Ancient Households of the Americas
Ancient Households of the Americas
Conceptualizing What Households Do
Several different cultures-Iroquois, Coosa, Anasazi, Hohokam, San Agustín, Wankarani, Formative Gulf Coast Mexico, and Formative, Classic, Colonial, and contemporary Maya-are analyzed through the lens of household archaeology in concrete, data-driven case studies. The text is divided into three sections: Section I examines the spatial and social organization and context of household production; Section II looks at the role and results of households as primary producers; and Section III investigates the role of, and interplay among, households in their greater political and socioeconomic communities.
In the past few decades, household archaeology has made substantial contributions to our understanding and explanation of the past through the documentation of the household as a social unit-whether small or large, rural or urban, commoner or elite. These case studies from a broad swath of the Americas make Ancient Households of the Americas extremely valuable for continuing the comparative interdisciplinary study of households.
'There are a number of excellent studies that scholars interested in household archaeology will find highly useful.'
—Charles R. Riggs, Journal of Anthropological Research
'This collection underscores the importance of household archaeology to the study of social dynamics.'
—J.A. Hendon, Choice
This excellent book should be heavily used by anyone with an interest in household archaeology.'
—Kenneth M. Ames, North American Archaeologist
'This volume is an impressive one . . . . In an era in which household archaeology has become essential to archaeological praxis, this volume is indeed essential reading.'
—Bradley Parker, Cambridge Archaeological Journal
In an era in which household archaeology has become essential to archaeological praxis, this volume is indeed essential reading.'
-Bradley J. Parker, Cambridge Archaeological Journal
Nancy Gonlin is a Mesoamerican archaeologist who specializes in daily and nightly practices, household studies, and inequality. She serves as co-editor of the Cambridge journal Ancient Mesoamerica. Her publications include the co-edited volumes Commoner Ritual and Ideology in Ancient Mesoamerica, Ancient Households of the Americas, and Human Adaptation in Ancient Mesoamerica. She is co-author of Copán: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Maya Kingdom. Watch her TEDx talk "Life After Dark in the Ancient World" here.
