Productive applications of geophysics to anthropological questions in American archaeology necessarily involve specific research questions or agendas.While only some anthropological questions can be addressed by shallow geophysics, these techniquesprovide an opportunity to address someimportant questionsthat are fundamental to archaeology. One such agenda is the investigation of 'persistent places' , which is rooted in anthropological inquiry and which can be investigated, at least in part, by shallow geophysical techniques.For the next stage in the use of remote sensing that goesbeyondmere prospection, research agendasmust be clearlylinkedwithbroader theoreticalconcepts of what we term inquiry-based archaeogeophysics.Specifically with regard to the application ofgeophysics to the study of persistent places, we propose four categories of research that relate to the meaning, context and changing function of such places. These categories include: construction variation, continuity and discontinuity in the use of space, studying natural and/or culturallandscape modifications over time and space, and constancies in the use of space and architecture at the regional level. In order to illustrate these points, we provide examples from sites in Mexico and the USA that represent different time periods (2500 BC to AD 1000), adaptations (hunter^gatherers to intensive agriculturists), and levels of socio-political complexity (egalitarian to stratified societies).The use of geophysics at these persistent places contributes to our understanding of changes in the use of space and architecture through time.
Historical ecology has revolutionized our understanding of fisheries and cultural landscapes, demonstrating the value of historical data for evaluating the past, present, and future of Earth’s ecosystems. Despite several important studies, Indigenous fisheries generally receive less attention from scholars and managers than the 17th–20th century capitalist commercial fisheries that decimated many keystone species, including oysters. We investigate Indigenous oyster harvest through time in North America and Australia, placing these data in the context of sea level histories and historical catch records. Indigenous oyster fisheries were pervasive across space and through time, persisting for 5000–10,000 years or more. Oysters were likely managed and sometimes “farmed,” and are woven into broader cultural, ritual, and social traditions. Effective stewardship of oyster reefs and other marine fisheries around the world must center Indigenous histories and include Indigenous community members to co-develop more inclusive, just, and successful strategies for restoration, harvest, and management.
Crystal River (8CI1) is one of Florida's most famous archaeologicalsites. Yet, after over a century of investigations, its place in the history of Florida and the southeastern United States is not well understood. Crystal River is an important example, in terms of world archaeology, of a monumental landscape constructed by complex hunter-gatherer-fishers along the coast of the southeastern United States. Here, we present the results of our remote sensing program at the site. This research includes topographic mapping, a resistance survey, and ground-penetrating radar transects over various architectural components at the site. These data lend insight into the scale and rapidity of landscape modification at the site, as well as information on the location of previous archaeological excavations and modern disturbances. Further, the data illustrate the potential of shallow geophysical survey to the investigations of shell architecture.A central theme in the study of sociopolitical complexity is the role that monumental architecture plays in structuring social relations. Recently, archaeologists working in coastal and wetland areas around the world note the precocious appearance of
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