New Perspectives on Household Archaeology

✍ Scribed by Bradley J. Parker, Catherine P. Foster

• Publisher: Eisenbrauns
• Year: 2012
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 586
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The foundational tenets of household archaeology were established more than three decades ago by anthropological archaeologists seeking multiscalar approaches to the archaeological record. The study of the household as the basic unit of society and as a window to larger social, economic, and political change reflected in the everyday actions of individual people has since become integral to archaeological practice. However, the subfield today remains as diverse in theoretical underpinnings as it is in practical applications.This volume proceedings of a three-day conference held at the University of Utah revisits conceptualizations of the household in both past and present societies, evaluates the current place of household archaeology within the wider field of anthropological and archaeological research, and presents the newest technical advances implementing a household archaeological framework. New Perspectives on Household Archaeology exhibits the breadth and depth of studies in household archaeology currently being undertaken, including studies on household time cycles in Early Bronze Age Cyprus, the socio-technical aspects of barley cultivation in Neolithic Jordan, and urban neighborhoods in the early Indus Valley tradition. More than simply reflecting the state of the field, this volume highlights the significant contributions Near Eastern archaeologists and their eastern Mediterranean colleagues are making to advance the study of ancient households and to apply this information to larger questions of sociocultural importance.

✦ Table of Contents

New Perspectives on Household Archaeology......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 10
Contributors......Page 12
Catherine P. Foster and Bradley J. Parker: Introduction: Household Archaeology in the Near East and Beyond......Page 14
References......Page 21
Section 1: Household in Theoretical Perspective......Page 26
1. Stella Souvatzi: Between the Individual and the Collective: Household as a Social Process in Neolithic Greece......Page 28
Questions of Theory and Approach......Page 29
Neolithic Greece: A Complex and Diverse Cultural Context......Page 32
Architecture, Settlement Organization, and the Multiple Scales of External and Internal Variation......Page 38
Production and Distribution of Craft-Specialized Products......Page 42
Domestic Rituals and Public Rituals......Page 43
Intra-Settlement Burials......Page 45
Discussion and Conclusions......Page 47
References......Page 49
Standpoint, Inspirations, and Homes......Page 58
Household......Page 62
Tapltonomic Concerns at Numeira......Page 63
Setting the Social and Physical Stage: EB Background and the EDSP's Research on the Southeastern Dead Sea Plain......Page 67
Archaeological Evidence for Homes at Numeira......Page 68
Materiality of EB Home-Making at Numeira: Case Study of Storage......Page 73
Archaeological Evidence for Storage Practices at Numeira......Page 74
Synchronic and Diachronic Patterning of Storage in Numeira's Central Neighborhood......Page 78
Implications for Homemaking for Archaeological Practice......Page 84
References......Page 86
3. Ruth Tringham: Households through a Digital Lens......Page 94
Traditional Marxist and Neo-Marxist Archaeologies......Page 96
Post-Processual Archaeologies......Page 98
The Practice of Household Archaeology......Page 99
Southeastern Europe......Page 100
Anatolia: Çatalhöyük......Page 104
Artifacts......Page 105
Architecture......Page 106
Repeated Practices and Microarchaeology......Page 109
Household Archaeology ln the Context of Digital Technology......Page 111
Digital Documentation......Page 113
Immersive Digital Technologies......Page 114
Internet......Page 116
Digital Window on Household Archaeology......Page 117
The Chimera Project and the Chimera Web......Page 118
Remixing Çatalhöyük......Page 120
Last House on the Hill......Page 122
Dead Women Do Tell Tales......Page 123
Conclusion: Households through a Digital Lens......Page 126
