世界各地考古学、人类学、艺术史研究的重要材料,但由于骨角质文物一般年代久远、保存环境各异以及自然矿化等因素造成该类文物的保存状况不容乐观。该文拟从骨角质文物保护研究的角度,对目前骨角质文物的制作材料与工艺、病害研究、修复技术及预防性保护等方面进行梳理,并尝试找出目前存在的问题与保护需求。我国骨角质文物保护需求主要包括出土饱水器物的现场保护是骨角质文物保护中亟待解决的问题;中国最早的古文字资料即有字甲骨的防风化研究是骨角质文物保护中的重点课题;全国各地出土的不同时期动物骨骼的保护是骨角质文物保护工作的主要内容。     

Ceramic production,consumption and exchange in the Banda area,Ghana: Insights from compositional analyses

Ceramic production, exchange and consumption in the Banda area, west central Ghana has been affected by historical developments ranging from recent competition with alternative vessels (made of metal and plastic) to political economic upheavals that altered community relationships within and outside the region. In this study, we explore spatial and temporal patterning in pottery production, exchange and consumption using a combination of analytical techniques. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of a large sample (491 specimens) of archaeological and ethnographic pottery, clay and temper samples from sites across the Banda area has led to the identification of seven compositional groups whose differential distribution implies shifts in resource selection through the last thousand years. Laser ablation-ICP-MS analysis was used to explore the effects of distinctive tempering agents (crushed slag) on the bulk chemical signature of a subset of Banda ceramics, while petrographic analysis provides insight into the preparation of ceramic fabrics. We integrate insights from these diverse physical studies to investigate the dynamics of pottery production, exchange and consumption over the course of the last millennium in the Banda area and explore potential linkages with broader political economic transformations.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL PRODUCTS ON NATIVE AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS FROM THE GREAT BASIN REGION,U.S.A.: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Although documentary evidence provided by ethnographers makes reference to the source of adhesives, sealants, dyestuffs and medicines used by the communities of the Great Basin, much of it is sporadic and unspecified. However, observations of amorphous deposits surviving on stone tools, ceramics, basketry and wooden artefacts have prompted an investigation of their identity, procurement and use. The aim initially is to study samples from a number of archaeological and ethnographic contexts from the region. Comparative material includes higher plant and insect resins. The study provides a unique opportunity to document use patterns in plant and animal resources in the Great Basin region.     

Expert knowledge and video-aided ethnography a methodological account

This is a report on a video-aided ethnographic investigation which targets expert knowledge in a hospital setting. Since such knowledge calls for gathering a qualitative sort of data, both intensive and situated, this paper offers an examination of the methodological implications of this investigation. Work environment digital video and computer-mediated observations with Transana? are adequate tools for the exploration of paramount concepts in the cognitive study of expertise, found in communicative sequences and embodied practices of situated agents.     

A ROBUST APPROACH TO PREDICTING FLUCTUATIONS IN STATE-LEVEL EMPLOYMENT GROWTH*

ABSTRACT. Economic forecasting models are famous for performing well over short time periods and then suffering rapidly deteriorating performance when economic conditions change. This behavior makes composite forecasting models valuable in situations where large forecast errors cause considerable losses. A composite forecasting model for state-level employment is proposed here. This method is designed to protect state budget processes by producing robust forecasts of changes in employment and the related revenue collections. An application to Georgia nonagricultural employment is presented which demonstrates the benefits of this technique. The example shows that the method can forecast such series accurately without the forecaster having to choose in advance a single model specification to all economic conditions.