(continued on page 10)

Underwater Archaeology in the Great Lakes

NEWSLETTERUniversity of MichiganMuseum of Anthropology Vol. 8, Fall 2009

Bathometry of Lake Huron with Topography

­Museum­ of­ Anthropology’s­ Dr.­ John­ O’Shea,­ with­ Professor­ Guy­ Meadows­ (Director­ of­ the­ U-M­ Marine­­Hydrodynamics­Labs),­Professor­Bob­Reynolds­ (Wayne­State­University),­ and­Assistant­Professor­Ryan­Eustice­(Department­of­Naval­Architecture­and­Marine­Engineering),­first­used­bathometry­(above)­and­3-D­surface­

Below­ the­ sparkling­ water­ of­ Lake­ Huron,­ far­­below­the­University­of­Michigan­survey­­vessel

Blue Traveler,­ lies­ the­ Alpena-Amberley­ ridge,­ a­­feature­ that­ stretches­ from­ today’s­ ­Presque­ Isle,­­Michigan,­area­to­Ontario’s­Point­Clark.­­Sophisticated­surface-towed­side­scan­sonar­and­remote-operated­vehicles­(ROVs),­equipped­with­video­cameras,­are­launched,­ and­ the­ ridge­ begins­ to­ yield­ intriguing­evidence­of­early­hunters—the­first­confirmation­of­human­­activity­found­beneath­the­Great­Lakes—and­raises­ the­ exciting­ ­possibility­ of­ discovering­ intact­settlements­and­ancient­­landscapes­preserved­in­the­frigid­lake.

Modern­Lake­Huron­covers­archaeological­sites­from­the­terminal­Paleoindian­and­Archaic­periods­associated­with­the­Lake­Stanley­low­water­stage­(10,000–7,500­BP).­The­

UMMA

2UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009

Staff Spotlight

With over 3 million objects in the Museum collections, it’s essential that every item is properly stored, cared for, and organized for ready retrieval. Karen O’Brien—our indispensable Collections Manager—efficiently, creatively, and adeptly oversees this critical task. She also ensures that new acquisitions are properly managed; she works with curators, faculty members, and graduate student instructors to use the collections for teaching; and she arranges loans of collections to researchers in other institutions. Education is a major component of her job, as she trains students and volunteers in collection management activities, teaching them to correctly catalog, handle, clean, and inventory objects. Karen was instrumental in the creation of the comprehensive UMMA Artifact and Digital Image Databases, as well as several virtual exhibits, accessible on the Museum website (which she also helped develop and still maintains).

Karen also seeks funding to properly store and preserve the collections, and has worked to bring grants from the National Endowment for Humanities, Institute for Museum and Library Services, the Museum Loan Network, and our recently received three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to rehouse the Ethnobotanical Collections to the Museum.

In addition to these invaluable accomplishments, Karen helps organize lectures (see page 9), is Publications chair of the Midwest Registrars Committee, and is on the organizing committee for the International Registrars Symposium. And, amazingly, she still has time to play basketball!

In sum, if we need to know where anything is—be it artifact, lab report, or photograph—we ask Karen!

www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

Carla M. SinopoliNovember 5, 2009

Letter from the Director

This year’s newsletter contains a lot of good news about the Museum. Most important is the imminent arrival of our newest

curator, Robin Beck (see page 3), who will join us this January as Assistant Curator of Eastern North American Archaeology, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Rob’s arrival adds a talented teacher and researcher to our Museum community and a renewed attention to our important Eastern North American archaeological collections. We also welcome (page 10) a new staff member, Jamie Merkel, who will oversee our NSF-funded three-year project to rehouse the ethnobotanical collections in new archival storage and make the collections more accessible both physically and virtually. The Museum has mounted a major new exhibition highlighting our research and collections (page 9) in the Exhibit

Museum of Natural History, and is a key participant in the LSA 2009–2010 Theme Year “Meaningful Objects: Museums in the Academy,” celebrating the important contributions of U-M museums. Our graduate student community is dynamic and creative—maintaining old traditions and creating new ones. The photos on the rear of the newsletter were taken at the student-run “Curators Ball” in Spring 2009, celebrating the 30th year since the first ball was conceived, and this fall, our students, working with students in the Interdisciplinary Program in Classical Art and Archaeology (IPCAA), organized the first graduate student conference on Material Culture and Archaeology.

Now for the bad news. Not surprisingly, this is our grim Michigan economy and the toll that it continues to take on the state and university. We are now working to figure out how to trim our very trim operating budget by an additional six percent over the next three years. This may not seem onerous compared to recent news from other universities, but we are now entering our 8th year of recession and budget trimming, and all the easy cuts have been made. It is increasingly difficult to identify areas to trim that won’t severely hurt our graduate students (our mandated cut is the equivalent of three GSRA positions), our important publications program, or other essential museum activities. We will certainly be leaner at the end of this period, but with your support and the talents of our curators, staff, and, especially, students, I am confident the Museum of Anthropology will continue to thrive.

UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 20093

Curator Notes and News

Joyce Marcus­ published­ The Ancient City: New Perspectives on Urbanism in the Old and New World­(with­Jeremy­A.­Sabloff)­(funded­by­the­ National­ Academy­ of­ Sciences;­ published­by­ School­ for­Advanced­ Research­ Press),­ and­­Andean Civilization­(with­Patrick­Ryan­­Williams)­(Cotsen­Institute­of­Archaeology,­UCLA).

John O'Shea continued­his­underwater­archaeol-ogy­projects­in­Lake­Huron­(see­page­1),­as­well­as­his­excavations­of­the­Bronze­Age­tell­of­Pecica­

­Mare­in­the­Carpathian­Basin­of­Romania.

