Community Archaeology: Week Two

     We've moved a lot of dirt at the Kashevarof site since my last post, and we have learned a great deal.
     We still have not seen any bears where we are digging, but the location is perfect near Salonie Creek and the red salmon are coming in. We just have the squawking of the ravens and the chippering of the magpies to keep us company as we trowel away at layers of soil and ash that has been undisturbed for thousands of years. Every once in a while one of the volunteers will have this realization, hold up an artifact they've found in their unit and say, "I'm the first person to have touched this in a really really long time..."

    As we are entering the second week of excavation, it looks like we have at least three distinct occupations; the house feature under the Katmai ash fall being a Koniaq era fishing camp with ulus, built on top of a less intensive (absence of any permanent structures or hearths) Kachemak Bay era site marked by red chert flakes and flake tools, ulus, etc. Under an in situ grey ash that has been dated to around 4000 BP, we are finding evidence for an Ocean Bay era occupation as well. During this period, from around 7500 BP to 3500 BP, the Alutiiq were mobile hunter-gatherers and had not yet developed a reliance on fishing. They subsisted almost entirely on marine mammal hunting and used long lances made of ground slate to hunt them.

    Although archaeologists tend to emphasize the importance of features over 'pretty' artifacts, I have to say that we have found some showstoppers over the last week. Artifacts can be very useful for dating, as diagnostic of a particular style or manufacture, especially when a diagnostic artifact helps confirm the soil deposition of the site. We dig because we are passionate about learning the history of the Alutiiq way of life on Kodiak over time, but everyone likes to find something...

...especially when its a 4000+ BP perfectly intact marine mammal hunting lance!

        Ground slate lance used for hunting marine mammals during the Ocean Bay era, 4000+ BP. See maker's mark incised at the base and tip. The tip of a poison covered lance was meant to break off in the animal, killing it slowly. The maker's mark identified the hunter when the animal washed up on the beach days later.

 Ashley Weller with a gorgeous Kachemak Bay era ulu! According to museum staff, ulus with semi-lunate cutting surfaces were probably used for cutting, while ulus with flat cutting surfaces would have been better for scraping.

Ryan Cross, a geophysicist and friend of many at the dig came to survey with his Ground Penetrating Radar. Areas around the site that show potential for future excavation were imaged for house depressions.
 

Close encounters with a Kodiak bear...gut.

     Today was an off day for the Community Archaeology dig, but not for Alutiiq Museum activities on Kodiak. Jill Lipka, museum staff, has had a seventy foot bear gut thawing in her backyard and we have been waiting in anticipation for it to be ready for processing.

     Traditionally, bear gut was sewn by skin-sewers into parkas, blankets, and even smoke-hole covers in houses. It is thought that a bear-gut parka would likely have been a status item since it would take two or so good sized bears to make one single garment.

     To clean the gut, we used traditional ground slate ulus from the museum's teaching collection, which was a unique experience in itself- to have the opportunity to do experimental archaeology with tools from the archaeological record! And now I can say from experience that they worked very well to scrape the gut clean. We also tried unmodified shell as scrapers, which also worked well. The whole process of scraping the gut inside and out took about two and a half hours with six women working at once, talking and bonding over the general experience and the smell. The smell was pungent to say the least, but not at all as bad as you'd think it would be.

     The next steps in processing the gut will be to blow air into the ends of the two sections, tie off the ends, put round stoppers in the other to hold the shape, and hang them to dry. Jill Lipka is experimenting with different oils to use as emulsifiers to soften the gut and keep it flexible and durable once it has dried.

     This activity is part of a museum effort to apply for a grant for a broader gut sewing project. Hopefully future experimental projects will shed some light on the 'ins' and 'outs' of working with gut and other inner skins such as esophagus.

Scraping the gut clean with ulus, or women's knives. Photo cred: Ashley Weller

Turning the gut inside out, see tray of gut before cleaning on the right. Photo cred: Ashley Weller

                                                          A finished gut skin parka.
                   Photo: from the publication Alutiit/Sugpiat: A Catalog of the Collections of the Kunstkamera edited by Yuri E. Berezkin

Community Archaeology: The Kashevarof Site

     Today was the first day of real digging at the Kashevarof site KOD-1132 for Community Archaeology on Kodiak Is. The site is on the North side of Women's Bay, nestled in Salonie Valley on a raised berm above Salonie Creek.

