Explorations in Behavioral Archaeology

by William H. Walker, James M. Skibo

Overview

Behavioral archaeology, defined as the study of people-object interactions in all times and places, emerged in the 1970s, in large part because of the innovative work of Michael Schiffer and colleagues. This volume provides an overview of how behavioral archaeology has evolved and how it has affected the field of archaeology at large.

The contributors to this volume are Schiffer’s former students, from his first doctoral student to his most recent. This generational span has allowed for chapters that reflect Schiffer’s research from the 1970s to 2012. They are iconoclastic and creative and approach behavioral archaeology from varied perspectives, including archaeological inference and chronology, site formation processes, prehistoric cultures and migration, modern material culture variability, the study of technology, object agency, and art and cultural resources. Broader questions addressed include models of inference and definitions of behavior, study of technology and the causal performances of artifacts, and the implications of artifact causality in human communication and the flow of behavioral history. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607814146
Publisher:	University of Utah Press
Publication date:	08/30/2015
Series:	Foundations of Archaeological Inquiry
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

William H. Walker is a professor of anthropology at New Mexico State University. He is the coauthor of The Joyce Well Site: On the Frontier of the Casas Grandes World (University of Utah Press, 2002) and Expanding Archaeology (University of Utah Press, 1995).

James M. Skibo is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Illinois State University. He is coeditor of the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, editor of the Foundations of Archaeological Inquiry series, and author of numerous books on anthropology and archaeology, including Ants for Breakfast (University of Utah Press, 1999). 

Table of Contents

List of Figures vii

List of Tables ix

1 Introduction to Explorations in Behavioral Archaeology William H. Walker James M. Skibo 1

2 Behavioral Assessment of a Battlefield Signature: The Study of a Pompeii-Like Event Deni J. Seymour 8

3 Prior Probabilities and Explicit Assumptions in Paleoindian Chronology Building John E. Douglas 22

4 A Behavioral Archaeology of Ancient Migrations Patrick D. Lyons 37

5 Why No Kayenta at Chodistaas Pueblo?: A Behavioral Archaeology Critique Stephanie M. Whittlesey J. Jefferson Reid 52

6 The Opportunistic Midden at Post-Contact-Period New Hampshire Sites Kathleen Wheeler 68

7 Behavioral Archaeology in the Ballona Wetlands Donn R. Grenda Richard Ciolek-Torello 81

8 Applying Behavioral Archaeology to the Fine Arts: Theory into Practice Alysia Fischer 97

9 Looking for the Point: Understanding Bone and Metal Awl Use on the Northern Plains Janet L. Griffitts 111

10 Assessing the Value of Cracked Pots: Ceramic Repair and Life History at Homolbvi Lisa C. Young Claire S. Barker 125

11 The Adoption of Pottery in the Eastern United States: A Performance-Based Approach James M. Skibo 138

12 The Behavioral Scale? William H. Walker 156

13 Behavior and Practice in Archaeology: A Realist View Axel E. Nielsen 170

14 Modern Material Culture and Ruins in Ambos Nogales (Arizona and Sonora) Randall H. McGuire 187

15 Technological Continuity and Change Post-Disaster: A Behavioral Model Kacy L. Hollenback 205

Contributors 221

Index 223

Editorial Reviews

Well written, accessible, and current. The papers included here attest to the fact that behavioral archaeology is still very much alive and well. A welcome contribution to the general field of archaeology.”
—Michael J. O’Brien, professor of anthropology, University of Missouri; coauthor of I’ll Have What She’s Having: Mapping Social Behavior 

From the Publisher