Archaeologist (PhD UCLA 1994) with regional specializations in western North America and New Zealand. Theoretical interests include hunter-gatherers, complex pre-state societies, landscape archaeology, and the study of prehistoric violence and warfare.
The origin of human violence and warfare is controversial, and some scholars contend that intergr... more The origin of human violence and warfare is controversial, and some scholars contend that intergroup conflict was rare until the emergence of sedentary foraging and complex sociopolitical organization, whereas others assert that violence was common and of considerable antiquity among small-scale societies. Here we consider two alternative explanations for the evolution of human violence: (i) individuals resort to violence when benefits outweigh potential costs, which is likely in resource poor environments, or (ii) participation in violence increases when there is coercion from leaders in complex societies leading to group level benefits. To test these hypotheses, we evaluate the relative importance of resource scarcity vs. sociopolitical complexity by evaluating spatial variation in three macro datasets from central California: (i) an extensive bioarchaeological record dating from 1,530 to 230 cal BP recording rates of blunt and sharp force skeletal trauma on thousands of burials, (ii) quantitative scores of sociopolitical complexity recorded ethnographically, and (iii) mean net primary productivity (NPP) from a remotely sensed global dataset. Results reveal that sharp force trauma, the most common form of violence in the record, is better predicted by resource scarcity than relative sociopolitical complexity. Blunt force cranial trauma shows no correlation with NPP or political complexity and may reflect a different form of close contact violence. This study provides no support for the position that violence originated with the development of more complex hunter-gath-erer adaptations in the fairly recent past. Instead, findings show that individuals are prone to violence in times and places of resource scarcity. warfare | prehistoric violence | North America
He loa laua he toa pahekeheke, he toa mah; ka; he loa paumau. Maori proverb: To be famous in war ... more He loa laua he toa pahekeheke, he toa mah; ka; he loa paumau. Maori proverb: To be famous in war is soon forgotten, but fame in producing food will always remain
The lesser known South or Mojave B Range has tremendous capacity to tell us about the human past ... more The lesser known South or Mojave B Range has tremendous capacity to tell us about the human past in the Mojave Desert and beyond. The protection provided by a long standing military presence stands out in a desert heavily impacted by looting, vandalism, off-road vehicles, and development. Arguably, the B Range may be our last best chance to answer some questions about the prehistory of the Mojave. It is the sort of place where you can be the first archaeologist since Malcolm Rogers to see a major complex of sites around a dependable spring.
Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly, 2010
Recent investigations at the New House Spring Site indicate a Native American occupation after co... more Recent investigations at the New House Spring Site indicate a Native American occupation after contact with Euro-Americans. This site is located at the edge of the pinyon pine in the Argus Range which may have served as a refuge for Native Americans in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Archaeological and historical data from M. W. Allen's (1994) thesis on the development of sociopo... more Archaeological and historical data from M. W. Allen's (1994) thesis on the development of sociopolitical complexity in Maori chiefdoms in Hawke's Bay from 1500-1625 A.D. are presented as an explanatory challenge for social identity theory (SIT) and realistic group conflict theory (RGCT). Data indicate that the intensification of horticulture in response to population increases resulted in the construction of fortifications at resource-rich locations. This process allowed elites to develop leadership positions by claiming rights to land and by offering food and security in return for less autonomy and more labor. The Ngati Kahungunu tribe gained control over Hawke's Bay through a series of political alliances, fissioned along kinship ties, and then reintegrated through political marriage. Although SIT explains steady-state relations, it fails to account for the major transitions; RGCT explains the rise of polities but does not account for subsequent changes. Both theories appear to lack parameters to describe the impact of interpersonal tie structures and leadership hierarchies on group formation and dissolution. A dynamical approach using feedback loops and nonlinear change is advocated.
California archaeology continues to intrigue archaeologists around the world despite a downplayed... more California archaeology continues to intrigue archaeologists around the world despite a downplayed and limited array of archaeological theory. This is particularly apparent in the Mojave Desert where a few theories have dominated for decades and are seldom explicitly incorporated into research designs. It is argued that landscape archaeology offers the region an appropriate analytical framework. Several examples of its application reveal that the approach is an ideal means to study key themes of prehistory in the Mojave. These include the effects of environmental changes such as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, as well as concerns about social organization, economy, and ideology.
