Empirical Bayesian Methods for Archaeological Survey Data: An Application from the Mesa Verde Region

2007 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott G. Ortman ◽  
Mark D. Varien ◽  
T. Lee Gripp
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Bayesian Methods ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Archaeological Survey ◽  
Empirical Bayesian ◽  
Ancestral Pueblo ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Relationship

Cultural resource databases represent the single largest compilations of archaeological site data, but these databases are seldom used in research because they were designed for management purposes, evolved from paper-based inventories, contain significant interobserver variation, and record information inconsistently. In this paper we present methods designed to alleviate these problems in an analysis of more than 3,000 ancestral Pueblo habitation sites from southwestern Colorado. Our methods draw heavily upon Bayesian statistical concepts and utilize the rich excavation records of our study area to quantify the relationship between surface evidence and excavation results using probabilities. This approach offers a number of advantages over ad hoc, judgmental approaches, and produces a more empirically justified history of ancestral Pueblo settlement in our study area. We believe methods like these have great potential for reconstructing settlement patterns from survey data.

The Date and Circumstances of Olympiodorus of Thebes

Traditio ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Gillett
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Late Antiquity ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Imperial Court ◽  
Political Narrative ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Western Half

Olympiodorus of Thebes is an important figure for the history of late antiquity. The few details of his life preserved as anecdotes in hisHistorygive glimpses of a career which embraced the skills of poet, philosopher, and diplomat. A native of Egypt, he had influence at the imperial court of Constantinople, among the sophists of Athens, and even outside the borders of the empire. HisHistory(more correctly, his “materials for history”) is lost, surviving only as fragments in the narratives of Zosimus, Sozomen, and Philostorgius, and in the rich summary given by the ninth-century Byzantine patriarch Photius. These remains comprise the most substantial narrative sources for events in the western Roman Empire in the early fifth century. Besides its value as a source, theHistoryis important as a monument to the vitality of the belief in the unity of the Roman Empire under the Theodosian dynasty. Olympiodorus wrote in Greek, and knowledge of his work is attested only in Constantinople, yet his political narrative, from 407 to 425, concerns only events in the western half of the empire. To understand the significance of these facts, it is necessary to set the composition of Olympiodorus's work in its proper context. Clarifying the date of publication is the first step toward this goal. Internal and external evidence suggests that the work was written in 440 or soon after, more than a decade later than the date of composition usually accepted. Taken with thematic emphases evident in the structure of theHistory, this revised dating explains why an eastern writer should have written a detailed account of western events in the early part of the century. Olympiodorus's account is a characteristic product of the highly literate class of eastern imperial civil servants, and of their genuine preoccupation with the relationship between the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire at a time when both were threatened by the rise of the new Carthaginian power of the Vandals.

scholarly journals Excavating awareness and power in data science: A manifesto for trustworthy pervasive data research

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 205395172110407
Author(s):  
Katie Shilton ◽  
Emanuel Moss ◽  
Sarah A. Gilbert ◽  
Matthew J. Bietz ◽  
Casey Fiesler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Science ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Colonial Legacy ◽  
Research Scholarship ◽  
History Of ◽  
Rich Information ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Frequent public uproar over forms of data science that rely on information about people demonstrates the challenges of defining and demonstrating trustworthy digital data research practices. This paper reviews problems of trustworthiness in what we term pervasive data research: scholarship that relies on the rich information generated about people through digital interaction. We highlight the entwined problems of participant unawareness of such research and the relationship of pervasive data research to corporate datafication and surveillance. We suggest a way forward by drawing from the history of a different methodological approach in which researchers have struggled with trustworthy practice: ethnography. To grapple with the colonial legacy of their methods, ethnographers have developed analytic lenses and researcher practices that foreground relations of awareness and power. These lenses are inspiring but also challenging for pervasive data research, given the flattening of contexts inherent in digital data collection. We propose ways that pervasive data researchers can incorporate reflection on awareness and power within their research to support the development of trustworthy data science.