     We are all making bets on what the site was used for- what people were doing here and why and how the ancient Alutiiq were using Women's Bay over time. Nearby sites give us an interesting picture that sheds some light on the prehistoric seasonal round.

     Bruhn Point is a 7000 BP-3000 BP fish processing site dominated by an assemblage of ulus and netsinkers used for processing large amounts of fish. Salonie Mound, which proved to be dated to the same time period was a winter village with house features, hearths, and other finds that indicated a substantial settlement at the site. The Amak site, with oldest dates of around 5000 BP, is dominated by an assemblage of ground slate bayonets and other gear that would have been used for seal hunting, likely out of a temporary camp where hunters brought their kills for drying and smoking. So far, three sites spanning from the Ocean Bay (7500 BP-3500 BP) to Kachmak (3500 BP-1000 BP) eras have been used for different functions in the same Bay.

     What does that say about what people were doing here and why they chose this particular bay for these different activities? The hope is that excavating at the Kashevarof site will help us complete the picture- one more piece of the puzzle to complete the story of the ancient Alutiiq and their way of life.

     Prehistoric archaeology on Kodiak is unique in the fact that most of the island was covered in white volcanic tephra in 1912 from the eruption of Mt Katmai on the Alaska Peninsula. When we excavate just under the modern soil horizon, the presence of the volcanic tephra tells us that the site has not been disturbed after 1912. This can be an issue in areas that may have been plowed in WWII for roads or other engineering projects. So, we have good piece of mind that what we excavate under the Katmai ash is prehistoric, although keeping in mind the hundred or so years before 1912 that there were cattle ranchers in the area--and almost immediately we found what look like cow bones. Large, robust, and weathered, the bones are almost from the lumbering bovine beasts that once populated the small valley.

     As digging progressed and the in situ living surface was taken down into the first cultural layer of the site, it became apparent that a large square depression at the West section of the site was a house. A clear wall cut was evident when the Katmai ash was taken off, but it wasn't until post-holes and a door appeared that it really came together as a correct hypothesis. A little later, ulus and red chert flakes were found associated with the house feature.

     There are a few things we can hypothesize about the house feature given the artifacts found with it so far. First, that it is at least 1000 years old. Chipped stone technology indicates an older site and the Koniaq did not utilize it like the Kachemak Bay or Ocean Bay traditions did. Also, that the house and the site in general is probably associated with fish processing activities. Ulus, or women's knives, were ground slate knives used to process a large amount of fish with less maintenance than chipped stone tools. Ulus, ulu preforms, and worked slate in larger proportion than red chert artifacts suggest a Kachemak era site over Ocean Bay. The presence of red chert flakes throughout the site does indicate chipped stone technology as well, but we have not yet found evidence for men's tools or knives that would be more associated with sea mammal hunting, an earlier adaptation.

     This is not to say that we will later find evidence of Ocean Bay era activity at the same site! The upper layers indicate early Kachemak activity (around 3500 BP) because of the presence of chipped stone technology along with ground slate technology. Ground slate working was probably integrated over time and definitely not all at once-it would have been a gradual change in response to more of a reliance on fishing. People probably developed a reliance on fishing because hunting individual sea mammals no longer supported populations which were growing more concentrated into villages, no longer mobile hunter-gatherers.

     It will be interesting to see what develops over the next few weeks at the Kashevarof site, hopefully it will give us a more complete perspective of the prehistoric Alutiiq seasonal round over time!

Kashevarof site excavated to bottom of Katmai Ash, 1912 marker

Outline of house feature at the top of the prehistoric surface

House feature with Jill for scale

Public Education and NAGPRA: Where are Museums Heading?

          As we leave the noughties and enter the 2010's, I have been thinking about the future of museums philosophically and conceptually-How has NAGPRA progressed and changed in 20 years and how will museums change to keep up with current cultural and societal needs?

First, a little history of NAGPRA:

          The NAGPRA act of 1990 provides the opportunity under a federal nexus for Native Americans and museum professionals to consult and proceed with repatriation of cultural resources. According to Martha Graham,  it also encompasses a broader scope than just repatriation of objects; it includes being conscious of social attitudes and communication between tribes and museum professionals/social scientists.

          NAGPRA requires federal agencies and federally funded museums to have a dialogue with federally recognized tribes about their collections. The tribes have the right to claim human remains and associated funerary objects, cultural patrimony, and sacred items. In addition to museums collections, the act also applies to cultural items excavated after November 16^th, 1990.