Jeffrey Parsons,­ Curator­ Emeritus,­ published­Prehispanic Settlement Patterns in the North-western Valley of Mexico: The Zumpango Re-gion­ (see­ page­ 11),­ and­ “Reflections­ on­ My­Life­ in­ Archaeology”­ (Ancient Mesoamerica­20[2009]:3–14).­ Jeff­ participated­ in­ a­ sympo-sium,­ focused­ on­ the­ conservation­ of­ archaeo-logical­ resources­ in­Mexico,­ at­ the­meeting­ of­the­ Congreso­ Internacional­ de­ Americanistas­held­in­Mexico­City.­He­also­gave­three­lectures­to­the­Escuela­Nacional­de­Antropologia­e­His-toria,­as­well­as­a­keynote­lecture,­“Caminando­con­Bill­a­lo­largo­de­los­décadas,­1961-2008,”­at­a­memorial­for­the­late­William­T.­Sanders.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Robin A. Beck,­who­in­January­2010­will­join­the­Museum­of­Anthropology­as­Assistant­Curator­and­the­Department­of­Anthropology­as­Assistant­Professor.­After­earning­his­PhD­at­Northwestern­University­in­2004,­Dr.­Beck­held­academic­positions­at­Southern­Illinois­University­and­Northwestern­University,­and,­currently,­is­an­Assistant­Professor­of­Anthropology­at­the­University­of­Oklahoma.

Rob’s­archaeological­research­focuses­on­social­change­among­horticultural­societies­of­the­New­World.­His­research­spans­from­the­study­of­the­foundations­of­inequality,­which­he­examined­in­his­doctoral­work­in­the­Bolivian­Andes­and­in­his­M.A.­work­on­the­Mis-sissippian­frontier­of­the­Upper­Catawba­Valley­(W.­North­Carolina),­to­his­current­project­examining­the­cultural­transformations­that­followed­European­contact­in­the­Southeastern­United­States.

Since­2001,­he­has­co-directed­the­Exploring Joara Archaeological Project­in­North­Caro-lina­with­David­Moore­(Warren­Wilson­College)­and­Christopher­Rodning­(Tulane­Univer-sity)­in­the­Upper­Catawba­Valley­of­North­Carolina.­The­central­town­in­this­area,­the­Berry­Site,­was­ one­ of­ the­ largest­ native­ towns­ in­western­North­Carolina­ during­ the­ sixteenth­century­and­was­the­native­town­of­Joara,­visited­by­the­Hernando­De­Soto­and­Juan­Pardo­

Carla Sinopoli­ returned­ to­South­ India­ in­June­2009­to­continue­work­on­materials­from­her­on-going­excavations­at­the­Late­Prehistoric­settle-ment­ of­Kadebakele.­ In­October­ 2009,­ she­de-livered­ the­keynote­ lecture,­ “The­ local­ and­ the­global:­ Exploring­ deep­ South­ Asian­ histories­through­a­fine­lens”­at­the­38th­Annual­Confer-ence­on­South­Asia­in­Madison,­Wisconsin.

John Speth,­ together­ with­ Karen O’Brien,­UMMA’s­collections­manager,­ and­ recent­U-M­Anthropology­PhD­Jamie Clark­(now­at­SMU),­completed­ the­ detailed­ analysis­ of­ the­ skeletal­remains­ from­ the­ Henderson­ Site­ and­ Bloom­Mound,­ two­ late­ prehistoric­ villages­ in­ south-eastern­ New­Mexico.­ They­ also­ finished­ cata-loging­ and­ boxing­ up­ the­ many­ thousands­ of­artifacts,­ animal­ bones,­ and­ botanical­ ­materials­from­the­previous­excavations­at­Bloom­Mound.­Analysis­ of­ the­ new­ collections­ from­ this­ past­summer’s­ fieldschool­ at­ Bloom­ has­ progressed­rapidly­ this­ fall­ thanks­ to­ the­ efforts­ of­ gradu-ate­ student­ Lars Anderson­ and­ undergraduates­­Marissa Spytzman, Caroline Braden, and Katie Lacy.­By­January­2010,­ the­artifacts­and­ fauna­will­be­coded­and­digitized,­and­much­of­the­cat-

aloging­completed.­With­graduate­student­Khori Newlander­ and­ undergraduate­ Honors­ student­Erin Gager,­ John­also­undertook­an­ interesting­ultraviolet­fluorescence­(UVF)­study­of­the­flint­artifacts­from­the­­Roswell­sites,­finding­that­they­could­use­the­differential­UVF­responses­of­deb-itage­and­projectile­points­to­determine­where­in­the­Southern­Plains­ the­ ­Roswell­ villagers­were­doing­most­of­their­bison­hunting,­and­the­degree­to­which­villager­access­to­Southern­Plains­herds­was­curtailed­as­intergroup­competition­and­con-flict­ escalated­during­ the­ early­ part­ of­ the­ 15th­century.­John­also­oversaw­the­preparation­of­a­temporary­exhibit­on­Plains-Pueblo­trade­for­the­Exhibit­Museum­of­Natural­History.­The­exhibit,­based­largely­on­John’s­field­work­in­southeastern­NM,­is­now­on­display­at­the­Hubbard­Museum­of­the­American­West­in­­Ruidoso­Downs,­NM.

