digging up archaeological information

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Digging Up ArchaeologicalInformationAmber Seely aa School of Library and Information Studies, TexasWoman's University , USAPublished online: 02 Oct 2008.

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Digging Up Archaeological Information

Amber Seely

ABSTRACT. Information about archaeological sites in the United Statesis difficult to find for multiple reasons including the large number ofpublications, the proliferation of gray literature in archaeological publi-cation, the interdisciplinary nature of archaeology, the lack of site namenormalization, and inadequate electronic resources. Current archaeolog-ical information resources including free and subscription databases,pathfinders, and organizational Web sites are reviewed. Suggestions for theimprovement of current resources and the creation of new resources are de-veloped. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document DeliveryService: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]>Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc.All rights reserved.]

KEYWORDS. Archaeological information resources, gray literature,libraries/librarians, recall, information seeking, archaeology, Old TownRuin, United States

Archaeology is defined as the study of material culture. It encom-passes the entire range of human existence: from the evolution of man tothe present, across the continents, and from the highest mountain to thedepths of the sea. Archaeological projects range in type and intensityand “an archaeological dig can generate thousands of pages of support-ing documentation” (Hoopes 1997, 93). Archaeological project litera-

Amber Seely is an MLS Candidate, School of Library and Information Studies,Texas Woman’s University (E-mail: [email protected]).

The author would like to thank Dr. Lynn Akin for her sponsorship and support.

Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, Vol. 24(1) 2005Available online at http://www.haworthpress.com/web/BSSL

2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.doi:10.1300/J103v24n01_01 1

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ture varies from unpublished archived material to semi-published “grayliterature” to in-depth published reports.

This plethora of information has fueled the prevailing attitude of ar-chaeologists who feel that “information of relevance to their work isbeing produced of which they are unaware” (Council for British Ar-chaeology 1999, 6.2.2). The same problem applies to librarians, whoare limited in their abilities to find information about a field which isconstantly in flux and plagued by gray literature.

Gray literature is defined as “non-conventional literature which is notissued through normal publication channels” (Alberani and De Castro2001, 237). Archaeologists believe that the purpose of publication is tofacilitate research and to inform the public (Council for British Archae-ology 1999). However, increasing numbers of archaeological projectsand decreasing funding have led to a backlog in archaeological publica-tions and a proliferation of archaeological gray literature (Richards2002). Since gray literature is not widely disseminated, it accomplishesneither of archaeologists’ goals for publications, which are to facilitateresearch and inform the public. Gray literature further complicates li-brarians’ efforts at building and maintaining archaeological collections.

A survey of archaeologists by the Council for British Archaeology(1999) found that archaeologists obtain publications most often througha library, and they prefer print as a publication medium. Thus the burdenof providing access to archaeological material falls on librarians. Unfor-tunately, “gray literature remains a perennial problem for informationprofessionals in terms of product knowledge, acquisition, processing,bibliographic control, and use” (Alberani and De Castro 2001, 246).

Additionally, the rise of public, or government-sponsored, archae-ology has led to a public desire for access to archaeological collec-tions. “People legitimately feel entitled to use archeology collectionswhen their tax dollars are spent for public archaeology” (Adelman andMarkson 1987, 34). In addition to the challenges of gray literature, dif-ficulties in providing access to published archaeological materials caninclude language barriers, old or rare materials that require specialhandling, and ethical concerns.

Finally, the widespread nature of the archaeological discipline andarchaeologists’ tendency to draw on “skills and knowledge from out-side their core discipline in order to make the great jump from the mate-rial record to a level where they can gain insight into human behavior”(Jarvis 1999, 1) leads to collections that must be very broad and diversein scope. Additionally, archaeologists rely on retrospective collections

2 BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARIAN

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and data, so an archaeological information source is required to con-stantly archive and preserve materials (Hoopes 1997).

Although Roccos (2000) accuses both archaeologists and librariansof being “rooted in the 19th-century practices of painstaking, methodi-cal print research” (37), Richards (2002) believes that the computer ageprovides the archaeological discipline with “both a crisis and an oppor-tunity” (344). While the crisis resides in the fear that technological ob-solescence will eventually cause the loss of digital data, the opportunitylies in the potential of the Internet to solve the archaeological publica-tion crisis and to increase the accessibility of archaeological publica-tions and archives.