Ancient canids of the Aleutian Islands (new archaeological discoveries from the Islands of Four Mountains)

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (03) ◽  
pp. 1028-1044
Author(s):  
Dmitry D. Vasyukov ◽  
Olga A. Krylovich ◽  
Dixie L. West ◽  
Virginia Hatfield ◽  
Arkady B. Savinetsky
Keyword(s):  
Red Fox ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Domestic Dog ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
History Of ◽  
Human Use ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Cultural Roles ◽  
Rich History ◽  
Reserve Food

AbstractWe discuss the cultural roles of dog and red fox recovered from Carlisle Island, Islands of Four Mountains, Alaska, within the context of Aleutian ethnographic and zooarchaeological records. Three dog bones were recovered from the Ulyagan archaeological site, Unit 5, in levels that date to AD 1450–1645. Three red fox bones come from the Ulyagan site, Unit 4, in levels that date 460 BC–AD 95. Our analyses show that both red fox and domestic dog date earlier than the contact with Russians and that these canids do not extend west of the Islands of Four Mountains archipelago. Given the rich history of human intervention on the Aleutians ecosystems over the last 250 years, we argue that indigenous red fox inhabited the Islands of the Four Mountains region prior to western contact; however, foxes did not have a pronounced cultural role for prehistoric Aleuts. Domestic dogs accompanied humans in the Aleutians after AD 950, suggesting that these canids might be linked with the Neo-Aleut culture. In the light of Arctic and oceanic cases of human use of dogs considered in the paper, we suggest that dogs might have served as reserve food sources during long trips for people migrating west.

Archaeological survey at Gebelein in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech Ejsmond ◽  
Julia M. Chyla ◽  
Piotr Witkowski ◽  
Daniel Takács ◽  
Dawid F. Wieczorek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Survey ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Archaeological Survey ◽  
Archaeological Remains ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
History Of ◽  
Egyptian History ◽  
Geophysical Prospection

All periods of Egyptian history are represented at Gebelein and it encompasses many kinds of archaeological site found in the Nile valley (that is, cemeteries, settlements, fortifications, temples, rock quarries etc.). The area was a significant centre in the history of ancient Egypt, but its exact role and the reasons for its importance still awaits explanation. That is why the Gebelein Archaeological Project was initiated. The field survey of Gebelein, which started in 2014, aims to recognise the topography of the area and the degree of destruction of the sites and to locate archaeological remains as well as to determine their interpretation and dating. This report outlines the results of work conducted during seasons 2014, 2015 and 2016, which encompassed the archaeological and epigraphic field surveys, geophysical prospection as well as work conducted in the rock-cut chapel of Hathor.

Maasai Age-Sets and Prophetic Leadership: 1850–1910

Africa ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Berntsen
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Colonial Power ◽  
East African ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
Initial Interaction ◽  
Opening Paragraph ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into

Opening ParagraphIn their initial interaction with the Colonial powers, several East African peoples such as the Maasai, the Turkana, the Sebei, the Karamojong, and the Nandi—all organized through some type of age-based institution—united around prophetic leaders, diviners, or ritual experts who mobilized men from several territorial sections to confront the intruders. This ad hoc military unity was necessarily short-lived, usually ending with the defeat of the people by the colonial power and see the imprisonment or death of the prophetic leader involved. (See Fosbrooke 1948: 12-19; Merker 1910: 67-105; Jacobs 1965: 20-108; Dyson-Hudson 1966: 15-16; Gulliver 1950: 229, 240; Meinertzhagen 1956: 222 ff; Weatherby 1962: 200-12; 1967: 133-44; Lamphear 1976: 225-43.) While ethnological studies of various age-organizations often mention that diviners or prophets provided professional services for the members of an age-group at their ceremonies, no one has examined the process by which a prophetic leader or diviner established his legitimacy during periods of peace so that he might lead the people during times of crisis. An examination of the prophetic institution among the Maasai and the relationship between the prophets and the members of the age-sets may provide some insight into the process, especially the manner in which prophets emerged as leaders of the people during two major crises in the history of the Purko-Kisongo Maasai: the Ilaikipiak war and the rinderpest pan-zootic.