Henry Wright continues­ to­ work­ on­ the­ issues­of­ developing­ civilizations­ in­ the­Middle­East,­Madagascar,­China,­ and­ elsewhere.­ In­ July,­ he­taught­ for­ the­Santa­Fe­ Institute­at­a­workshop­in­Beijing­on­approaches­to­complex­urban­sys-tems,­and­participated­in­two­archaeological­pro-grams:­­a­visit­to­the­steppes­of­Inner­Mongolia­

www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

(continued on page 8)

expeditions­in­the­mid-sixteenth­century.­Dr.­Beck­and­his­colleagues­first­identified­Spanish­artifacts­at­the­site­in­1994­and­since­then­have­located­Fort­San­Juan,­built­by­Juan­Pardo­in­1567.­The­fort­was­destroyed­by­Native­communities­in­1568,­thus­ending­Spanish­colonization­in­the­eastern­North­American­interior.­The­team’s­excavation­of­the­fort’s­structures­have­provided­rare­insights­into­a­brief­“event”­in­the­long­history­of­the­Upper­Catawba­Valley.­Rob­recently­organized­a­Research­Team­Short­Seminar­on­the­Berry­Site­at­the­School­of­Advanced­Research­in­Santa­Fe.­Rob’s­future­research­in­the­area­will­continue­to­add­temporal­and­theoretical­depth­to­our­understandings­of­the­archaeology­and­history­of­the­Southeastern­United­States,­moving­both­backward­and­forward­in­time.­­­

Rob­has­published­widely­on­his­research,­ in­his­edited­book­The Durable House: House Society Models in Archaeology (2007,­SIU­Press,­Carbondale), and­ in­ articles­ in­ the­ journals­Ethnohistory, Current Anthropology, American Antiquity, and­Southeastern Archaeology,­among­others.

Along­with­working­with­U-M­undergraduate­and­graduate­students­and­continuing­his­research­in­the­Upper­Catawba­Valley,­Rob­is­looking­forward­to­working­with­the­rich­Eastern­North­American­archaeology­collections­in­the­Museum’s­North­America­division,­and­to­making­these­important­collections­more­accessible­to­students­and­the­larger­scholarly­community.

We­look­forward­to­welcoming­Rob,­Laoma,­and­Soledad­Beck­to­the­U-M­Museum­community.

UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009

UMMA Archaeological Field Schools

The­Museum­sponsored­two­archaeological­field­schools­in­the­summer­of­2009,­involving­undergraduate­and­graduate­students­in­field­projects­in­Michigan­and­New­Mexico.

Archaeology­ drew­ together­ a­ great­ group­ of­­students­and­specialists­to­beautiful,­if­sometimes­un-forgiving,­northern­Michigan.­For­the­fourth­consecu-tive­summer,­archaeology­was­part­of­the­U-M­Biolog-ical­Station’s­summer­research­program.­Field­school­students­worked­beside­an­NSF-funded­research­crew­that­included­graduate­students­from­U-M,­Michigan­State,­ and­ Wayne­ State,­ and­ undergraduates­ from­U-M,­University­of­New­Hampshire,­ and­University­of­Delaware.­Research­focused­on­contextualizing­the­abundant­clusters­of­cache­(storage)­pits­spread­across­the­ inland­ lake­ landscape­ surrounding­ Douglas­ and­Burt­Lakes.­ Previous­ seasons­ had­ located­ habitation­remains­on­low­terraces­nearby­cache­pit­clusters;­this­summer­our­group­excavated­more­than­1800­shovel­test­pits­in­similar­contexts­to­try­to­locate­additional­habitation­ sites.­We­ also­ expanded­ excavations­ at­ a­Late­ Prehistoric­ site­ on­ Burt­ Lake­ where­ we­ found­­evidence­ of­ a­ dense­ midden.­ Our­ excavations­ of­ a­number­ of­ cache­ pits­ revealed­ that­ they­were­ larger­and­more­complicated­ than­we­expected­and­our­ re-search­revealed­evidence­for­buried­pits­with­evidence­of­structures­built­on­ top­of­ them—another­new­and­surprising­contribution­to­Michigan­archaeology.­

This­summer,­Dr. Tim Horsley­and­Dr. Meghan Howey­worked­with­the­Burt­Lake­(Cheboiganing)­Band­of­Ottawa­and­Chippewa­ Indians­ to­ relocate­unmarked­graves­ in­one­of­ their­historic­ cemeteries.­Following­ their­ forced­ remov-al­ from­ Indian­ Point­ in­ 1900­ (see­http://www.burtlakeband.org),­the­Band­moved­to­a­new­settlement­along­Indian­Road­(Cheboygan­Co.)­where­they­established­a­new­church­and­community­cemetery­in­1909.­Graves­in­this­active­cemetery­are­marked­by­wooden­crosses,­some­of­which­appeared­to­have­become­lost­over­time.­During­this­year’s­archaeologi-cal­field­school­at­the­nearby­U-M­Biological­Station,­it­was­decided­to­ try­and­relocate­ these­ lost­burials­using­modern­non-destructive­geophysical­techniques.­

Aided­by­field­school­students­and­Band­members,­Tim—an­experienced­ archaeological­ geophysicist—employed­ ground-penetrating­radar­(GPR)­and­earth­resistance­methods­to­detect­anomalies­associated­with­graves.­These­techniques­have­had­little­application­in­Michigan­to­date,­so­this­presented­an­ex-citing­opportunity­to­test­out­their­effectiveness­in­this­region.

As­ the­ accompanying­ figure­ shows,­ the­ surveys­ were­very­successful­and­reveal­the­neat­rows­of­individual­buri-als.­ Comparison­ of­ the­ results­with­ the­ locations­ of­ grave­markers­has­allowed­some­24­unmarked­burials­to­be­identi-fied,­including­those­of­five­possible­infants­based­on­their­smaller­size.­New­markers­were­set­in­place­to­indicate­the­locations­of­these­unmarked­graves­for­the­Band­to­commemorate­in­the­future.

This­event­has­strengthened­a­budding­collaboration­with­the­Band,­one­where­archaeology­exchanges­with,­listens­to,­and­gives­back­meaningful­information­to­the­community.­The­work­also­demonstrates­the­potential­both­for­locating­historic­graves­and­for­other­archaeological­applications­in­Michigan.