The same opportunity exists for information professionals, who cannow use Internet resources to index, locate, and provide access to ar-chaeological information, but who, more importantly, can collaboratewith archaeologists to devise a solution to the archaeological publica-tion crisis and the resulting inability to find archaeological information.

This article will examine current resources for information about ar-chaeology in the United States, the problems users face when seekingarchaeological information, the problems information professionals en-counter when attempting to locate, organize, and provide access to col-lections, and suggestions for the future of archaeological informationresources. The site of Old Town Ruin in New Mexico, which was in-habited by the ancient Mimbres people, will be used as an example. In-teresting facts and unanswered questions from Old Town will bepresented throughout the article in italics.

Among the Mimbreños, the Scarlet Macaw had ritual significance.At approximately 13 months of age in the spring, they were sacri-ficed, plucked, and buried on their left side. At Old Town Ruin, aScarlet Macaw was found that was several years old. Why? Was ita fluke? Was it kept for breeding purposes? Could it have beensomeone’s pet?

(Creel and McKusick 1994)

TOOL REVIEW

Despite archaeologists’ preference for print, the Internet offers an un-precedented medium through which archaeologists can disseminatetheir results, and archaeological information is becoming available on-

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line (Jarvis 1999). The following are some of the electronic resourcesavailable on American archaeology.

The National Archaeological Database (NADB) is a free Internet re-source that contains over 350,000 citations for public archaeology in theUnited States (NPS 2004). The NADB contains “a large portion of theprimary material available on archaeological sites in the United States”(NPS 2004). Most of the included materials are considered gray litera-ture, and thus the database addresses the problem of ignorance of thematerial’s whereabouts (Council for British Archaeology 1999). TheNADB is searchable by geographical location and ethnic group, assuggested by Kotter (2002); additional search fields include author,material, keyword, date of publication, title of report, and work type.However, it neglects to assign access points by site name or occupationperiod, and the lack of an authority file leads to indexing inconsisten-cies. Since 1997, the only update to the NADB was in August 2004(NPS 2004; Seely 2004). The NADB contains “a large portion of theprimary material available on archaeological sites in the United States”(NPS 2004).

“Webliographies,” also known as pathfinders, are collections of in-formational Web sites available via the Internet that are much like bib-liographies. A Webliography such as Jarvis’ (1999) Resources forArchaeological Lithic Analysts can be of immense value to archaeolo-gists. It includes multi-disciplinary references to resources such as data-bases, libraries, journals, and research projects that might be of use toarchaeologists who study lithics, which are materials made from stone.This site is organized by type of resource and by focus. Pathfinders canbe created with broad discipline-wide foci or with narrow foci that assistinformation seekers in obtaining relevant results.

Virtual libraries, like ArchNet, The Archaeology Virtual Library,similarly provide links to numerous electronic resources. In this case,ArchNet is categorized by geographic region and subject with the goalof maintaining a catalog of archaeological Internet resources (Archae-ological Research Institute 2003). ArchNet is one of the few biblio-graphic tools to include information about American archaeology.Webliographies and catalogs like these could potentially be extremelyvaluable to archaeologists and librarians, simply because they offer acentral access point to a large amount of useful and relevant informa-tion.

Institutional Web sites can also provide links to a wide variety of ar-chaeological resources. The Web sites of the Society for American Ar-chaeology (SAA) and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)


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are just two examples. The SAA Web site contains links to full-text ver-sions of the publications it sponsors, as well as membership informa-tion, educational information, and professional information (SAA2004). The AIA Web site offers international archaeology news and asearchable database of fieldwork opportunities in addition to informa-tion similar to SAA’s (AIA 2004b). These Web sites are invaluableprofessional resources and sources of information on discipline-wideissues.

Finally, a number of subscription-only databases contain archaeolog-ical information about sites in the United States, including JSTOR andDissertation Abstracts. JSTOR offers eleven archaeological journals,though only the following five are relevant to the United States: Ameri-can Antiquity, American Journal of Archaeology, World Archaeology,Journal of Field Archaeology, and American Journal of Archaeologyand of the History of the Fine Arts. A list of tools reviewed in this articleis available in Appendix A.