The origin of human violence and warfare is controversial, and some scholars contend that intergr... more The origin of human violence and warfare is controversial, and some scholars contend that intergroup conflict was rare until the emergence of sedentary foraging and complex sociopolitical organization, whereas others assert that violence was common and of considerable antiquity among small-scale societies. Here we consider two alternative explanations for the evolution of human violence: (i) individuals resort to violence when benefits outweigh potential costs, which is likely in resource poor environments, or (ii) participation in violence increases when there is coercion from leaders in complex societies leading to group level benefits. To test these hypotheses, we evaluate the relative importance of resource scarcity vs. sociopolitical complexity by evaluating spatial variation in three macro datasets from central California: (i) an extensive bioarchaeological record dating from 1,530 to 230 cal BP recording rates of blunt and sharp force skeletal trauma on thousands of burials, (ii) quantitative scores of sociopolitical complexity recorded ethnographically, and (iii) mean net primary productivity (NPP) from a remotely sensed global dataset. Results reveal that sharp force trauma, the most common form of violence in the record, is better predicted by resource scarcity than relative sociopolitical complexity. Blunt force cranial trauma shows no correlation with NPP or political complexity and may reflect a different form of close contact violence. This study provides no support for the position that violence originated with the development of more complex hunter-gath-erer adaptations in the fairly recent past. Instead, findings show that individuals are prone to violence in times and places of resource scarcity. warfare | prehistoric violence | North America
He loa laua he toa pahekeheke, he toa mah; ka; he loa paumau. Maori proverb: To be famous in war ... more He loa laua he toa pahekeheke, he toa mah; ka; he loa paumau. Maori proverb: To be famous in war is soon forgotten, but fame in producing food will always remain
The lesser known South or Mojave B Range has tremendous capacity to tell us about the human past ... more The lesser known South or Mojave B Range has tremendous capacity to tell us about the human past in the Mojave Desert and beyond. The protection provided by a long standing military presence stands out in a desert heavily impacted by looting, vandalism, off-road vehicles, and development. Arguably, the B Range may be our last best chance to answer some questions about the prehistory of the Mojave. It is the sort of place where you can be the first archaeologist since Malcolm Rogers to see a major complex of sites around a dependable spring.
Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly, 2010
Recent investigations at the New House Spring Site indicate a Native American occupation after co... more Recent investigations at the New House Spring Site indicate a Native American occupation after contact with Euro-Americans. This site is located at the edge of the pinyon pine in the Argus Range which may have served as a refuge for Native Americans in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Archaeological and historical data from M. W. Allen's (1994) thesis on the development of sociopo... more Archaeological and historical data from M. W. Allen's (1994) thesis on the development of sociopolitical complexity in Maori chiefdoms in Hawke's Bay from 1500-1625 A.D. are presented as an explanatory challenge for social identity theory (SIT) and realistic group conflict theory (RGCT). Data indicate that the intensification of horticulture in response to population increases resulted in the construction of fortifications at resource-rich locations. This process allowed elites to develop leadership positions by claiming rights to land and by offering food and security in return for less autonomy and more labor. The Ngati Kahungunu tribe gained control over Hawke's Bay through a series of political alliances, fissioned along kinship ties, and then reintegrated through political marriage. Although SIT explains steady-state relations, it fails to account for the major transitions; RGCT explains the rise of polities but does not account for subsequent changes. Both theories appear to lack parameters to describe the impact of interpersonal tie structures and leadership hierarchies on group formation and dissolution. A dynamical approach using feedback loops and nonlinear change is advocated.
California archaeology continues to intrigue archaeologists around the world despite a downplayed... more California archaeology continues to intrigue archaeologists around the world despite a downplayed and limited array of archaeological theory. This is particularly apparent in the Mojave Desert where a few theories have dominated for decades and are seldom explicitly incorporated into research designs. It is argued that landscape archaeology offers the region an appropriate analytical framework. Several examples of its application reveal that the approach is an ideal means to study key themes of prehistory in the Mojave. These include the effects of environmental changes such as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, as well as concerns about social organization, economy, and ideology.
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