This­survey­was­made­possible­due­to­the­openness­of­the­Burt­Lake­Band,­and­Band­member­Kay­Touhy­was­instrumental­in­this­collaboration­between­the­tribe­and­archaeologists.­Tim­Horsley­is­a­UMMA­Assistant­Research­Scientist­and­Meghan­Howey­is­an­Assistant­Professor­in­Archaeology,­University­of­New­Hampshire,­and­a­UMMA­Adjunct­Assistant­Research­Scientist.­The­work­was­conducted­as­part­of­the­UMMA­Field­School­and­the­NSF-funded­Cultural­Landscapes­of­Douglas­Lake­Archaeological­Research­team­led­by­Dr.­Howey.

4

by Meghan Howey (Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire; UMMA Adjunct Assistant Research Scientist)

Collaboration Reveals Unmarked Native American Graves

www.lsa.umich.edu/umma UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009

Undergraduate Honors Students

In­2009,­four­U-M­anthropology­students­com-pleted­their­honors­theses:

Maia Dedrick:­ Agricultural Production at a Late Classic Maya Household: Off-Mound Excavations at Medicinal Trail, Belize­ (Thesis­advisor:­Joyce­Marcus);­co-winner­of­the­Sidney­Fine­ teaching­ award­ in­ the­ Goldstein­ Honors­prizes

Danielle Forsyth: Exploring the Political Organization of Kofun Period Japan­ (Thesis­­advisor:­Carla­Sinopoli)

Valerie Grabski:­Regional Relations in the Near East During the Third Millennium: As Seen Through Lapis Lazuli and the Vessels of the Série Ancienne­(Thesis­advisor:­Henry­Wright)

Dylan Imre:­A Hive of Complexities: The Uni-fication and Analysis of Postclassic Maya Bee-keeping: Production, Practices, and Religious Relations­(Thesis­advisor:­Joyce­Marcus)

5

Field Schools cont.

During­June and July,­2009,­under­the­direction­of­Curator­ John Speth­ and­with­ the­ able­ assistance­ of­two­ anthropology­ graduate­ students,­Ashley Lemke­and­Ashley Schubert,­ the­Museum­of­Anthropology­ran­an­archaeological­fieldschool­in­southeastern­New­Mexico.­There­were­seven­participants­in­the­program:­­five­U-M­ undergraduates­ (Anna Mickols, Elizabeth Thom, Kayla Waldron, Abby Work,­Rachel Yung), one­ MSU­ undergraduate,­ and­ an­ MA­ student­ from­­Silpakorn­University,­Thailand.­Our­excavations­were­at­Bloom­Mound,­a­14th-­and­early­15th-century­mud-walled­village­ in­ the­Pecos­Valley.­We­did­ lab­work­in­the­evenings,­and­on­weekends­explored­other­ar-chaeological­ruins­and­parks­in­the­region.­

Speth’s­research­at­Bloom­(and­the­nearby­Hender-son­Site,­the­focus­of­UMMA­fieldwork­between­1994­and­1997)­investigates­the­emergence­of­economic­ties­between­nomadic­Southern­Plains­buffalo­hunters­and­Southwestern­Pueblo­farmers.­At­the­Henderson­Site,­two­occupation­phases­were­recognized:­Early­Phase­(AD­ 1275–1325),­ and­ Late­ Phase­ (AD­ 1325–1380).­The­ occupation­ of­Bloom­picked­ up­where­Hender-son’s­left­off,­about­AD­1380,­and­continued­into­the­early­1400s.

The­Roswell­sites­document­a­dramatic­increase­in­exchange­with­the­Puebloan­world­to­the­west.­The­Henderson­villagers­traded­bison­meat­and­hides,­which­they­themselves­procured­by­undertaking­long-distance­hunting­expeditions­into­the­Southern­Plains,­for­Pueblo­pottery­and­turquoise,­and­probably­also­blankets­and­maize.­

Information­gathered­by­local­amateurs­who­dug­at­Bloom­in­the­1930s,­augmented­by­UMMA’s­recent­excavations,­underscores­Bloom’s­role­as­a­trading­center­of­some­affluence.­Bloom­yielded­many­more­artifacts­coming­from­distant­sources­than­Henderson­did,­including­ceramics­imported­from­hundreds­of­miles­away,­as­well­as­turquoise,­obsidian,­and­Mexican­copper­bells.­However,­a­dramatic­falloff­in­bison­remains­at­Bloom,­de-spite­abundant­evidence­that­the­community­remained­thoroughly­engaged­in­long-distance­exchange­with­the­Puebloan­world,­seems­to­suggest­that­Bloom’s­inhabitants­had­shifted­their­role­in­the­exchange­system­from­hunters­to­middlemen.­

Competition­with­other­groups­hunting­in­the­Southern­Plains­led­to­tensions­between­hunters­and­farmers­that­erupted­in­the­mid-1400s­into­deadly­conflict.­The­amateurs­who­dug­at­Bloom­in­the­1930s­found­dozens­of­unburied,­burned­human­skeletons;­Michigan’s­excavations­revealed­further­evidence­of­violence,­all­directed­at­“non-combatants,”­that­is,­children,­young­adult­women,­and­elderly­men.­The­violence­was­not­mere­raiding;­this­was­warfare­with­the­intent­of­annihilating­the­inhabitants.­Soon­thereafter,­Bloom­was­abandoned­and­the­Pecos­Valley­remained­uninhabited­by­village-based­farming­peoples­into­the­early­historic­period,­when­the­first­Spaniards­entered­the­region.­

Undergraduate­field­experiences­are­made­pos-sible­with­financial­support­from­the­Museum’s­undergraduate­research­endowments.­Thanks to your generous donations, in 2009 we were able to provide funds to three U-M undergraduates.

Elizabeth Thom­ received­ support­ from­ the­­Christy E. Cogan Memorial Fund to­­participate­in­ the­ U-M­ Bloom­ Mound­ Field­ School­ with­John­ Speth.­ Abigail Work­ used­ support­ from­the­James B. Griffin Undergraduate Research Fund­ to­ participate­ in­ the­U-M­Bloom­Mound­Field­ School­ with­ John­ Speth.­ Sarah Oas­­received­ assistance­ from­ the­ Carl E. Guthe Undergraduate Research Fund­ to­ participate­in­research­in­Romania­with­John­O’Shea­and­in­Italy­with­Laura­Motta.