References......Page 127
Section 2: Methodological Advancements in Household Studies......Page 134
Introduction......Page 136
Case Study......Page 137
Microartifact Types......Page 139
Methods......Page 140
Results......Page 143
Discussion and Synthesis......Page 144
Conclusions......Page 147
Acknowledgments......Page 149
References......Page 150
Everyday Life in Assyrian Cities......Page 152
Household Archaeology: Overview of the Field......Page 153
Household Archaeology Terminology......Page 154
Household Techniques......Page 156
Problems with Studying Households at Urban Sites......Page 159
A Brief History of Ancient Tushhan (Modem Ziyaret Tepe)......Page 163
Architectural Data from Ziyaret......Page 165
A Study of Activity Areas at Ziyaret Tepe Using Micro-Archaeological Methods......Page 166
Micro-Debris Results at Ziyaret Tepe......Page 168
Micro-Artifact Typologies......Page 169
Conclusion: Future Studies......Page 171
References......Page 172
6. Arlene M. Rosen: Shifting Household Economics of Plant Use from the Early to Late Natufian Periods of the Southern Levant......Page 178
An Outline of Terminal Pleistocene Climate Change......Page 180
The Site of Eynan......Page 183
Background to Phytoliths Analyses......Page 184
Phytolith Results from Eynan......Page 185
Discussion......Page 189
Conclusions......Page 191
References......Page 192
Defining Households......Page 196
Excavation Publications......Page 198
Identification of Households and Their Life-Histories......Page 199
Interpretation of Activities......Page 201
Microstratigraphy as Evidence of Household Practices, Boundaries, and Life-Histories......Page 203
Households and Communities in the Central Zagros......Page 207
The Central Zagros Archaeological Project (CZAP)......Page 208
Ecology and Diet in the Central Zagros......Page 209
Early Neolithic Seasonality, Habituated Practice and Hearth-Focused Activities......Page 210
Architectural Developments and the 'Emergence' of Households......Page 214
Microstratigraphy of Buildings at Sheikh-e Abad and Traces of Early Animal Management......Page 216
Microstratigraphy of Buildings at Jani: Technological Choices and Intensity of Focus on the House......Page 217
Household Ritual Practices......Page 220
Conclusions......Page 221
References......Page 223
Section 3: Food and Subsistence ot the Household Level......Page 230
Introduction......Page 232
Study Site Description......Page 233
Collection......Page 234
Analytical Methods......Page 236
Soot Carbon Analysis......Page 239
Lipid Residues......Page 240
Phase IV......Page 241
Phase IIIc......Page 244
Phase IIIb......Page 245
Phase IIIa......Page 247
Lipid Residues Results......Page 250
Conclusion......Page 253
References......Page 254
Household Archaeology and Archaeobotany......Page 260
Activity-Area Analysis......Page 261
Interpreting Archaeobotanical Remains and Defining Activity Areas......Page 263
Storage Jars, Silos, and Storage Pits......Page 264
Floors......Page 265
Ovens and Hearths......Page 266
Defining Activity Areas......Page 267
Sample Collection at Kenan Tepe......Page 268
Archaeobotanical Remains......Page 269
Conclusion......Page 273
References......Page 274
Household Economy in the Late PPNB......Page 280
Archaeobotany and the Neolithic Economy......Page 282
Peopling the Pre-Pottery Neolithic: Social Perspectives on Food Production......Page 283
Cultivation as Craft: A New Look at the Agricultural Cycle......Page 284
The Setting: el-Hemmeh......Page 285
Field Location......Page 287
Crop Selection......Page 288
1. Field Preparation......Page 289
3. Harvesting Time......Page 291
4. Post-Harvest Activities......Page 294
Conclusion......Page 295
Acknowledgments......Page 296
References......Page 297
11. Bradley J. Parker: Domestic Production and Subsistence in an Ubaid Householdin Upper Mesopotamia......Page 302
Architecture......Page 304
Dating......Page 307
Room Function......Page 308
Ceramics......Page 310
Microarchaeological Data......Page 312
Lithics......Page 318
The Faunal and Botanical Remains......Page 319
Small Finds......Page 321
Cooking......Page 322
The Event......Page 325
Conclusion......Page 326
References......Page 328
Section 4: Urban Households......Page 332
Introduction......Page 334
