APAZ – Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association – serie

"Territoriality in Archaeology brings together a series of studies that examine the dynamic nature of land, boundaries, and social space in ancient political life. The authors draw on diverse perspectives, ranging from evolutionary ecology to critical geography, but share a common interest in exploring variation in territorial patterns and processes, as well as developing models that better account for the role of territorial claims in the constitution of social power. Archaeological case studies exploring the diversity of territoriality in the past range from the Andes Mountains and Latin America to Mesopotamia and South Asia."The Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association (AP3A) is published on behalf of the Archaeological Division of the American Anthropological Association. AP3A publishes original monograph-length manuscripts on a wide range of subjects generally considered to fall within the purview of anthropological archaeology. There are no geographical, temporal, or topical restrictions. Organizers of AAA symposia are particularly encouraged to submit manuscripts, but submissions need not be restricted to these or other collected works.

The Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association (AP3A) are original books on a wide range of subjects generally considered to fall within the purview of anthropological archeology. Each book is focused around a specific topic and recent subjects have included housework, gender, and craft specialization. The books are intended to foster the results of archaeological research and interpretations to anthropologists, to other scholars, and to the general public. Books in the AP3A series are available for course adoption.

This volume represents the concerted efforts of a group of Maya archaeologists to employ a different approach to their archaeological data that is consistent with an effort called IHOPE: Integrated History and Future of People on Earth. IHOPE is a global network of scientists and researchers that seeks to use a wide range of data to examine how changes in the Earth's systems of the past have been correlated with changes in the coupled human-biophysical environment (Costanza et al. 2007). “The specific objectives for IHOPE are to identify slow and rapidly moving features of complex social-ecological systems, on local to continental spatial scales, which induce resilience, stress, or collapse in linked systems of humans and nature. These objectives will be reached by exploring innovative ways of conducting inter and trans-disciplinary science, including theory, case studies, and integrated modeling” (Costanza et al. 2012:1). The integration of these data, a large portion of which are derived from archaeology, is seen as an important contribution to the accurate and applicable information base for addressing both short- and long-term planning issues facing modern populations.

This volume demonstrates how archaeological data viewed through the lens of gender studies can lead researchers to question and reformulate current models of household organization, subsistence and craft production, ritual performance, and the structure of ancient states. Challenges existing models of prehistoric society that assume the existence of rigidly binary gender systemsPart of the Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association Series

Households are, without question, the most important social units in human society. They are interactive social units whose primary concern is the day-to-day well being of their kith and kin. Households reproduce themselves and provide their members with the economic, psychological, and social resources necessary to live their lives. Although households vary enormously in size and organization, they are the fundamental social settings in which families are defined and cultural values are transmitted through a range of domestic activities and rituals. Despite their many functions, it is the range and productivity of their economic activities that determine the success, survival and well being of their members. Households are the primary production and consumption units in society and provide the vehicle through which resources are pooled, stored, and distributed to their members. Survival and reproduction is their business and the work they do determines their success.

This volume represents a comprehensive archaeological discussion of residential burials in a variety of geographic, temporal, and social contexts. The volume chapters explore the many social meanings associated with the practice of burying the dead in residential contexts, touching on a variety of themes related to social memory, social reproduction, landscapes, identity, and power. Emphasis throughout these essays is on the important connections that people have with their deceased forbears and how these connections can be identified archaeologically.The Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association (AP3A) is published on behalf of the Archaeological Division of the American Anthropological Association. AP3A publishes original monograph-length manuscripts on a wide range of subjects generally considered to fall within the purview of anthropological archaeology. There are no geographical, temporal, or topical restrictions. Organizers of AAA symposia are particularly encouraged to submit manuscripts, but submissions need not be restricted to these or other collected works.