If­you­would­like­to­learn­more­about­how­to­support­undergraduate­research,­please­visit

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/umma/support/or­contact­Carla­M.­Sinopoli­at

sinopoli@umich.edu

Undergraduate Student Support

www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

Lisa Young­ organized­ a­ poster­ session­ for­ the­2009­ Society­ of­American­Archaeology­ meet-ings,­ entitled­ Sharing­ Archaeology­ with­ the­Public:­ Examples­ from­ the­ Homol’ovi­ Un-dergraduate­ Research­ Opportunities­ Program.­This­session­was­sponsored­by­the­SAA­Public­Education­committee.­Three­recently­graduated­U-M­students­(Claire Barker, Danielle Forsyth, Stephanie Owens)­who­had­worked­with­Lisa­in­the­field­contributed­posters­to­this­session.

UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009

Graduate Student Support

8

Doctoral Defenses

Jamie Clark­ defended­ her­ dissertation­ “Testing­Models­ on­ the­ Emergence­ and­ Nature­ of­ Modern­Human­ Behavior:­ Middle­ Stone­ Age­ Fauna­ from­Sibudu­Cave,­South­Africa”­in­January­2009.­­Jamie­is­ currently­ a­ Visiting­ Assistant­ Professor­ in­ the­­Department­of­Anthropology­at­Southern­Methodist­University.

William Griffin defended­his­thesis­“The­­Matitanana­Archaeological­Project:­Culture­History­ and­ ­Social­Complexity­in­the­Seven­Rivers­Region­of­Southeast-ern­Madagascar”­in­May­2009.­Will­is­an­­Associate­Professor­ of­Anthropology­ at­ St.­ Charles­ Commu-nity­College.

Grant Accomplishments

Khori Newlander and Matthew Gallon­received­NSF­doctoral­dissertation­improvement­grants;­Matt­also­received­ a­ grant­ from­ the­ACLS/Luce­ Foundation.­Matthew Kroot was­awarded­grants­from­the­Wenner­Gren­Foundation­and­from­ACOR-CAORC­to­con-duct­doctoral­research­in­Jordan.­Amy Nicodemus and Colin Quinn received­ an­ award­ from­ the­Mu-seum’s­Linda Britton and John R. Halsey Fund for Great Lakes Archaeology. Hemanth Kadambi, Elizabeth Bridges, and Uthara Suvrathan­ received­support­ from­ the­ International­ Institute’s­ Trehan­Fund­ for­ South­ Asian­ Archaeology.­ Veronique Belisle has­ been­ awarded­ a­ Rackham­ Dissertation­Fellowship­for­2009–2010.

The James B. Griffin Scholarship Fund

Created­by­the­Museum’s­curators­in­1975­on­the­occasion­of­James­B.­Griffin’s­retirement­from­the­University­of­Michigan,­the­James­B.­Griffin­Scholarship­Fund­has­provided­small­grants­ to­85 doctoral students­ in­anthropological­archaeology­ to­support­ their­dissertation­fieldwork­and­related­analyses.­The­first­Griffin­Scholarship­award­was­given­to­Mary­Hodge­in­April­1980­for­her­doctoral­research­on­the­Aztec­empire;­the­most­recent­award­went­to­Cameron­Gokee­for­his­work­in­West­Africa­(see­below).­Over­the­years,­and­thanks­to­dona-tions­from­more­than­100­individuals,­many­of­them­Griffin­Scholarship­awardees­themselves,­we­have­been­able­to­increase­the­award­amount­from­$500­to­$2500.­­

Over­ the­ last­ year,­ the­ fieldwork­ of­ three­ doctoral­ students­was­ partially­ supported­ by­­Griffin­Scholarship­funds:

Cameron Gokee­used­the­Griffin­Scholarship­Fund­to­support­his­excavations­at­the­middle­Iron­Age­site­(CE­500–1000)­of­Diouboye­on­the­Falémé­River­in­eastern­Senegal.­Cameron’s­work,­also­supported­by­the­Rackham­Graduate­School­and­the­Fulbright­Foundation,­exam-ines­social­and­economic­practices­at­a­village­site­located­near­important­gold­sources­during­the­period­of­expanding­West­African­trade­networks­and­state­formation.­­

Uthara Suvrathan used­support­from­the­Griffin­Fund­and­the­Trehan­Gift­for­South­Asian­­Archaeology­to­conduct­a­preliminary­season­of­archaeological­survey­around­the­early­­historic­urban­center­of­Banavasi­(ca.­100­BCE–CE­6000)­in­Karnataka,­India.­Her­research­explores­shifting­settlement­forms,­elite­strategies,­and­economic­interactions­as­the­city­shifted­in­and­out­of­positions­of­political­centrality­in­the­region—from­a­political­capital­to­a­periphery­of­more­distant­states­and­empires.­Uthara­ is­currently­preparing­grant­proposals­and­plans­ to­return­to­India­this­winter­to­complete­her­fieldwork.

Matthew Gallon spent­the­winter­of­2009­directing­his­first­season­of­archaeological­field-work­at­the­first­millennium­CE­town­of­Kamphaeng­Saen,­in­the­western­Chao­Praya­River­Valley­of­Central­Thailand.­Kamphaeng­Sean,­a­52-hectare­settlement­surrounded­by­a­moat­and­earthen­rampart,­lay­between­two­possible­capitals­of­one­of­Thailand’s­first­kingdoms:­the­7th–10th­century­CE­Dvāravatī­state.­Matt’s­research­explores­changes­in­the­organization­and­functions­of­the­town­in­the­context­of­larger­processes­of­state­formation.­The­results­of­Matt’s­Griffin­Funded­mapping­and­testing­provided­important­background­information­to­guide­his­current­excavations­at­the­site,­funded­by­the­National­Science­Foundation­and­a­Luce­Founda-tion/ACLS­Fellowship­for­Southeast­and­East­Asian­Archaeology.­

Other­Griffin­Scholarship­Fund­awardees­currently­in­the­field­or­completing­their­disserta-tions­include­Veronique Belisle, Howard Tsai, and Allison Davis­(Peru);­Khori Newlander­(North­America);­Paul Duffy (Hungary);­Daphne Gallagher (Burkina­Faso);­Amanda Logan­­(Ghana);­and­Elizabeth Bridges and Hemanth Kadambi­(India).