Made between 1100 and 1150 AD, the black and white pottery ofthe Classic period usually features geometric animal figures andis the most beautiful pottery of the Mimbreños. Archaeologists be-lieve that the Mimbres people did not have specialized jobs, sothese artistic pots represent the skill of numerous people.

(Gilman, Canouts, and Bishop 1994)

PROBLEMS

When an archaeologist excavates a site, he or she does so with a spe-cific research question. This research question dictates what material iscollected and what material is discarded. Archaeological data is inter-preted through context, and when an archaeologist chooses not to col-lect, record, or preserve excavated material, the information is lostforever because its context is lost. Therefore, it is extremely importantfor archaeologists to be able to ascertain what other archaeologists areresearching so that they avoid duplicate research questions and theneedless destruction of potentially valuable data. The inability to re-trieve archaeological information has severe consequences for archae-ologists and for the world’s cultural heritage.

For librarians, the effects of the problem of finding archaeological in-formation are different, though perhaps equally frustrating. For exam-

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ple, an archaeologist might ask a librarian to find information on a sitecalled Old Town Ruin, site LA 1113 in Luna County, New Mexico, giv-ing the following facts about the site:

• It was previously excavated in the early and late twentieth century;• Past excavations were sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution,

the University of Texas at Austin, and Texas A&M University;• It is culturally affiliated with the ancient Mimbres people;• The names of at least two authors of past reports are Creel and

Fewkes;• The Bureau of Land Management is current owner of the land.

This is extensive information to have on an archaeological site prior to asearch. Often the only known factors will be the site name, its generallocation, and sometimes its cultural affiliation. Worse, an archaeologistmight ask a question like, “What sites in the Mimbres River valley wereoccupied during the Late Pithouse Period?”

Despite the large amount of information known about the site, multi-ple searches in the major tools outlined previously yielded few results.The National Archaeological Database contained three entries, all overten years old which were not indexed by site name or number, theOPACS of the two universities contained only one entry, and theSmithsonian offered only one hit. Google produced one relevant hit tothe following search string: “Oldtown” ruin New Mexico; variousother search strings produced no relevant results. In subscription data-bases, results were similar: in JSTOR there were six relevant hits and inDissertation Abstracts there was one. All of the articles found throughsubscription databases were secondary sources that mentioned OldTown Ruin but were not specifically about the site. In all other re-sources searched, there was no information.

This example clearly indicates the low level of recall present in cur-rent archaeological information resources. Recall is defined as the por-tion of relevant documents retrieved out of the number of relevantdocuments in the database (Given and Olson 2003; Korfhage 1997;Meadow 1992). For this study, recall is the portion of relevant docu-ments or citations retrieved using standard archaeological informationresources out of the total number of known documents. The total knownnumber of published documents for Old Town Ruin is seventeen, andthe total number of gray documents is thirteen (Mraz 2004). Out ofthe possible thirty documents, only fifteen were found using the toolsreviewed earlier, seven of those being full-text secondary sources.


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Thus the recall for current archaeological information resources whensearching for Old Town Ruin is only 50%, and the recall of full-text pri-mary sources is 0%. (For a bibliography of sources on Old Town Ruin,see Appendix B.) This recall rate was achieved through library scienceand archaeological discipline knowledge, and would likely be lower fora searcher with less experience in either discipline.

There are a number of problems with information from Old TownRuin that result in the dearth of available information, and these prob-lems are typical of most information on archaeological sites. For exam-ple, the site name in some reports is spelled “Old Town” and in others,“Oldtown.” There is only one primary publication about Old TownRuin which is not “gray literature”; the remaining reports can all be con-sidered gray literature. The publication from the most recent season ofexcavation, 2003, has either not yet been compiled or is not yet listed inthe National Archaeological Database. Apart from writing to the Bu-reau of Land Management and the sponsoring institutions, there is nomore information to be had about Old Town Ruin.

The beautiful black and white pottery of the Classic Mimbres pe-riod is often found resting upside down on the head of a skeletonwith a hole punched through the bottom. This phenomenon wasfirst observed at Old Town by Jesse Walter Fewkes, who namedthe holes kill holes and the pots with the holes killed pots. Whywould the Mimbreños ruin their beautiful pottery? Did they be-lieve that the spirit would escape through the kill holes, or werethe pots simply grave goods broken to make them useless to the liv-ing?

