The Direct Historical Approach to Archaeology

Abstract

In recent years considerable attention has been given to theoretical statements and to concrete applications of what is called the “taxonomic method“ in archaeology. Although this method is not necessarily in conflict with the direct historical approach to archaeology, a growing preoccupation with the former has definitely been at the expense of the latter. The direct historical approach, although employed more or less for many years, has not received formulation comparable to that of the taxonomic method, nor have its potentialities for planned research programs and its possible integration with recent types of historical ethnographic research received full recognition. Even, therefore, if it is unnecessary to argue its value, it seems timely to attempt a statement that may help clarify its procedures and research possibilities.

The Circum‐Caribbean Theory, An Archeological Test

“…This disappearance of Circum-Caribbean culture is not specifically mentioned by Steward, so far as we are aware, but it has to be assumed to account for the break in the historic distribution of Circum-Caribbean culture between northwestern Venezuela and the Greater Antilles (Steward, 1947, Map 1). I t might instead be argued that the Circum-Caribbean people migrated across the break without leaving any traces, but this is not likely since, as Steward (1947, pp.…”

“…In so doing, we have in effect used the "direct historical approach" (Steward, 1942), i.e., we have worked back from the Colonial period, in which the Circum-Caribbean and Tropical Forest cultures have been identified ethnologically, into prehistoric time. As has been noted, Circum-Caribbean culture existed historically only in the peripheries of our area: the Greater Antilles and northwestern Venezuela (Steward, 1947, Fig.…”

Using the present to interpret the past: the role of ethnographic studies in Andean archaeology

“…Direct historical analogies use information from present-day people and historical records relating to the same geographic region to interpret archaeological remains, based on an assumption that there are some relevant continuities or parallels between the present and the past. Direct Historical analogies have been a consistent feature of archaeological interpretation in the Andes, which Julian Steward (1942) championed as the 'Direct Historical Approach'. This is partly justified by the relatively late European colonisation, continuities within some indigenous populations, and local environmental adaptations including the role of local domesticates such as potatoes and llamas.…”

Recent Archaeological Investigations near the Native Village of Shaktoolik, Norton Sound, Alaska + Supplementary Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

“…And in general, moreover, identifying specific ethnic, linguistic groups of people using the archaeological record is a tricky and sometimes impossible objective (Emberling, 1997). Undertaking such a study to trace back into the past is known as the direct historical approach (e.g., Strong, 1933;Steward, 1942;Lyman and O'Brien, 2001). What it involves is finding key chronological anchors-unique or distinctive combinations of physical traits in the present-and tracing them back (O'Brien and Lyman, 2000).…”