Who Believes in the American Dream?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Graham
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
American Dream ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Future Success ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter goes on to ask who still believes in the American Dream. It begins with a review of what we know about the relationship between inequality, well-being, and attitudes about future mobility. It summarizes what we know from survey data on attitudes about inequality and opportunity in the United States, and then places those attitudes in the context of those in other countries and regions, based on new data and analysis with a focus on individuals' beliefs in the role of hard work in future success. Evidence suggests that the American Dream is very unevenly shared across socioeconomic cohorts. The poor and the rich in the United States lead very different lives, with the former having a much harder time looking beyond day-to-day struggles and associated high levels of stress, while the latter is able to pursue much better futures for themselves and their children, with the gaps between the two likely to increase even more in the future.

КОНСТИТУЦІОНАЛІЗМ XIX – ПОЧАТКУ XX СТ. У ВИКЛАДАННІ «ІСТОРІЇ ДЕРЖАВИ І ПРАВА УКРАЇНИ»

2019 ◽  
pp. 72-88
Author(s):  
Г. Ю. Каніщев
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Public Authority ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Historical Evolution ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Teaching History ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Relationship

History of State and law of Ukraine can be considered as one of the leading academic disciplines to modern lawyers. Its purpose is to familiarize professionals with the historical experience of the development of statehood on the territory of modern Ukraine that directly or indirectly impacts the current status and the quality of the public authority in our country, the relationship between the State and citizens, the situation in Ukraine in the international arena, its image in the world, etc.The role of history of State and law of Ukraine here is mapping the processes of historical evolution of human relationships and the State of modern Ukrainian territory. This includes compliance with State rights, in particular political ones, struggle of people for their rights through both peaceful and violent way (through armed revolt against the authorities) etc. In this connection, we think that the evolution of public authority as a result of the struggle of people for their rights should be displayed in training courses and researches on history of State and law.The purpose of the article: coverage of the history of constitutionalism on the territory of modern Ukraine in XIX – early XX centuries.The task: disclosure of the relationship between the history of State and law and constitutional law of Ukraine through the analysis of the content of the constitutions for the then population of Ukrainian lands in various states.Findings from this research and prospects for further research in this field: 1. Teaching history of constitutionalism in the training course «History of State and law of Ukraine» must conform to the Constitution of Ukraine as the Main Law of the State and the benchmark for social activities. 2. Teaching History of constitutionalism in the training course «History of State and law of Ukraine» gives an opportunity to examine the historical evolution of the idea of limit and self-restriction of State power in favor of its citizens rights. This is not just about the rich historical tradition of constitutionalism on the territory of modern Ukraine, but about the ability of our ancestors to live in conditions of observing the rules of the law and maintenance of order in society and the State in civilized ways.3. The prospects of further scientific researches, to our opinion, are the following: a) research of history of constitutionalism is separate states on the territory of modern Ukraine; b) research of separate problems and periods of history of constitutionalism in Ukraine.

scholarly journals КОНСТИТУЦІОНАЛІЗМ У ВИКЛАДАННІ «ІСТОРІЇ ДЕРЖАВИ І ПРАВА УКРАЇНИ» (ДОМОДЕРНИЙ ПЕРІОД)

2019 ◽  
pp. 40-55
Author(s):  
Г. Ю. Каніщев
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Historical Evolution ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Teaching History ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Relationship

