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Historical Origins
- 1. Jeff Grimm Anthropology 410 Annotated Bibliography Historical Origins As a child I grew up in my mother's history books while hearing stories of great warriors and battles. My mother would tell me about the Viking raids of the Dark Ages and how the Vikings would pillage Catholic churches for gold. I would hear of Julius Ceaser's campaigns against the Germanen, and Philip of Macedonia's political and military maneuvers around the Persians. I would lay in my mothers library and look at the pictures of medieval tapestries and wonder what the men and women depicted personalities were like. Later in life these experiences would push me away from a career in history and into the tactile field of archaeology. I wanted to not just read about these individuals but to hold their artifacts in hand, stand where they had stood. I have always felt that of all the sub-disciplines in anthropology, archaeology could offer more (then it does) that could improve our world. Often archaeologist seem overly consumed with accumulating knowledge and earning degrees simply to further their career. My highest priority as an archaeologist is to offer insight into out own society, insight that can better peoples lives. Selfish indulgence on part of the archaeologist is a violation of American Anthropological Association ethics and every scientist who accepts the gifts of the past must reciprocate something for the present. My primary interest is in European tribal societies during the Dark Ages. The European Dark Ages represent a unique time in which one can see small egalitarian societies transform into feudal monarchies. The monarchies forged during this time period would form the basis of the mono-state so central to modern western social order. Additionally, the European Dark Ages is one of the few large scale civilization collapse events that has a historical record to compare archaeological data against. The study of this time period could potentially unlock secrets as to why we live in a society so unconducive to healthy human living. With a global economic collapse just one bad decision away, knowledge of the Dark Ages (and the proceeding Roman era prior) could lend successful strategies to
- 2. cope or avoid such a catastrophe in our times. The study of this time period is the study of many of the institutional foundations that exist today. By closely examining the foundations to these institutions we can begin to question their use and legitimacy. I particularly enjoy studying the Viking society of Northern Europe. The Vikings are one of the least studied cultures in Europe archaeologically due to the wealth of historical literature on them. As more work is conducted on the Viking, we are learning that much of what we had gleaned from historical sources was wrong. What is being revealed is a picture of a complex tribal society with access to complex metallurgy and sailing techniques. With the co-opting of Nordic traditions and cultural practices by Catholic missionaries seeking converts, understanding the Vikings is key to understanding ourselves. Other areas of interest for me are The European Crusades, another area of obvious interest in our day and age. Additionally, I have started to become much more interested in gender archaeology as it pertains to Viking society. Ideas about gender stratification within Viking society are beginning to change as more research is conducted. It is becoming very clear that women played an equal role alongside their male counterparts. I also have a keen interest in philosophy and politics which has heavily tinted my theoretical approaches to archaeology and anthropology. Ultimately it appears that my interests will eventually lead me overseas to Europe, where I can pursue the subjects I enjoy. It has been difficult not having access to field work in my range of interests and I look forward to getting my hands dirty in the snow and mud of northern Europe. I continue to expand my interests everyday and look forward to the adventure these interests will lead me on.
- 3. Sources from my Personal Library Bellows, Henry Adams. The Poetic Edda: The Mythological Poems. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2004. Print. The collected core poems of the early Germanen tribes. This is an essential tool in trying to understand the mindset of the central and northern European tribes. Cantor, Norman F. The Medieval World. 1st ed. New York: Macmillan, 1966. Print. A useful guide to culture of Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. I consult this book to garner understanding about cultural relations in the middle ages. Cockerell, Sydney Carlyle, and John Plummer. Old Testament Miniatures: A Medieval Picture Book with 283 Paintings from the Creation to the Story of David. New York: G. Braziller, 1969. Print. My favorite piece of historic art. This book, written during the 2nd crusades, details bible picture stories in complementary medieval style. Edge, David, and John Miles Paddock. Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight: an Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages. New York: Crescent, 1996. Print. One of the books I own and most frequently turn to for information. A reference on Medieval armor and weapons and what they meant to the individuals that used them. Grant, R. G. Warrior: A Visual History of the Fighting Man. London: DK, 2007. Print. This is the type of book that as a child got me interested in material history. This book is a visual guide to warriors through history and the cultures that produced them. McKibben, Bill. Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. New York: Times, 2010. Print. This book details how humanity has altered the climate so drastically that Earth is no longer recognizable. I found this book important as it carries an ethical message. Marren, Peter. Battles of the Dark Ages: British Battlefields AD 410 to 1065. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2006. Print. This book outlines the major military campaigns of the Dark Ages and their repercussions throughout Europe. This book is essential to understanding the European Dark Age approach to war.
- 4. Natori, Masazumi, and Axel Mazuer. Shoninki: The Secret Teachings of the Ninja : The 17th-century Manual on the Art of Concealment. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 2010. Print. An awesome book detailing the Japanese art of espionage and covert warfare. This book is very insightful into the phenomenon of the ninja. Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm. Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for Everyone and No One. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, Eng.: Penguin, 2003. Print. Written by Nietzche this book outlines a solid atheist philosophy. This book acts as one of my philosophical foundations. Stone, Chris. Gun: A Visual History ; Featuring Material from Weapon. New York: DK, 2007. Print. A visual history of firearms. As a child books such as this book inspired me to get into archaeology later in life. Topics of Archaeological Interest. Angelbeck, Bill, and Colin Grier. "Anarchism and the Archaeology of Anarchic Societies: Resistance to Centralization in the Coast Salish Region of the Pacific Northwest Coast." Current Anthropology 53.5 (2012): 547-87. Print. This articles deals with the archaeology of egalitarian anarchist societies. This article covers an area I am deeply interested in. Benente, Fabrizio. "An Introduction to the Archaeology of the Crusades. The Presence of Italian Medieval "Comuni" and Italian Merchants in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem." American Schools of Oriental Research Newsletter 61/62.4/1 (2012): 29-30. Print. An insight into European Crusader Archaeology. This article is within an area of interest for me. Chancey, Mark, and Adam Porter. "The Archaeology of Roman Palestine." Near Eastern Archaeology 64.4 (2001): 164-203. Print. This article covers the Roman occupation of Palestine. This article is valuable to me because it lays the groundwork for conflicts experienced later during the Crusades.