The Challenge of Identifying Households......Page 335
Domestic Architecture at Tell Kurdu......Page 338
Soil Chemistry and Microarchaeology......Page 342
The Challenge of Identifying Households at Tell Kurdu......Page 343
Household Organization at Tell Kurdu......Page 346
Conclusions......Page 352
References......Page 353
13. Yoko Nishimura: The Life of the Majority: A Reconstruction of Household Activities and Residential Neighborhoods at the Late-Third-Millennium Urban Settlement at Titriş Höyük in Northern Mesopotamia......Page 360
Titriş Höyük......Page 362
Analysis of the Excavation Data......Page 366
Sherd Distribution and Room Function......Page 371
Reception Rooms and Living Rooms......Page 373
Food Preparation/Processing Rooms and Kitchens......Page 375
Mortuary Rooms......Page 376
Discussion......Page 377
Analysis of the Magnetometry Data......Page 378
Spatial Organization and Economic Hierarchy in the Urban Residential Neighborhoods......Page 380
Conclusions......Page 381
References......Page 382
Introduction......Page 386
Chronology......Page 387
Mehrgarh, Baluchistan......Page 389
Mehrgarh, Periods I-III: Subsistence, Crafts, and Ideology......Page 392
Mehrgarh Early Households......Page 393
Regionalization Era......Page 394
Nausharo, Baluchistan......Page 395
Harappa, Punjab......Page 398
Harappa - Early Harappan, Ravi Phase Domestic Structures......Page 399
Ravi Phase Domestic Activities and Specialized Crafts......Page 402
Kot Diji Phase: Settlement Organization and Households......Page 404
Harappan Settlements— Households and Neighborhoods......Page 409
Conclusion......Page 410
References......Page 414
Introduction......Page 420
The EB I at Tel Bet Yerah......Page 421
House EY 475......Page 424
The Early Period C Houses......Page 427
House EY 460......Page 428
Late Period C Houses......Page 433
Discussion......Page 435
Urban Planning......Page 436
Houses and Households......Page 437
Daily Household Activities and Consumption Habits......Page 440
Conclusion......Page 441
References......Page 442
Section 5: Synthetic Household Studies......Page 448
16. Catherine P. Foster: The Uruk Phenomenon: A View from the Household......Page 450
The Domestic Economy: Theoretical Considerations......Page 451
Methods of Household Analysis......Page 453
Late Chalcolithic House Lots at Kenan Tepe......Page 455
Domestic Modes of Production and Consumption......Page 459
House Lot 1......Page 460
House Lot 3......Page 465
House Lot 4......Page 469
Households and the Uruk Phenomenon......Page 472
Conclusion......Page 478
References......Page 479
Adjusting the Focus......Page 486
Historical Context......Page 487
Marki: The Site and Excavations......Page 488
Field Recording......Page 490
Site Formation Processes and Curate/Discard Strategies......Page 492
Buildings, Features, and Spaces......Page 493
Compound Variability and Social Relations......Page 496
From Architecture to Family and Gender......Page 502
Evolving Structures and Relationships......Page 504
Concepts, Cycles, and Decisions......Page 508
Structural Continuities and Transformations......Page 510
References......Page 512
About the Excavation Site......Page 514
Settlement Patterns at Gath......Page 516
The 8th Century B.C.E. Judahite Houses in Area F......Page 518
The Kitchen-Bakery......Page 522
Ttie Succession of Events in F8 and F7......Page 525
Household Archaeology and the Historical Record......Page 526
References......Page 529
19. James W. Hardin: Household Archaeology in the Southern Levant: An Example from Iron Age Tell Halif......Page 532
The Levantine Archaeological Record......Page 534
Textual Data......Page 535
Ethnographic Data......Page 536
Household Archaeology at Tell Halif......Page 537
The F7 Dwelling......Page 539
Room 1......Page 544
Room 2......Page 546
Room 3......Page 549
Room 4......Page 552
Room 5......Page 554
Conclusions Regarding the Use of Space in the F7 Dwelling......Page 557
References......Page 560
Section 6: Afterword......Page 570
Definition and Transparency......Page 572
The Context and Scope of Household Archaeology......Page 573
Apparent Uniformity in Approach......Page 574
Conclusion......Page 575
References......Page 577
General Index......Page 580