History of State and law of Ukraine can be considered as one of the leading academic disciplines for modern lawyers. Its purpose is to familiarize professionals with the historical experience of the development of statehood on the territory of modern Ukraine that directly or indirectly impacts the current status and the quality of the public authority in our country, the relationship between the State and citizens, the situation in Ukraine in the international arena, its image in the world, etc. The role of history of State and law of Ukraine here is mapping the processes of historical evolution of human relationships and the State of modern Ukrainian territory. This includes compliance with State rights, in particular political struggle of people for their rights both peacefully and violently (through armed revolt against the authorities) etc. In this connection, training courses and research on history of State and law of Ukraine should pay significant attention to the evolution of public authorities as a result of the struggle of people for their rights.Thus, the purpose of the article is to cover the history of constitutionalism on the territory of modern Ukraine in premodern period of development of the Ukrainian State and law. The task is to disclose the relationship of history of State and law and constitutional law of Ukraine through the analysis of the content of State legislative acts, which served as constitutions for the population that inhabited Ukrainian lands at that time in various states.Thus, below we specify our findings from the current research and prospects of further research:1. Teaching History of constitutionalism in the training course «History of State and law of Ukraine» must conform to the Constitution of Ukraine as the Main Law of the State and the benchmark for social activities.2. Teaching History of constitutionalism in the training course «History of State and law of Ukraine» gives an opportunity to examine the historical evolution of the idea of the limit and self-restriction of State power in favor of the rights of its citizens. It is not just because of the rich historical tradition of constitutionalism on the territory of modern Ukraine, but due to the ability of our ancestors to live in the conditions of observance to the law and maintenance of order in society and the State by civilized ways.3. The prospects of subsequent scientific researches in this field, to our opinion, are the following: a) research of history of constitutionalism in separate states on the territory of modern Ukraine; b) research of certain problems and periods of history of constitutionalism in Ukraine.

Poetry as Prayer in the Sanskrit Hymns of Kashmir

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamsa Stainton
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Religious Expression ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Devotional Poetry ◽  
Unique Nature ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Comparative Study ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Popular Texts

This book investigates the history of a popular genre of Sanskrit devotional poetry in Kashmir: the stotra, or hymn of praise. Such hymns demonstrate and frequently reflect upon the close link between literary and religious expression in South Asia—the relationship between poetry and prayer. This study presents an overview and reassessment of the stotra genre, including its definition and history, focusing on literary hymns in Kashmir from the eighth to the twentieth century. Investigating these hymns as theological texts, it argues for their pedagogical potential and their particular appeal for non-dualistic authors. Analyzing such hymns as prayers, it unpacks the unique capabilities of the stotra form and challenges persistent assumptions in the study of Hindu prayer. The book argues for the literary ambition and creativity of many stotras across the centuries, and it complicates standard narratives about the vitality and so-called death of Sanskrit in the region. Śaiva poets also engaged with the rich discourse on aesthetics in Kashmir, and this study charts how they experiment with the idea of a devotional “taste” (bhaktirasa) long before Vaiṣṇava authors would make it well known in South Asia. Finally, it presents new perspectives on the historiography of bhakti traditions and “Kashmir Śaivism.” Overall, this book reveals the unique nature and history of stotra literature in Kashmir; demonstrates the diversity, flexibility, and persistent appeal of the stotra genre; and introduces new sources and ways of thinking about these popular texts and the comparative study of devotional poetry and prayer.

Water Infrastructure and Practical Knowledge in Progressive-Era Los Angeles

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-419
Author(s):  
Jan Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Progressive Era ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Property Owners ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Municipal Health

This article proposes that a history-of-knowledge approach offers innovative ways to study the use of domestic infrastructure in the household. More specifically, the article investigates the role of knowledge about water fixtures, such as meters, taps, and toilets, in the history of progressive-era Los Angeles. Building on the rich literature about how Los Angeles obtained its water, this article shifts the focus to the relationship that everyday consumers had with their water and how technology mediated this relationship. While the article analyzes three major fields of knowledge about the use of infrastructure (knowledge about personal and public hygiene, about the maintenance and repair of fittings, and about responsible levels of water consumption), it foregrounds users’ agency in construing bodies of knowledge. Taken together, this article argues, first, that practical knowledge about water as a modern convenience was mutually developed by the utility’s publicity department, meter men, municipal health authorities, elected officials, newspaper editors, middle-class reformers, property owners, working-class immigrants, and female householders. Second, the article emphasizes the dynamics, contingency, and locality of this knowledge, which was linked to the stunning growth of Los Angeles between 1880 and 1930.

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