(Fewkes 1914)

SOLUTIONS

Possible solutions to the archaeological information crisis includethe improvement of existing resources and the creation of new informa-tion sources. The implementation of both of these solutions requires theexpertise of information professionals. For example, the National Ar-chaeological Database might include a form for archaeologists to com-plete that provides pertinent information to be entered into the database.The NADB should also develop a thesaurus to increase accuracy in re-

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sults and consistency in indexing, and it should be regularly and fre-quently updated. Existing pathfinders should add a section for UnitedStates archaeological resources, and new pathfinders focused on theUnited States should be developed. Low cost online offerings of serialpublications, either as the primary or secondary mode of disseminationshould increase in availability. The most labor-intensive, but also themost alluring option is the creation of a new database of archaeologicalinformation.

The National Archaeological Database

The creation of a form for the National Archaeological Database re-questing the bibliographic citation to site reports and possible indexterms might improve retrievability and the comprehensiveness of in-cluded information. Additionally, asking archaeologists, who have inti-mate knowledge of the contents of the report and a vested interest in itsinclusion in bibliographic utilities, to complete the form, instead ofwaiting for the United States government agencies to provide the infor-mation might aid in faster inclusion of more complete data.

Interestingly, in researching this article, the author discovered thatthe NADB does actually have such a form (NADB 2004). However, theNADB is accessible from two Web sites: one through the Center forAdvanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas,which maintains the database, and one through the National Park Ser-vice. The Web site maintained by CAST, which is also the Web site thatGoogle returns as the first hit to the query “National Archaeological Da-tabase,” does not have the NADB-Reports Citation form, while the NPSWeb site does offer the form. In all other respects, the two Web sites areidentical (CAST 2004; NPS 2004).

Several problems exist with the form that is available through theNPS version of the National Archaeological Database Web site. It is adaunting five pages. The instructions do not state who should completethe form, the government institution or the archaeologist. Additionally,definitions for the terms used on the form are not provided, and this maylead to additional indexing inconsistencies. Combined with a thesau-rus, the provision that archaeologists should fill out the form, andmore frequent and regular updates of the database itself, the NADB-Reports Citation form could vastly improve the retrievability and thecomprehensiveness of the NADB.


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Pathfinders

Pathfinders that direct users to archaeological information resourceswithin the United States will also improve the retrievability of archaeo-logical information. A pathfinder can be defined as “an annotated bibli-ography of reference materials, Web sites, databases, and journalswithin a specific discipline” (Reeb and Gibbons 2004, 123). The con-struction of a pathfinder not only assists users as they search for infor-mation, but it also reduces the workload of librarians by providing theanswers to commonly asked questions within any given discipline.

There are a number of archaeology pathfinders available on theInternet, but the vast majority of them focus on Classical Archaeology.Information consumers, archaeologists, and librarians would benefitfrom additional pathfinders that focus on other areas of the world, in-cluding the United States.

Online Journals

The creation of low-cost or free scholarly journals online that focuson American archaeology, or the movement of current journals to pro-viding online access, would greatly benefit the dissemination of Ameri-can archaeological information. Research has shown that open-accessarticles have a greater research impact (Antelman 2004). Thus, onlineaccess would not only provide greater public access to excavation re-sults, but it would also facilitate critical communication between ar-chaeologists.

Online publications have the advantage of providing links to site da-tabases, maps, photos, and other primary data from excavations and sur-veys that would otherwise be inaccessible. Publications such as theAmerican Journal of Archaeology, a print resource focusing on ancientEurope and the Mediterranean that now provides free online access toits articles, and Internet Archaeology, a subscription online resourcethat attempts to integrate data as suggested above, are making headwayin this area (Archaeological Institute of America 2004a; Council forBritish Archaeology 2004). It is time for the publishers and researchersin the United States to develop an electronic journal that focuses on ar-chaeology within its borders.