          Difficulties faced with the instigation of NAGPRA in the early years included tribes’ inexperience in museum practice and the seemingly daunting task of inventorying older collections that had to comply with the act. It is often implemented on a case-by-case, one object at a time, which makes it a slow, detailed process.

          Conceptually, in terms of Native American artifacts, public museums will probably incorporate less authentic Native American artifacts and more education collections which consist of artistic representations and modern reproductions of artifacts. Tribal museums are gaining ground and are employing more trained tribe members as staff. The continuing cultural revitalization in tribal culture will make cultural heritage items all the more sensitive to tribe members, probably finding homes in tribal museum/cultural center collections as opposed to public history museums.

Pros: Recent advances in 3-D printing bring up lots of useful options for “copying and printing” artifacts to metrically exact reproductions of the original, with the option of taking measurements during printing. This would be a possible opportunity for museums and repositories dealing with NAGPRA compliance (or other litigation in which items cannot be kept) to keep representations of artifacts for research or comparative collections.

Cons: A trend toward local, tribal run native heritage museums and repositories has the potential to exclude the public from viewing collections that were once available to research and see, especially culturally sacred collections and items.

       

On the upshot, everything accessioned and displayed in modern museums is collected for the purpose of education, which avoids collecting superfluous, redundant, or curiosity items. This selectivity ensures that items are representative of the current public, and incorporates a holistic element into collecting.

On the other hand, museums may not be inclined to accession items that would be important to archive but do not translate well to public outreach. State and national archives may see more collection of items that do not fit the public education model. 

           I think museums will continue to focus on public education for some time. As the core to museum's service to the public, educational representation and interpretation of collections plays a vital role in public awareness and critical thinking about past as well as current cultures and society. Study, observation, and exploration of past and present people and the way they choose to live in the world is important to our individual and collective growth.

       

Medical Anthropology with an emphasis on Anthropology

I recently went to a talk by M.D./PhD. Seth Holmes, who has worked with migrant farm workers to understand the social context which affects their health and health care. 

As an M.D. with a PhD. in Anthropology, Seth Holmes has a unique multi-disciplinary perspective on the health issues surrounding migrant workers. For his study, he observed the treatment of indigenous Triqui Mexicans both on farms and in clinics in the Skagit Valley. 

What he essentially observed was a social hierarchy with subtle racist reinforcements in Triqui farm life and clinic visits. This hierarchy determined health disparities, with Triqui Mexican workers having the worst health. 

 His ideas on how the interpretive lenses of local physicians normalize an ethnic stigma around migrant workers were particularly insightful. This is not a fault of theirs, as Holmes pointed out, but it brings the value of anthropological thinking to the forefront. Physicians were not aware of the social stratification on the farms because structural and symbolic violence diminished that awareness and perpetuated charged ethnic stereotypes. Holmes observed that one physician commented, "They like to work bent over." So, Triqui Mexicans are being blamed for their own health issues, which is not in the least productive in their recovery and general well-being.  

 A medical degree which included cultural anthropology and community health curricula would let M.D.'s treat the unique person with the social context of that person in mind. This is probably the most effective when treating cultural or ethnic minorities, but I think it is important for any patient-physician relationship. In the case of the Triqui workers, what good does it do if a doctor prescribes rest to someone who will be made to work just as hard to make a quota? How is the clinical gaze limiting the care of Triqui patients? Ideally, adequate care for Triqui workers would address the interaction of social, environmental, and biological factors which influence their health and well-being on the Skagit farms and in the community at large. 

The rift between hard medical science and social science is not the only factor in the treatment of migrant workers in the Skagit and across the United States. Semantics has a large part to do with it, too. One can't turn on CNN without seeing news perpetuating terms like "illegal alien." "Undocumented worker" is a bit better of a label, but a label nonetheless. Associating these words with migrant workers brings attention only to the illegality and the "criminality" of their state of being. Those labels become attributed to a seemingly intrinsic nature that they may or may not possess. 

Debriefing The Superbowl: Are we a gladiator culture?

          Every Superbowl Sunday it seems, a new news article is published which likens the sport of football to the Gladiatorial games of Rome. As someone who is studying both anthropology and history, it is interesting to make connections from antiquity to the modern era, but these comparisons have to be analyzed along with the social and political framework of the times they are a product of.