In the face of increasing research costs and declining University resources, the Griffin Scholarship Fund remains an invaluable source for supporting our students. Please consider making an additional gift to keep this resource available for future generations of U-M graduate students.

www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

Graduate Student Achievements

to­ look­over­ later­historic­ sites­ recorded­during­ the­University­of­Pitts-burgh’s­collaborative­Chifeng­Regional­Survey­under­Dick­Drennan,­and­to­help­with­the­analysis­of­later­ceramics;­and­the­analysis­of­ceramics­and­site­ records­from­the­1999–2005­Yi-Luo­survey­ in­ the­heartland­of­North­Chinese­state­formation­around­the­early­capital­of­Erlitou.­During­the­ fall,­Henry­was­ in­Madagascar­working­on­ two­field­projects,­ both­involving­the­training­of­Malagasy­students.­The­major­effort­was­the­“Es-tuary­Project”­of­Robert­Dewar­and­Chantal­Radimilahy,­funded­by­the­British­Institute­in­Eastern­Africa.­They­finished­their­ last­major­season­around­the­old­and­modern­port­of­Vohémar­in­the­far­northeast,­complet-

ing­stratigraphic­excavations­necessary­for­the­local­chronology­and­com-pleting­their­regional­survey.­They­found­more­evidence­of­early­foragers­and­evidence­of­a­15th–16th­c.­port­deeply­buried­under­the­modern­port­of­Vohémar,­and­enjoyed­much­good­seafood.­With­his­long-standing­col-league­Ramilison,­Henry­also­conducted­a­brief­but­intense­survey­effort­in­ the­Central­Highlands­ near­ the­modern­ capital­Antananarivo,­where­they­ are­ documenting­ a­war,­ not­mentioned­ in­ the­ historical­ traditions,­between­nascent­18th-century­proto-states.­Henry’s­next­monograph­on­Iran’s­Deh­Luran­Plain­is­in­press­in­the­Museum's­publication­series­and­should­appear­in­early­2010.

Curator Notes and News cont.

In 2009–2010, the U-M College of Literature, Science and the Arts Theme Year “Meaningful Objects: Museums in the Academy” celebrates­university­museums­as­sites­of­critical­reflection,­knowledge­production,­cultural­engagement,­teaching­and­learning,­and­personal­fulfillment.­Numerous­special­ex-hibits,­lectures,­classes,­“behind-the-scenes”­tours,­films,­workshops,­and­ other­ events­ are­ taking­ place­ throughout­ the­ year.­Museum­ of­­Anthropology­Director­Carla Sinopoli­ is­ coordinating­ the­ campus-wide­ theme­ year­ and­ our­museum­ is­ involved­ in­many­ theme­ year­events.­Our­curators,­research,­and­collections­are­featured­in­two­new­exhibitions­in­the­Exhibit­Museum­of­Natural­History:­­­“Archaeology!”­(see­below)­and­“Collecting­for­Science,”­an­exhibit­highlighting­the­scholarly­contributions­of­the­four­LSA­research­museums­(Anthropol-ogy,­Herbarium,­Paleontology,­Zoology).­We­are­also­hosting­behind-the-scenes­ open­ houses­ and­Collections­Manager­Karen O’Brien­ is­working­with­Todd­Gerring­(Kelsey­Museum)­to­coordinate­the­“Day­at­the­Museum”­lecture­series­for­winter­2010,­which­features­museum­careers­and­museum­professionals­from­around­the­campus.­Curator­John Speth­ presented­ a­ Saturday­Morning­ Physics­ Lecture­ on­ big­game­hunting­in­human­evolution­to­an­audience­of­several­hundred­on­October­24,­and­Carla­Sinopoli­and­Research­Scientist­Lisa Young­presented­a­workshop­sponsored­by­the­Center­for­Research­on­Learn-ing­and­Teaching­on­“Teaching­ In,­With­and­About­Museums”­ to­a­packed­room­of­more­than­60­attendees.

Throughout­ the­ year,­ other­ speakers­ and­ events­ will­ highlight­the­ contributions,­ complexities,­ and­ challenges­ faced­ by­ university­

UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009 9

This new exhibition,­a­collaboration­of­the­Exhibit­Museum­of­Natural­History­and­Museum­of­Anthropology,­presents­ongoing­research­by­UMMA­archaeologists­ in­displays­that­examine­both­the­kinds­of­questions­that­contemporary­archaeologists­ask­about­ the­past­and­ the­ techniques­ that­ they­use­ to­answer­ them.­Museum­research­and­­collections­are­highlighted­in­each­of­the­exhibition’s­five­sections:­Doing Archaeology: Tools of the Trade; High Tech Archaeology;­Archaeology all Around Us;­Objects and What They Tell Us;­and­Archaeology and You.­The­exhibition­was­­designed­to­be­easily­updated­and­modified­and­modules­will­change­periodically.­Please­stop­by­and­view­it­in­the­fourth­floor­gallery­in­the­Ruthven­Museums­building­the­next­time­you­are­in­Ann­Arbor.

Curator Richard Redding helps a young visitor identify a fox bone at the October 10 behind-the-scenes day.