A Comprehensive Archaeological Database

Hartmann (1995) discovered that archaeologists want the creation ofa database that includes abstracts, current references, and the full-text of

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major articles and book chapters. Based on Hartmann’s findings, the da-tabase should also include images and maps. Ideally, it would also in-clude information from museums and archives since “it is not importantto a user who wants a document where this document is kept–in a li-brary, in a museum, or in an archive–he needs access to the document”(Brakker and Kujbyshev 1999, 200). It should also include permit infor-mation, a link to site Web sites, citations, and when possible, thefull-text or information on how to acquire copies of both published andgray literature. The most useful database would trace an excavationthrough all stages, beginning with the acquisition of a permit, markingthe actual excavation and lab analysis stages, and finally providing thecitation or full-text access to the published reports.

Furthermore, according to Kotter (2002), it should be deeply indexedwith specificity, exhaustivity, and a controlled vocabulary. Provisionsshould be made for feedback mechanisms and regular updates. The da-tabase should be searchable by site name, site number, geographic loca-tion, archaeologist, sponsoring institution, report title, material, culture,occupation date, publication date, and keyword. The results should bedisplayed in an integrated manner, with a hit containing links to all rele-vant, available information.

Although this option is the most labor intensive of those presented, itis also perhaps the most attractive because it would allow the creation ofa resource that legitimately meets the needs of its primary users and ofthe interested public.

Obstacles

There are many issues and obstacles to overcome in the creation ofsuch a resource. Online publication of archaeological materials is rapidlygrowing and difficult to track (Jarvis 1999). The Archaeological DataService (ADS) discovered that it was difficult to convince researchers tocontribute (Richards 2002). Byrne (2003) raises the concern that elec-tronic information would not be accessible to disadvantaged and indige-nous people on whom archaeological projects often focus. Hoopes(1997) worries about ethical issues relating to the Native AmericanGraves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and publication,while Adelman and Markson (1987) posit that providing access to ar-chaeological materials might inadvertently aid collectors and dealers inauthenticating objects which may have been illegally removed from ar-chaeological sites. Similarly, archaeologists are concerned that public


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information about sites might compromise the protection from lootingand vandalism that anonymity provides.

On the opposite side of the coin, the need for a database arises fromthe difficulty in tracking online archaeology information. Due to thehigh prices of current archaeological journals, indigenous populationsare already unable to access archaeological information; hopefully dis-semination of the information on the Internet would ultimately increasetheir level of access. On the other hand, withholding information fromdissemination to discourage the stealing of antiquities would be inap-propriate; strong law enforcement would be much more effective.

Copyright restrictions create another issue, but based on the prece-dent of the ADS, the producer of the literature should retain copyrightwhile the database is given non-exclusive permission to disseminatethe material. Another consideration revolves around the legitimacy ofInternet publication. In the United Kingdom publication in a peer-re-viewed Internet source is the equivalent of publication in a print journal,but in the United States the two are not equal (Medieros 2003). Achange in this policy would encourage archaeologists to begin produc-ing more digital documents that could easily be combined with theirdigital data in a database, thus allowing “the distinction between a tradi-tional archive and a hard copy report to be blurred” (Richards 1998,345-6). Finally, the widespread fear of the loss of digital data due to theobsolescence of technology causes contributors, producers, and con-sumers of information to be wary of electronic publication. Employingvigilance, the producer of the database must work to ensure the longev-ity of the data, transferring it into new forms and media when the needarises.

In the mid-twentieth century, archaeologists began to find notchedstones at Mimbres sites, including Old Town. These slabs are ap-proximately two feet tall, eight inches wide, and one inch thick.They are rooted in the adobe floors of Mimbres dwellings, with thenotched end upward. To this day, archaeologists still speculateupon the purpose of these stones. Did they support logs thatformed the edges of a raised floor? Did they provide the frame-work for a bench-like structure? Or did they serve some otherfunction that we have not yet imagined?

(Schroeder 1953)

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CONCLUSION

In order to create and improve archaeological information resources,information professionals should collaborate with archaeologists anddatabase producers to ensure effective retrievability. Librarians can andshould create Pathfinders that aid users in finding archaeological infor-mation. Pending relief in the archaeological publication crisis, refer-ence librarians who deal with archaeologists should be aware of thegrowing number of Internet resources for archaeology and learn thecomplexities of their use. Collection development librarians shouldcontinue to collect archaeological materials with the knowledge that thelibrary is still definitively the best available resource for archaeologicalinformation.