          Let's take a closer look at American football with Roman gladiator culture in mind. These are the comparisons I have seen most commonly drawn. The setting: a football stadium, not unlike in appearance and function to a Roman coliseum. The players: athletes who have formed a communitas around a game which encourages displays of strength and speed, violence and danger. The crowd: everyday people, i.e. the 'mob,' are the spectators. A few distinctions must be made.

          Are American footballers modern-day Gladiators? Although Americans often seem to project the notion upon them and compare their violent game-play and celebrity status to Roman gladiators, we are not Rome. Roman gladiators were generally slaves, owned by the business class, and exploited for the entertainment of their blood splattering the arena. Rome was a culture that was martial throughout her history, and violence was integrated into military, political, and social spheres. They did not have any qualms about the head and hands of Cicero decorating the Rostra of the Roman Forum, and violence, especially at the close of the Republic, was the most expedient and efficient way for ambitious men to manipulate politics. It is certain that the Roman people were desentized to violence to a degree that is grossly disproportionate to modern Americans. The ancient world was an unforgiving and erratic place.

            This is not to say that we are not a martial culture, because we are. It is partly the violence of the game that entertains us. We do not, however, enjoy the spectacle of violence as a triumph of free citizens over slaves, and status over non-status as in Rome. American footballers are free citizens, not slaves as most gladiators were. Successful gladiators were sometimes given their freedom, along with wealth, social celebrity and prestige. However, it would have been difficult even for retired gladiators to have a political career, the most desired path for ambitious Roman men. Furthermore, they would likely not have lived long enough to enjoy fame or freedom. Free citizens were levied into the Roman legion if there was need of them or if the current political climate allowed, but this practice would have been intermittent. So, ex-gladiators as free citizens would probably not have had the opportunity for a political or military career.

         
            Overall, the game of American football does embody a collective set of values, some of which I think are competitiveness and a martial attitude but also hope, spirit, and team support.  I don't think the Roman people put as much emphasis on the last three as we do, and much more on the first two.

My Generation

My generation is coming of age at a unique time in the world in which globalization and the internet give us a connectedness that is completely unprecedented in history. Technologies supporting these new networks of people are evolving at a lightning fast rate and we are increasingly finding ways to connect virtually in ways that were not possible before. Professionals, students, families, activists, politicians, and your dog  are creating virtual communities in all facets of culture all over the world. The January 25th Egyptian Revolution in 2011 would not likely have gotten the civilian response of activism that it did if social media had not played a large role in documenting the peaceful protest which went viral on YouTube and other personal media. This is not to say that the response of ordinary people was a direct cause of the resignation of Mubarak, but it was definitely relevant to the ultimate outcome and was important in scaling awareness to the global community.

Never before have we been able to respond and gather support for a cause with such density and rapid-fire outreach as with the technology that has developed in the last twenty years. These new tools can be used for the spread of ideas and the coalescing of groups with common goals, which is taking activism to a new level.

And activism is what has been proposed to my generation. It is not something that we have chosen, but not something that is optional, either. Conflict and war over depleting sources of fresh water and fossil fuels, global warming, overpopulation, these are all things that my generation is faced with and it has become our responsibility to act. I want my grandchildren to enjoy the National Parks, clean air, heirloom tomatoes, fresh water, and corners of the world that are still wild.

I have hope in us to accomplish this. I get confidence from the fact that we are exploring and producing alternate and efficient forms of energy, that we are eating more locally produced food, and that we are becoming less reliant on non-renewable energy sources. Electricity produced from renewable energy sources in Germany has increased from 6.3% in the year 2000 to 25% in 2012. Worldwide, the use of wind power is increasing 20% annually with the global use of photovotalic cells doubling every year since 2004.

I recently watched an especially inspiring documentary called "Solar Mamas" which focuses on the Barefoot College, a college in India that trains women of marginalized communities to engineer photovotalic cells. After six months at the college these women return to their communities all over the world and are able to set up a sustainable and self-sufficient solar energy infrastructure. It struck me that a college in rural India could have such an impact as this, that a small college with dirt floors and just a few professors could empower women of the global south, many of them illiterate, and give them a new found sense of self-worth and knowledge that made a vital impact on their communities.

A link to the Barefoot College is here: http://www.barefootcollege.org/

My generation certainly has a full plate, but programs like the Barefoot College remind me what can be accomplished with a few really good ideas and a motivated group of people.

Outreach is becoming the easy part, we just have to start the dialogue.