The Archaeology of Political Organization

The Archaeology of Political Organization

Author: Barbara L. Stark

Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press

Published: 2022-01-01

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13: 1950446190

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this volume, Barbara Stark examines settlement in the coastal plain of lowland Mesoamerica, which was richly endowed with fertile soil and valued tropical resources such as jaguars, cacao, avian species with bright plumage, and cotton. The book provides basic archaeological data about regional settlement from three decades of survey research in south-central Veracruz in the western lower Papaloapan basin, a region with low density urbanism. The data reveals political and social change, with consolidation of wealth by elite families during the Late Classic period. The political analysis considers archaeological evidence related to several organizational principles: collective versus autocratic, corporate versus exclusionary/network, and segmentary (unspecialized versus specialized). Many variables related to these principles used by other scholars are either suited to historically documented states, not archaeological ones, or ambiguous. Many published studies either focus on a particular city or use documents or other evidence drawn from the top of the settlement hierarchy, characterizing the whole society politically from a biased sample. This political analysis is regional in scope and attentive to variation in the settlement hierarchy, providing a guidepost to analysis of political principles with archaeological data.


Metini Village

Metini Village

Author: Kent G. Lightfoot

Publisher: Contributions of the ARF

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Synthesizing over two decades of collaborative archaeological research carried out by UC Berkeley, the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, and California State Parks at Fort Ross, California, this volume makes the case for an archaeology of colonialism that bridges studies of early colonial encounters with analysis of settler colonial relations.


The Chanka

The Chanka

Author: Brian S. Bauer

Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press

Published: 2010-12-31

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 1938770307

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In AD 1438 a battle took place outside the city of Cuzco that changed the course of South American history. The Chanka, a powerful ethnic group from the Andahuaylas region, had begun an aggressive program of expansion. Conquering a host of smaller polities, their army had advanced well inside the territory of their traditional rival, the Inca. In a series of unusual maneuvers, the Inca defeated the invading Chanka forces and became the most powerful people in the Andes. Many scholars believe that the defeat of the Chanka represents a defining moment in the history of South America as the Inca then continued to expand and establish the largest empire of the Americas. Despite its critical position in South American history, until recently the Chanka heartland remained unexplored and the cultural processes that led to their rapid development and subsequent defeat by the Inca had not been investigated. From 2001 to 2004, Brian Bauer conducted an archaeological survey of the Andahuaylas region. This project represents an unparalleled opportunity to examine theoretical issues concerning the history and cultural development of late-prehistoric societies in this area of the Andes. The resulting book includes an archaeological analysis on the development of the Chanka and examines their ultimate defeat by the Inca.


Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points of California and the Great Basin

Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points of California and the Great Basin

Author: Noel D. Justice

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2002-05-23

Total Pages: 582

ISBN-13: 9780253108838

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Noel Justice adds another regional guide to his series of important reference works that survey, describe, and categorize the projectile point and cutting tools used in prehistory by Native American peoples. This volume addresses the region of California and the Great Basin. Written for archaeologists and amateur collectors alike, the book describes over 50 types of stone arrowhead and spear points according to period, culture, and region. With the knowledge of someone trained to fashion projectile points with techniques used by the Indians, Justice describes how the points were made, used, and re-sharpened. His detailed drawings illustrate the way the Indians shaped their tools, what styles were peculiar to which regions, and how the various types can best be identified. There are hundreds of drawings, organized by type cluster and other identifying characteristics. The book also includes distribution maps and color plates that will further aid the researcher or collector in identifying specific periods, cultures, and projectile types.


Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology-2

Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology-2

Author: Abigail R. Levine

Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press

Published: 2013-12-31

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 1950446115

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume, the second in a series of studies on the archaeology of the Titicaca Basin, serves as an excellent springboard for broader discussions of the roles of ritual, authority, coercion, and the intensification of resources and trade for the development of archaic states worldwide. Over the last hundred years, scholars have painstakingly pieced together fragments of the incredible cultural history of the Titicaca Basin, an area that encompasses over 50,000 km2, achieving a basic understanding of settlement patterns and chronology. While large-scale surveys will need to continue and areas will need to be revisited to further refine chronologies and knowledge of site-formation processes, the maturation of the field now allows archaeologists to fruitfully invest energy in single locations and specialized topics.


Altera Roma

Altera Roma

Author: Claire L. Lyons

Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press

Published: 2016-12-31

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1938770358

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Altera Roma explores the confrontation of two cultures, European and Amerindian, and two empires, Spanish and Aztec. In an age of exploration and conquest, Spanish soldiers, missionaries, and merchants brought an array of cultural preconceptions. Their encounter with Aztec civilization coincided with Europe's rediscovery of classical antiquity, and Tenochtitlan came to be regarded a "second Rome," or altera Roma. Iberia's past as the Roman province of Hispania served to both guide and critique the Spanish overseas mission. The dialogue that emerged between the Old World and the New World shaped a dual heritage into the unique culture of Nueva Espana. In this volume, ten eminent historians and archaeologists examine the analogies between empires widely separated in time and place and consider how monumental art and architecture created "theater states," a strategy that links ancient Rome, Hapsburg Spain, preconquest Mexico, and other imperial regimes.


Chotuna and Chornancap

Chotuna and Chornancap

Author: Christopher B. Donnan

Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press

Published: 2012-12-31

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 193877017X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Christopher Donnan's Chotuna and Chornancap: Excavating an Ancient Peruvian Legend, explores one of the most intriguing oral histories passed down among ancient Peruvians: the legend of Naymlap, the founder of a dynasty that ruled the Lambayeque Valley of northern Peru centuries before European contact. Naymlap is said to have built his palace at a place that many now consider to be the archaeological sites of Chotuna and Chornancap. In an effort to test the validity of the Naymlap legend, Donnan directed extensive archaeological excavations at Chotuna and Chornancap--completing plans of the monumental architecture, mapping and excavating most of the major structures, and developing a chronology for the sites. This book presents the results of these excavations and demonstrates the extent to which the archaeological evidence correlates with the sequence of events described in the Naymlap legend.


North American Projectile Points

North American Projectile Points

Author: Wm Jack Hranicky RPA

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2011-06-09

Total Pages: 560

ISBN-13: 1456750003

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book provides a single-source for projectile points in the literature of American archeology. Its purpose is to provide a quick lookup for point types; the user then utilizes the basic references that are provided for more research information, point comparisons, data, distributions, etc.