Despite all obstacles, an improvement is needed in the current stateof publication in archaeology. Archaeologists scientifically recordsite data, but that data requires interpretation, and publications providecrucial avenues through which readers may analyze and questionthose interpretations (Richards 2002). Most importantly, archaeologi-cal information must be published and widely disseminated because theexcavation of an archaeological site is also its destruction, and without arecord, the knowledge that it contained is lost to the world forever.Without publication, archaeologists are reduced to grave robbers andtreasure hunters. For this reason, if for no other, archaeologists have anethical duty to publish the results of their research, and information pro-fessionals should aid them in the dissemination of their work.

Received: 12/14/04Accepted: 01/14/05

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Meadow, Charles T. 1992. Text information retrieval systems. Toronto: AcademicPress, Inc.

Medieros, Norm. 2003. E-prints, institutional archives, and metadata: Disseminatingscholarly literature to the masses. OCLC Systems & Services 19 (2): 51-53.

Mraz, Adrianne. 2004. Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory. Personal Commu-nication. 8 November 2004.

NADB. National Archaeological Database. 2004. NADB–Reports Citation Form. Avail-able at http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/TOOLS/nadbform_update.doc. Accessed 2 De-cember 2004.

NPS. National Park Service. 2004. The National Archaeological Database. Availableat http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/tools/nadb.htm. Accessed 1 November 2004.

Reeb, Brenda, and Susan Gibbons. 2004. Students, librarians, and subject guides: Im-proving a poor rate of return. Portal: Libraries and the Academy 4 (1): 123-130.

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Richards, Julian D. 2002. Digital preservation and access. European Journal of Ar-chaeology 5 (3): 343-366.

Richards, Julian D. 1998. Recent trends in computer applications in archaeology. Jour-nal of Archaeological Research 6 (4): 331-382.

Roccos, Linda Jones. 2000. Archaeological research online–Finally! Computers in Li-braries 20 (10): 37-42.

Seely, Amber. 2004. Archaeological information systems. Unpublished manuscript.Texas Woman’s University, School of Library and Information Studies, Informa-tion Storage and Retrieval, Spring 2004.

Society for American Archaeology. 2004. SAA Web. Available at http://www.saa.org.Accessed 16 April 2004.

APPENDIX A

Tools Reviewed

Internet

• ArchNet–The World Wide Web Virtual Library for Archaeology

Available at: http://archnet.asu.edu/

ArchNet serves as the World Wide Web Virtual Library for Archaeology.The server provides access to worldwide archaeological resources availableon the Internet. Information is categorized by geographic region and subject.The mission of ArchNet is to maintain links to presentations of archaeologicalmaterials useful for teaching and/or research and to promote the developmentof hypermedia materials to increase public understanding of archaeology (Ar-chaeological Research Institute 2003).

A recent review in Choice stated, “Diminished in value, ArchNet still leadsusers to a wealth of valuable resources for the public, but less so for studentsand researchers” (Kolb 2004, 155).

• National Archaeological Database

Available at: http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/tools/nadb.htm

The NADB contains sections for Reports, Permits, and Maps. NADB-Re-ports is an expanded bibliographic inventory of approximately 350,000 reports


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on archeological investigations in the United States. This “gray literature” rep-resents a large portion of the primary information available on archeologicalsites in the United States. It was last updated in August of 2004.

Electronic Journals

• Internet Archaeology

Available at: http://intarch.ac.uk/

Internet Archaeology is a not-for-profit academic electronic journal thatpublishes an international range of research articles of high academic standingwhich also try to utilize the potential of electronic publication. Articles regu-larly contain fully searchable databases to analyze online, full-color, interac-tive images, plans and sections, video footage, virtual reality models, andaccess to related digital archive material (Council for British Archaeology2004).

• The SAA Archaeological Record

Available at: http://www.saa.org/publications/theSAAarchRec/

Launched in January 2001, The SAA Archaeological Record is issued fivetimes a year. It is a four-color magazine encompassing SAA business, com-mentary, news, regular columns, software reviews, job listings, opinions, andarticles. Membership is required to view the most recent issue, but back issuesare available for public viewing.

