Paul N. Eubanks – författare

Case studies examining the archaeological record of an overlooked mineralSalt, once a highly prized trade commodity essential for human survival, is often overlooked in research because it is invisible in the archaeological record. Salt in Eastern North America and the Caribbean: History and Archaeology brings salt back into archaeology, showing that it was valued as a dietary additive, had curative powers, and was a substance of political power and religious significance for Native Americans. Major salines were embedded in collective memories and oral traditions for thousands of years as places where physical and spiritual needs could be met. Ethnohistoric documents for many Indian cultures describe the uses of and taboos and other beliefs about salt.The volume is organized into two parts: Salt Histories and Salt in Society. Case studies from prehistory to post-Contact and from New York to Jamaica address what techniques were used to make salt, who was responsible for producing it, how it was used, the impact it had on settlement patterns and sociopolitical complexity, and how economies of salt changed after European contact. Noted salt archaeologist Heather McKillop provides commentary to conclude the volume.

Case studies examining the archaeological record of an overlooked mineral   Salt, once a highly prized trade commodity essential for human survival, is often overlooked in research because it is invisible in the archaeological record. Salt in Eastern North America and the Caribbean: History and Archaeology brings salt back into archaeology, showing that it was valued as a dietary additive, had curative powers, and was a substance of political power and religious significance for Native Americans. Major salines were embedded in collective memories and oral traditions for thousands of years as places where physical and spiritual needs could be met. Ethnohistoric documents for many Indian cultures describe the uses of and taboos and other beliefs about salt.   The volume is organized into two parts: Salt Histories and Salt in Society. Case studies from prehistory to post-Contact and from New York to Jamaica address what techniques were used to make salt, who was responsible for producing it, how it was used, the impact it had on settlement patterns and sociopolitical complexity, and how economies of salt changed after European contact. Noted salt archaeologist Heather McKillop provides commentary to conclude the volume. .

This book explores the relationship between salt (sodium chloride) and the development of human societies from a cross-cultural and global perspective. Although it is not possible to discuss the importance of salt to all ancient and modern societies, the geographically and temporally diverse examples highlighted here are used to examine a series of related topics critical to understanding the economic, political, social, and religious impacts of salt through space and time. These topics include, among others, the techniques used to produce salt, the individuals responsible for its production, its cultural uses and applications, its role in cross-cultural exchange, and the impact of its circumscribed distribution on settlement patterns and developing complexity.In exploring these topics, the chapter authors rely on archaeological data to craft their interpretations, however, as salt itself is largely invisible in the archaeological record, other avenues of investigation such as ethnoarchaeology, ethnohistory, and experimental archaeology are necessary to gain a more complete understanding of this mineral’s influence on the development of human cultures. Each chapter includes a summary of seminal research within a particular geographic region along with a discussion of recent or on-going projects from that area. This volume is intended for a professional audience, but university students and graduates and readers with an interest in anthropology, archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, or history will find the chapters comprehensible and informative.