­museums­in­the­21st­century.­For­our­museum,­most­of­which­lies­behind­closed­doors­posted­with­a­sign­that­reads­“Research­Wing­Not­Open­to­the­Public,”­the­theme­year­provides­a­won-derful­opportunity­to­introduce­ourselves­to­the­public­and­in-form­our­larger­University­community­about­what­we­do­and­why­we­matter.­­­

For­ a­wonderful­ interactive­map­ of­ our­ curators­ in­ the­field­and­complete­information­about­all­theme­year­events,­please­visit:­

http://lsa.umich.edu/museumstheme/

www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

Currrent Research in the University of Michigan Museum of AnthropologyArchaeology!

UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009

Collections

10www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

Research­on­ the­Paleoindian­and­early­Archaic­periods­has­been­sparse,­but­high-tech­underwater­archaeology­holds­great­promise­for­discovering­and­examining­sites­and­artifacts­from­these­periods,­elucidating­the­shift­from­Paleoindian­to­Archaic.­The­location­and­elevation­of­ancient­shorelines­may­be­determined,­and­bedrock­outcrops­examined­for­hu-man­exploitation.­The­preservation­of­organic­material—faunal­and­floral­remains—in­Lake­Huron’s­icy­water­would­be­particularly­invaluable,­as­such­materials­are­rarely­preserved­in­land­contexts.­And­so­the­S/V­Blue Traveler,­with­its­state-of-the-art­equipment,­continues­to­ply­the­lake,­enabling­John­and­his­team­to­discover­yet­more­of­the­ancient­landscape­that­lies­below.

This­ year­ the­ Museum­ was­ awarded­ a­ three-year­ Nation-al­ ­Science­ Foundation­ Biological­ Research­ Collections­ grant­to­ upgrade­ storage­ cabinets­ and­ rehouse­ the­ collections­ in­ the­­Ethnobotanical­ ­Laboratory.­ Started­ in­ 1929,­ with­ the­ hiring­ of­Dr.­ Melvin­ ­Gilmore,­ the­ laboratory­ is­ the­ oldest­ continuously­­operating­ethnobotanical­laboratory­in­the­U.S.­At­the­time­of­its­founding,­ the­ Lab­was­ unique­ in­ its­ ­emphasis­ on­ identification­of­ archaeological­ plant­ remains,­ and­ it­ continues­ today­ in­ this­long­ tradition.­ In­1945,­Volney­Jones­ took­over­ the­ reins­of­ the­Laboratory,­bringing­a­unique­ ­perspective­ to­ the­emerging­field­of­ ­ethnobotany.­ He­ was­ particularly­ notable­ for­ his­ pioneering­work­in­paleoethnobotany,­and­began­the­­Laboratory’s­important­commitment­to­pedagogy.­With­his­retirement­in­1969,­U-M­PhD­Richard­I.­Ford­was­brought­back­to­run­the­Laboratory­until­his­retirement­in­2007.­Numerous­scholars­were­trained­in­paleoeth-nobotanical­analysis­under­Ford.

The­ upgrades­ to­ the­ Laboratory­ include­ the­ purchasing­ of­­seventeen­archival­cabinets­for­the­comparative­and­archaeological­specimens­and­six­new­herbarium­cabinets.­Collection­­specimens­will­be­rehoused­in­new­clearly­labeled­boxes­and­the­inventory­of­

the­ collections­ (started­several­ years­ ago)­ will­continue.­As­part­ of­ the­project,­ we­ are­ digitiz-ing­ the­ Ethnobotanical­Laboratory­ ­Reports­ and­inventorying­ the­ Gilm-ore/Jones/Ford­ ­library­to­make­materials­more­accessible­ to­ students­and­scholars.­We­plan­on­making­all­this­material­available­on­the­website­by­the­end­of­the­project­in­2012.

We­ are­ delighted­ to­ announce­ a­ new­ staff­ member­ to­ the­­Museum!­Jamie Merkel,­who­started­work­on­November­2,­was­hired­to­oversee­all­aspects­of­this­three-year­project.­­Jamie­comes­to­us­from­Milwaukee,­Wisconsin,­with­a­degree­in­­Anthropology­and­Museum­Studies­from­UW-Milwaukee.­She­has­held­prior­po-sitions­at­the­Milwaukee­Public­Museum,­where­she­worked­on­eth-nobotanical­collections,­and­at­the­Art­Museum­at­Beloit­­College.­Please­join­us­in­welcoming­her­to­the­Museum­­Community!

­modeling­to­reconstruct­the­Lake­Stanley­causeway­as­it­would­have­appeared­as­a­dry­land­corridor,­and­to­determine­where­to­focus­their­underwater­survey.­Initial­sonar­and­ROV­­examination­located­ ­ancient­ landforms­and­ rock­outcrops—and­several­po-tential­ hunting­ structures.­ A­ 350-meter-long­ feature­ snakes­along­ the­ ridge,­ a­ close­match­ for­ ethnographi-cally­known­caribou­drive­lanes­ in­ the­ arctic.­ Like­typical­ caribou­ lanes,­ this­construction­ takes­ advan-tage­ of­ natural­ features,­modified­ by­ the­ addition­of­ small­ boulders­ to­ fill­in­ gaps­ and­ better­ define­the­run­and­by­a­series­of­cairns­ that­ serve­ to­ guide­the­ caribou­ into­ the­ lane.­Close­ by­ lies­ a­ potential­hunting­ pit­ or­ blind­ (pic-tured­ here),­ constructed­of­ three­ large­ boulders,­with­ a­ modified­ interior.­

Underwater Archaeology cont.

Possible­ low-walled­dwellings­ or­ tent­ rings­ and­other­ hunting­features­are­also­discernible,­along­with­chert­outcrops­that­may­yield­quarry­sites.