- 5. Currey, Andrew. "Crusader Crisis: How Conquest Transformed Northern Europe." Science 338.6111 (2012): 1144-145. EBSCO. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. This article covers the Northern European Crusades. This is an area of interest I wish to pursue someday. Demoule, Jean-Paul. "Rescue Archaeology: A European View." Annual Review of Anthropology 41.1 (2012): 611-26. EBSCO. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145854>. This article covers the growing field of rescue archaeology. Rescue archaeology is the European equivalent to Cultural Resource Management. Edberg, Rune. "Subterranean Maritime Archaeology in Sigtuna, Sweden: Excavated Evidence of Viking Age Boat Building and Repair." International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 42.1 (2013): 196-204. Print. A paper on the underwater excavation of the remains of a Viking ship. I like this paper because of the unique circumstances of the excavation. Flannery, Kent V. "On the Resilience of Anthropological Archaeology." Annual Review of Anthropology 35.1 (2006): 1-13. Print. A funny tongue-in-cheek reflection on the past and history of archaeology as written by Kent Flannery. This piece reminds me that no matter how pessimistic I become about archaeology there is a future. Kjellstrom, Anna, Sten Tesch, and Anders Wikstrom. "INHABITANTS OF A SACRED TOWNSCAPE: An Archaeological and Osteological Analysis of Skeletal Remains from Late Viking Age and Medieval Sigtuna, Sweden." Acta Archaeologica 76.2 (2005): 87-110. Print. This article deals with the daily psychical stress placed on viking individuals in a domestic setting. This article sheds tells me what it was like to work in a viking home. Leeson, Peter T. "Efficient Anarchy." Public Choice 130.1-2 (2007): 41-53. Print. This paper argues that some types of anarchistic living may be the more efficient then living under the state. This is support for small scale egalitarian living.
- 6. Marshall, Yvonne. "What Is Community Archaeology?" World Archaeology 34.2 (2001): 211-19. Print. This article deals with the practicality and merits of opening archaeological excavation to public participation. This article is important as it fosters better relations with the public. Milek, Karem. "The Roles of Pit Houses and Gendered Spaces on Viking-Age Farmsteads in Iceland." Medieval Archaeology 56 (2012): 85-130. Archaeology in Europe. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. This covers gender stratification in viking society. I have become more interested in gender archaeology as I learn more as an archaeologist and this article furthers that interest. Molloy, Barry. "Martial Arts and Materiality: A Combat Archaeology Perspective on Aegean Swords of the Fifteenth and Fourteenth Centuries Bc." World Archaeology 40.1 (2008): 116-34. Print. This article details swords and their cultural roles in the 15 and 15 century B.C. This article helped me shed light on the subject of weapons and how they are perceived in society. Smith, Robert Houston. "Ethics in Field Archaeology." Journal of Field Archaeology 1.3/4 (1974): 375-83. Print. An early outline of archaeological field ethics. This article is interesting as I feel that archaeology not conducted with ethical intents is worthless. Pluskowski, Aleksander. "The Ecology of Crusading: Investigating the Environmental Impact of Holy War and Colonisation at the Frontiers of Medieval Europe." Medieval Archaeology 55.1 (2011): 192-225. Print. This article looks at the environments of the European Crusades. How people during the crusades lived is an area of interests for me. Pollard, Tony, and Iain Banks. "Now the Wars Are Over: The Past, Present and Future of Scottish Battlefields." International Journal of Historical Archaeology 14.3 (2010): 414-41. Print. A paper on Scottish battlefield archaeology. Battlefield archaeology is an interest of mine. Rundkvist, Martin, and Howard Williams. "A Viking Boat Grave with Amber Gaming Pieces Excavated at Skamby, sterg旦tland, Sweden." Medieval Archaeology 52.1 (2008): 69-102. Print. A paper on an excavation in Sweden of a Viking boat burial. This is one of the many papers of pertinent value to my research area.
- 7. Scott, Douglas, and Andrew McFeaters. The Archaeology of Historic Battlefields: A History and Theoretical Development in Conflict Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Research 19.1 (2011): 103-32. Web. This article is a keystone in modern warfare archaeology. This article covers recent advances in the study of past human conflict. Smith, Robert Houston. "Ethics in Field Archaeology." Journal of Field Archaeology 1.3/4 (1974): 375-83. Print. An early outline of archaeological field ethics. This article is interesting as I value ethics in archaeology. Townsend, Joan. "Firearms against Native Arms: A Study in Comparative Efficiencies with an Alaskan Example." Arctic Anthropology 20.2 (1983): 1-33. Print. A comparative study of firearms vs. weapons common to the indigenous peoples of North America. This is a study in Warfare archaeology, one of my interests. "Viking Archaeology Blog." Viking Archaeology Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. This article covers the expanding field of European Rescue Archaeology. European Rescue Archaeology is Europe's equivalent to Cultural Resource Management.