• The American Journal of Archaeology

Available at http://ajaonline.org/

The AJA is a publication that focuses geographically on ancient Europe andthe Mediterranean. It is available online from 2000-present, and serves as anexcellent example of a traditionally print resource becoming available online.

Associations

• Archaeological Institute of America

Available at: http://www.archaeological.org/

The AIA homepage uniquely contains links to archaeological news storiesfrom around the world. The Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin

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APPENDIX A (continued)

is available as a searchable database online, and is one of the largest onlinelistings of fieldwork opportunities in the world. The AIA Web site also con-tains information on local societies and education.

• Society for American Archaeology

Available at: http://www.saa.org/

The SAA Web site contains information on careers, education, and the gov-ernment in archaeology. Additionally, links to their publications and to theRegister of Professional Archaeologists are particularly useful.

Subscription Databases

• JSTOR

Contains the full text of the following journals which contain informationon archaeology in the United States: American Antiquity, American Journal ofArchaeology, World Archaeology, Journal of Field Archaeology, and Ameri-can Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts .

• Dissertation Abstracts

Provides information on Theses and Dissertations written across the UnitedStates on many topics, including archaeology. This is a useful resource for dis-covering the existence of these materials, which are often limited in distribu-tion.


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APPENDIX B

Bibliography of Sources on Old Town Ruin

Primary (6 of 13 found):

Creel, Darrell. 1999. Status Report on Excavations at the Old Town Site (LA1113), Luna County, New Mexico, Summer 1998. Report submitted to theUS Bureau of Land Management by the Department of Anthropology andTexas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas atAustin. [Mraz]



Creel, D., M. Williams, H. Neff, and M. Glascock. 1995. Neutron ActivationAnalysis of Black Mountain Phase Ceramics from Old Town and OtherSites in the Mimbres Area. Paper presented at the 60th Annual Meeting ofthe Society for American Archaeology, Minneapolis, Minnesota. [JSTOR,citation in Hegmon article]

Creel, Darrell. 1995. Status Report on Excavations at the Old Town Site (LA1113), Luna County, New Mexico, Summer 1994. Report submitted to theUS Bureau of Land Management by the Texas Archeological ResearchLaboratory, The University of Texas at Austin. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell. 1993. Status Report On Excavations At the Old Town Site (LA1113), Luna County, New Mexico Summer 1993. University of Texas-Aus-tin. Submitted to US Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Of-fice. [NADB]

Creel, Darrell. 1992. Research at the Old Town Ruin, a Mimbres Site in LunaCounty, New Mexico. In Interpreting the Past, Research with Public Par-ticipation, edited by LouAnn Jacobson and June-el Piper. Bureau of LandManagement, New Mexico State Office Cultural Resources Series No. 10:21-30. [UT and A&M OPACs]

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APPENDIX B (continued)



Creel, Darrell. 1990. Old Town Collections Documentation Project. AmericanSociety For Conservation Archaeology 17(2): 47-49. [NADB]

Creel, Darrell. 1990. Status Report On Excavations at the Old Town Site (LA1113), Luna County, New Mexico, Summer 1990. Submitted to the US Bu-reau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, Santa Fe. Texas Ar-chaeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas, Austin. [JSTOR,citation in Creel and McKusick article]

Creel, Darrell. 1989. Research Design For Test Excavations At Oldtown Ruin,Luna County, New Mexico. Texas A&M University. Submitted to US Bu-reau of Land Management Las Cruces District. [NADB]

Creel, Darrell. 1989. Status Report on Excavations at the Old Town Site (LA1113), Luna County, New Mexico, Summer 1990. Report submitted to theUS Bureau of Land Management by the Department of Anthropology,Texas A&M University. [Mraz]

Secondary (9 of 17 found):

Creel, Darrell. 1989. A Primary Cremation at the NAN Ranch Ruin, withComparative Data on Other Cremations in the Mimbres Area, New Mexico(in Special Studies). Journal of Field Archaeology 16, no. 3 (Autumn):309-329. [JSTOR]