Research­ continued­ this­ past­ summer:­ ­ the­ first­ dive­­operations­were­conducted­on­the­ridge,­confirming­the­pres-

ence­ of­ extensive­ chert­layers­ within­ the­ large­rock­ outcrops.­ In­ addi-tion,­ under­ the­ direction­of­ Dr.­ Eustice,­ the­ first­experiments­ using­ a­ re-mote­ underwater­ vehicle­(AUV)­ to­ provide­ close-in­ acoustic­ and­ ­visual­mapping­of­features­were­conducted.­ UMMA­ grad­students­Eric Rupley­ and­Paul Duffy­participated­in­the­ survey­ efforts.­ In­ the­spring,­ Ashley Lemke­will­ join­ Eric­ to­ partici-pate­ in­ the­next­ round­of­dive­operations.

11

For information on giving opportunities and development priorities of the Museum of Anthropology please contact

Carla M. Sinopoli (sinopoli@umich.edu) or visit http://www.lsa.umich.edu/umma/support/

Kurt Anschuetz Elizabeth Bridges Jane BridgesDavid BroseMichael BrownRobert Carneiro John CherryCharles ClelandLucile CowanSuzanne DeSarboRobert DrennanPenelope DrookerJohn EatonWilliam EngelbrechtWilliam FarrandGary FeinmanKent FlanneryRichard FordSeverin FowlesSigrid Gabler

Cameron GokeeDebra GoldMary GriffinCharles HastingsHelen HaysKelley Hays-Gilpin Michelle Hegmon Fredrik HiebertJudith IrvinePeter KunstadterSusan KusClark LarsenYun-Kuen LeeBruce MannheimJoyce MarcusEllen MesserAnne MillerPaul MinnisHattula Moholy-Nagy

Dan Morse R. Albert Nelson Virginia Popper Nanette Pyne Robert Reynolds Lawrence Robbins Martha RolingsonMargaret Schoeninger Carla Sinopoli Bruce Smith Dwight Spencer Albert Steegmann, Jr. Laurie SteponaitisLauren TalalayHeather Trigg Patty Jo Watson Patricia Wattenmaker Pauline Wiessner Alice Yao

Special acknowledgment to the Margaret B. Matson Trust for a

very generous gift to the Griffin Scholarship

Fund and Guthe Undergraduate

Endowment. Fred Matson earned his MA

in anthropology at Michigan in 1936 and his PhD in 1939, and

went on to a long and distinguished career in anthropology. This

bequest is an apt tribute to his long and productive life—and we are most grateful.

New from UMMA Publications

We Thank Our 2008–2009 Donors

UMMA Newsletter — Fall, 2009 www.lsa.umich.edu/umma

The­ Museum­ also­ welcomes­ Dr. William Rendu­ from­ the­ University­ of­­Bourdeaux.­Dr.­Rendu­is­a­specialist­in­archaeology­of­the­Middle­Paleolithic,­with­interests­in­hunter-gather­mobility,­seasonality,­and­zooarchaeology.­Will­spent­spring­2009­in­Ann­Arbor­before­returning­to­France­to­direct­excava-tions­at­the­important­Mousterian­site­of­Chapelle-Aux-Saints.­He­will­be­re-turning­to­U-M­when­winter­sets­in­to­continue­his­collaborative­research­with­John­Speth­on­seasonality­and­subsistence­in­the­Middle­Paleolithic­Kebara­Cave­site­in­Israel.

This­ fall,­ the­ Museum­ ­welcomes­ Dr. Grace Barretto-Tesoro­ (PhD­ 2007,­­University­ of­ Cambridge),­ Associate­ Professor­ of­ Archaeology­ at­ the­­University­of­the­Philippines.­Grace­is­in­Michigan­as­an­ACLS/Luce­Fellow­in­the­Archaeology­of­Ancient­Southeast­and­East­Asia,­and­with­photogra-pher­Archie­Tesoro,­is­spending­four­months­in­Ann­Arbor­documenting­and­­researching­ the­ earthenware­ ceramics­ and­other­materials­ in­ the­Museum’s­Philippine­Expedition­(Guthe)­Collection.­Grace’s­research­interests­include­mortuary­ analysis,­ ceramic­ analysis,­ and­ identity­ and­ status­ in­ Philippine­­prehistory.

William RenduGrace Barretto-Tesoro

Visitors

The­Museum­of­Anthropology­Publications­program­is­actively­ seeking­ manuscript­ submissions­ and­ ­queries­from­ authors.­ Complementing­ our­ research­ foci,­ the­Museum­ publishes­ data-rich­ archaeological­ and­ eth-nographic­ monographs­ in­ North­ American,­ Latin­American,­Near­Eastern,­European,­African­(especially­Madagascar),­ and­ Asian­ archaeology­ and­ ethnology.­Manuscripts­are­peer-reviewed­by­a­Publications­Com-mittee­made­ up­ of­ several­ curators­ and­ by­ the­ editor.­The­committee­selects­manuscripts­based­on­quality­of­scholarship­ and­writing.­ Please­ contact­ the­ editor­ Jill­Rheinheimer­ (jrhein@umich.edu)­ for­ additional­ infor-mation­or­to­submit­your­prospectus­or­manuscript.

To­order­publications,­see­www.lsa.umich.edu/umma/publications.

Memoir 45Prehispanic Settlement Patterns in the Northwestern Valley of Mexico: The Zumpango Region by Jeffrey R. ParsonsMemoir 46Domestic Life in Prehispanic Capitals: A Study of Specialization, Hierarchy, and Ethnicity edited by Linda R. Manzanilla and Claude Chapdelaine

The University of MichiganMuseum of Anthropology4013 Museums Bldg1109 Geddes AvenueAnn Arbor, MI 48109-1079

Julia Donovan DarlowLaurence B. Deitch

Denise IlitchOlivia P. Maynard

Andrea Fischer NewmanAndrew C. Richner

S. Martin TaylorKatherine E. White

Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio)

Regents of the University of Michigan

Curator's Ball 2009: With the theme "1979" UMMA celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Curator's Ball in April 2009.