The Family and Community in Three Scioto Hopewell Ritual Dramas of Death Journeys

Bladelets, Blood, and Bones: Integrating Protein Residue, Lithic Use-Wear, and Faunal Data from the Moorehead Circle, Fort Ancient

“…The artistry of the Middle Woodland period Hopewell culture rivals any in the North American archaeological record. A considerable quantity of Middle Woodland scholarship focuses on the extraordinary quantity and quality of material objects associated with this artistic tradition (e.g., Emerson et al 2005; Hill et al 2018; Seeman 1995, 2004; Squier and Davis 1848:186–288; Struever and Houart 1972; as well as chapters in Carr 2021; Carr and Case 2005). These durable material goods are often labeled as Hopewell items or Hopewell Interaction Sphere objects, but in the broader anthropological lexicon, they are craft products that “materialize ideology; construct social relationships; communicate status, affiliation and power; and mark differences between individuals” (Costin 2001:274–275).…”

“…These durable material goods are often labeled as Hopewell items or Hopewell Interaction Sphere objects, but in the broader anthropological lexicon, they are craft products that “materialize ideology; construct social relationships; communicate status, affiliation and power; and mark differences between individuals” (Costin 2001:274–275). Previous studies of these crafts have yielded numerous insights into Middle Woodland iconography and ideology (e.g., chapters in Carr 2021; Carr and Case 2005; 2015; Carr and Novoty 2015; Giles 2013). Yet, any attempt at a full understanding of these crafts must also include an understanding of their production (see Miller 2015; Spielmann 2008, 2009; Wright and Loveland 2015).…”