Paper 1
Paper 1 is an exercise in evaluating the archaeological research design
of a report of your choosing. Suggested reports are on reserve at Pattee
(see list below). By the end of this exercise, you will be able to discuss
where research questions come from and how they are answered through
fieldwork, analysis, and interpretation. You will also be asked to evaluate
the strengths and weaknesses of each report, to propose directions for
future work, and to consider the broader social context of the research.
Keep in mind that your selected report will also form the basis for
Paper 2 (an article written for the public) and for Paper 3 (a research
proposal).
Paper 1 (1,750-2,000 words)
Open with a paragraph that introduces the questions and major findings
of your report. Follow with a brief description of the physical and
historical setting of your study site or region. For the remainder of
your paper, evaluate the report in terms of:
1) Research Questions
(Be specific. What particular questions did the researchers want to
address and why?)
2) Methodology
(What kind of evidence was used to answer the questions, and how was
it collected?)
3) Results
(Using the methods, described in (2), what did they find?)
4) Interpretation
(How were the results interpreted in terms of the original questions?)
5) Significance to the discipline (i.e., to anthropology and archaeology)
and to the general public (including descendent communities). Briefly
discuss possible future research.
To close, briefly analyze the links between questions, methods, results,
and interpretations. What are the strengths and weaknesses? Briefly
discuss possible future research.
Helpful hints
Remember that this is also an exercise in essay writing. There should
be a clear flow of ideas, and the parts should logically fit together.
I realize that sometimes the authors bring in many tangential observations
or are not as explicit as you would like them to be. Try to find the
CORE of the study: what are the central research questions, how are
these addressed methodologically, what did the researchers find (the
results), and how did they interpret the results in terms of the original
questions?
To do this assignment, it is useful to imagine that the reader knows
nothing about your study and that you need to give a clear, logical,
and coherent synopsis of the content, as well as your own observations
on strengths and weaknesses. It may be useful to outline your paper.
If you are having trouble with organization and flow, I recommend that
you try to summarize each paragraph in a single sentence. (If you can’t
easily do this, take a second look at the paragraph. Do you have too
many ideas crammed together, or are your ideas unclear?) Now, put all
the sentences together—do they form a coherent and logical summary
of your paper?
I encourage you to talk to me if you have any questions. I also recommend
the Writing Center on campus, where peer tutors will discuss your work
in progress (http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/writingcenter/writingc.htm).
You may consult additional sources. Use the references referred to in
the bibliography and LIAS. Databases such as Anthropological Literature
can also be used to identify recent sources. (To find the Anthro Lit
database, go to the LIAS home page (http://www.libraries.psu.edu/),
click on Articles and More, then E-Resource List (A-Z), then scroll
down to Anthropological Literature. Note that the locations given in
Anthro Lit are NOT for the Penn State Library. You then have to get
back into LIAS to locate the source at PSU.) Even if you do not cite
these sources in Paper 1, you will definitely need to cite additional
sources in Paper 3, and it is a good idea to begin looking at related
literature (particularly if there are sources that need to be recalled
or requested from Interlibrary Loan).
Grading will be based on:
1. Content
Does the paper address the questions? Does it demonstrate an ability
to critically analyze and evaluate the material?
2. Clarity, organization, and coherence
Is there a logical flow to your ideas? Are they presented clearly and
concisely?
3. Spelling, grammar, and format
Please proofread. It is also a good idea to both read your papers out
loud AND to have someone else read your paper. References should be
listed at the end of your paper, following the SAA
Style Guide.
Suggested studies (on reserve at Pattee):
Clark, J. G. D.
1971 Excavations at Star Carr: An Early Mesolithic Site at Seamer
Near Scarborough, Yorkshire. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Ezzo, Joseph A.
1993 Human Adaptation at Grasshopper Pueblo, Arizona: Social and
Ecological Perspectives. Archaeological Series No. 4. International
Monographs in Prehistory, Ann Arbor (E99.M76E99).
Glassow, Michael A.
1996 Purisimeño Chumash Prehistory: Maritime Adaptations
Along the Southern California Coast. Harcourt Brace College Publishers,
Fort Worth (E99.C815G58 1996).
Hayden, Brian
1997 The Pithouses of Keatley Creek: Complex Hunter-Gatherers of
the Northwest Plateau. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, Fort
Worth (E78.B9H39).
Hedeager, Lotte
1992 Iron Age Societies: From Tribe to State in Northern Europe,
500 BC to AD 700. Translated by John Hines. Blackwell, Oxford (GN780.22.S34R43).
Hill, James N.
1970 The Broken K Pueblo: Prehistoric Social Organization in the
American Southwest. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson (E99.P9H5).
Kirch, Patrick V.
1988 Niuatoputapu: The Prehistory of a Polynesian Chiefdom.
Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum Monograph No. 5. Burke
Museum, Seattle (GN875.T6K57).
Milner, George R.
1998 The Cahokia Chiefdom: The Archaeology of a Mississippian Society.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington (E99.M6815M53).
Powell, Mary Lucas
1988 Status and Health in Prehistory: A Case Study of the Moundville
Chiefdom. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. (E78.A28P69).
Sheets, Payson D.
1992 The Ceren Site: A Prehistoric Village Buried by Volcanic Ash
in Central America. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, Fort Worth
(F1435.1.C39S54).
Wattenmaker, Patricia
1998 Household and State In Upper Mesopotamia: Specialized Economy
and the Social Uses of Goods In an Early Complex Society. Smithsonian
Institution Press, Washington, D. C. (GN778.32.T9W37).
Webster, David L.
2000 Copán: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Maya Kingdom.
Harcourt College Publishers, Fort Worth (F1435.1.C7 W42).