Creel, Darrell and Charmion McKusick. 1994. Prehistoric Macaws and Par-rots in the Mimbres Area, New Mexico (in Reports). American Antiquity59, no. 3 (July): 510-524. [JSTOR]

Creel, Darrell, and Roger Anyon. 2003. New Perspectives on Mimbres Com-munal Pitstructures and Implications for Ritual and Cultural Develop-ments. American Antiquity 68, no. 1: 67-92. [Mraz]


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Creel, Darrell, and Roger Anyon. 2003. Ritual and Societal Transformation atthe End of the Late Pithouse Period. Archaeology Southwest 17, no. 4: 4.[Mraz]

Creel, Darrell, Tiffany Clark, and Hector Neff. 2003. Production and LongDistance Movement of Chupadero Black-on-White Pottery in New Mexicoand Texas. Chapter 6, in Geochemical Evidence for Long Distance Ex-change, edited by Michael Glascock. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin andGarvey: 109-132. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell, Matthew Williams, Hector Neff, and Michael Glascock. 2002.Neutron Activation Analysis of Black Mountain Phase Ceramics and ItsImplications for Manufacture and Exchange Patterns. In Chemical Sour-cing in the Southwest, edited by Donna Glowacki and Hector Neff. UCLAPress. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell. 1999. The Black Mountain Phase in the Mimbres Area. In TheCasas Grandes World, edited by Curtis Schaafsma and Carroll Riley. Uni-versity of Utah Press: 107-120. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell, M. Hegmon, M. Nelson, R. Anyon, H. Shafer, and S. LeBlanc.1999. Systematics of Late and Post Mimbres Occupations in the AmericanSouthwest. The Kiva 65: 143-166. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell. 1997. Interpreting the End of the Mimbres Classic. In Prehis-tory of the Borderlands, edited by John Carpenter and Guadalupe Sanchez.Arizona State Museum Archaeological Series 186: 25-32. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell. 1989. Anthropomorphic Rock Art Figures in the MiddleMimbres Valley, New Mexico. The Kiva 55: 71-86. [Mraz]

Fewkes, J. Walter. 1914. Archaeology of the Lower Mimbres Valley, NewMexico. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. [Google to SmithsonianWeb site]

Gilman, Patricia A., Veletta Canouts, and Ronald L. Bishop. 1994. The Pro-duction and Distribution of Classic Mimbres Black-on-White Pottery.American Antiquity 59, no. 4 (Oct.): 695-709. [JSTOR]

Hegmon, Michelle, James R. Allison, Hector Neff, and Michael D. Glascock.1997. Production of San Juan Red Ware in the Northern Southwest: In-sights into Regional Interaction in Early Puebloan Prehistory. AmericanAntiquity 62, no. 3 (July): 449-463. [JSTOR]

Powell, Valli Sue. 2000. Iconography and group formation during the LatePithouse and Early Classic Periods of the Mimbres society, A.D. 970-1140.Dissertation: University of Oklahoma. [Dissertations]

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APPENDIX B (continued)

Schroeder, Albert H. 1953. Notched Stones in Southwestern Sites (in Factsand Comments) American Antiquity 19, no. 2 (Oct.): 158-160. [JSTOR]

Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History. 2004. MimbresPottery. Available at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/cm/mimbres.htm. Ac-cessed 30 November 2004. [Google]

Stanislawski, Michael B. 1963. Extended Burials in the Prehistoric Southwest.American Antiquity 28, no. 3 (Jan.): 308-319. [JSTOR]

Forthcoming Old Town Publications (0 of 3 found):

Creel, Darrell. Excavations at the Old Town Ruin, Luna County, New Mexico.Multi-volume report in preparation, to be published by the US Bureau ofLand Management. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell. Environmental Variation and Prehistoric Culture in the MimbresArea. In Culture and Environment in the Ancient Southwest, edited by Da-vid Doyel and Jeffrey Dean. University of Utah Press. Scheduled for publi-cation in 2004. [Mraz]

Creel, Darrell. Evidence for Mimbres Social Differentiation at the Old TownSite. In Mimbres Society, edited by Valli Powell and Patricia Gilman, Uni-versity of Arizona Press. Scheduled for publication in 2005. [Mraz]


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digging up archaeological information

Documents