A little souvenir: the Marquess and the Mycenaean columns

This is a study of change over time, both in attitudes to objects, and in the manner of their collection. The example of a pair of columns from a Mycenaean tholos tomb, the so-called 'Treasury of Atreus' at Mycenae, serves as a point of departure for discussion of the value of material culture in the context of archaeology's emergence as a discipline.     

Lithopedion as an archaic occurrence

Identification of a 3100-year-BP lithopedion in the Archaic Southwest antedates its first clinical notation by 2100 years. It was only the ‘autopsy’ of time (excavation of the site) that allowed its presence to be brought to light.     

Sea bird fowling in southern Patagonia: a contribution to understanding the nomadic round of the Canoeros Indians

As well as providing data on meat yield, avian remains can be expected to give information on seasonality, an important parameter for understanding prehistoric hunting economies. An archaeological survey conducted in the Skyring Sea (Province of Magellan, Chile) between 1992 and 1994 provided bird bone assemblages that have been analysed with this aim in mind, of which 12 are discussed here. Cormorants and steamer ducks constitute 97 per cent of the specimens identified. The proportions of avian remains are compared with the mammals remains, and mostly show a predominance of the former. The status and seasonal distribution of animal resources are discussed in order to understand the motivation for such a specialization on bird hunting, when mammals (Artiodactyls and Pinnipeds) can bring a much higher yield of meat. This nomadic marine economy can best be understood when comparisons are made with other sites from the same cultural area. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent Research in Paleoethnobotany

This article discusses paleoethnobotanical research and results presented in the recent literature. Although archaeobotany is a fairly recent addition to the study of the past, it now encompasses a diverse range of techniques, analyses, and new results. Issues that are prominent in this archaeological subdiscipline include the origins of agriculture, resource use, environmental reconstruction, anthropogenic environmental change, political-economic change, plant cultivation and crop production, plant processing, consumption (diet), and site deposition. Some of the plant identification methods for macrobotanical remains include morphology using light microscopes, histology with the scanning electron microscope, and statistics. The study of microbotanical remains has expanded greatly and now includes pollen, phytolith, chemical, and molecular analyses.     

Women,Nationalism and the Philippine Revolution

Abstract. Filipino women participated actively in the Philippine Revolution (1896–1902), performing a wide range of tasks essential to sustaining the revolutionary challenge against Spanish and American imperialism. Though largely omitted from mainstream histories of the nationalist revolution, women's involvement has been recorded in several marginalised texts. However, these texts have invariably used a limiting format based on presenting biographies of outstanding women. This article suggests an alternative approach, by situating the history of revolutionary Filipino women within a comparative framework. The article outlines key ideas of feminist writers who have analysed women's participation in nationalist struggles from an international perspective. Drawing on these ideas, some new approaches to women in the Philippine Revolution are suggested.     

REVIEW

Les chemins de l'alliance. L'organisation sociale et ses représentations en Nouvelle-Calédonie. By A. Bensa and J.C. Rivièrre. Paris: Sélaf. 1982.