Category: Anthropological Papers

100 Years of Archaeology at the University of Michigan: Essays on the past, present, and future of the discipline

In 2022, to celebrate a century of existence, the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology (UMMAA) hosted an international conference to explore possibilities for a middle way: an archaeology for the next 100 years, combining humanistic and scientific approaches, which allows for both agents and systems, description and explanation, science and heritage. This volume is meant to be a snapshot of that conference and this moment in the development of the discipline. Included are most of the papers and posters presented, as well as photographs of the panels and the proceedings.

Tribal Pastoralists in Transition: The Baharvand of Luristan, Iran

Frank Hole and Sekandar Amanolahi-Baharvand

AP 100

In the spring of 1973, the Baharvand tribe from the Luristan province of central western Iran prepared to migrate from their winter pastures to their summer camp in the mountains. Seasonal migration in spring and fall had been their way of life for as long as anyone in the camp could remember. They moved their camp and their animals—sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and chickens—in order to find green pastures and suitable temperatures. That year, one migrating family in the tribe allowed an outsider to make the trip with them.

Prehistoric Copper Mining in Michigan: The Nineteenth-Century Discovery of “Ancient Diggings” in the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale

John R. Halsey

AP 99

Explorers in the nineteenth century found many pits and tools along rich copper seams in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula–evidence that prehistoric inhabitants mined copper there for thousands of years. John Halsey, former state archaeologist of Michigan, tells the story of those who discovered the ancient mines in this thorough and engaging tale.

Culture Change in a Bedouin Tribe: The ‘arab al-Ḥǧerāt, Lower Galilee, A.D. 1790-1977

Rohn Eloul

AP 97

Against the historical dynamics of this complex region, this richly documented volume reconstructs the growth of the ‘arab al-Ḥǧerāt of the Galilee from some five herding households at the end of the Ottoman eighteenth century into a thriving sedentary tribe of regional importance nearly 200 years later.

The Last Pescadores of Chimalhuacán, Mexico: An Archaeological Ethnography

Jeffrey R. Parsons

AP 96

Based on his study of the nearly vanished aquatic economy of Chimalhuacán in the Valley of Mexico, Parsons describes the surviving vestiges of aquatic insect collection and fishing and considers their developmental and archaeological implications within a broad context of historical, ethnographic, biological, ecological, and archaeological information from Mexico, North and South America, the Near East, and Africa.

West African Early Towns: Archaeology of Households in Urban Landscapes

Augustin F.C. Holl

AP 95

West African Awdaghost (Tegdaoust) emerged as a vital medieval trade center before its decline in the sixteenth century AD. Extensively excavated and accompanied by a large body of published material, Awdaghost provides a unique opportunity for the application of household archaeology to a West African settlement.

The Last Saltmakers of Nexquipayac, Mexico: An Archaeological Ethnography

Jeffrey R. Parsons

AP 92

In the 1980s, a few traditional saltmakers were still manufacturing several kinds of salt in the eastern Valley of Mexico. This in-depth study of the methodology of this dying craft includes a comparative study of pre-industrial saltmaking around the world and considers the implications of this knowledge for future archaeological research.

Caciques and Their People: A Volume in Honor of Ronald Spores

Joyce Marcus and Judith Francis Zeitlin

AP 89

A volume of essays by Mesoamerican scholars on topics ranging from Zapotec archaeology to Cuicatec irrigation and Mixtec codices to Aztec ethnohistory. Authors use a direct historical approach, the comparative method, or develop models that contribute to ethnological and archaeological theory.

Wari Imperialism in Middle Horizon Peru

Katharina J. Schreiber

AP 87

More than 600 years before the Inka empire ruled the Andean region of South American, during the period known as the Middle Horizon, there were two complex societies: the Tiwanaku and the Wari. In this volume, Katharina J. Schreiber explores the problem of the Middle Horizon through archaeological research in two specific areas: the Carhuarazo Valley and the Jincamocco site. Foreword by Jeffrey R. Parsons.

The Behavioral Ecology of Efe Pygmy Men in the Ituri Forest, Zaire

Robert C. Bailey

AP 86

Robert C. Bailey reports on his observations of sixteen Efe Pygmy men in northeastern Zaire. Bailey lived and worked with the men and their families in the northern Ituri Forest from March 1980 to January 1982—his research was part of a multidisciplinary project called the Ituri Project. Bailey presents data on food production, subsistence behaviors, hunting techniques, relationships between hunters and village dwellers, and other aspects of the Efe society. Foreword by John D. Speth.

Maguey Utilization in Highland Central Mexico: An Archaeological Ethnography

Jeffrey R. Parsons and Mary H. Parsons

AP 82

The maguey plant plays a central role in cultural adaptation and cultural change in highland Mesoamerica. This book is a comprehensive study of the plant and its use. Includes chapters on maguey cultivation and pulque production, maguey fiber processing and spinning, and the archaeological implications of the available ethnographic and historic information about maguey utilization.