DOCSLIB.ORG

Enslaved Labor in the Gang and Task Systems: a Case Study in Comparative Bioarchaeology of Commingled Remains

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Enslaved Labor in the Gang and Task Systems: a Case Study in Comparative Bioarchaeology of Commingled Remains University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 6-30-2016 Enslaved Labor In The aG ng and Task Systems: A Case Study In Comparative Bioarchaeology Of Commingled Remains William D. Stevens University of South Carolina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, and the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Stevens, W. D.(2016). Enslaved Labor In The Gang and Task Systems: A Case Study In Comparative Bioarchaeology Of Commingled Remains. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3415 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ENSLAVED LABOR IN THE GANG AND TASK SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY IN COMPARATIVE BIOARCHAEOLOGY OF COMMINGLED REMAINS by William D. Stevens Bachelor of Arts University of Georgia, 1997 Master of Arts University of South Carolina, 2000 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina 2016 Accepted by: Kenneth G. Kelly, Major Professor Carlina M. de la Cova, Major Professor Daniel C. Littlefield, Committee Member Kristrina A. Shuler, Committee Member Terrance L. Weik, Committee Member Molly K. Zuckerman, Committee Member Lacy Ford, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies © Copyright by William D. Stevens, 2016 All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is dedicated to my mother, Deane D. Stevens, without whose encouragement I would not have pursued my youthful interest in archaeology and physical anthropology. I also dedicate this to the memory of those who mentored and inspired me within biological anthropology, Karen R. Burns and Ted A. Rathbun. To Kenneth G. Kelly: you have inspired and encouraged me as a friend and mentor throughout my entire graduate career. To Jonathan M. Leader: you have supported and provided me with opportunities and guidance for years. To Cécile H. Kelly: your encouragement, advice, support, and friendship have made this happen! This study was made possible by the support of Daniel C. Littlefield and generous funding from the Institute for African American Studies at the University of South Carolina. Without your guidance, collaboration, and inspiration, Molly Zuckerman, I would not have conceived of a way to approach commingled bones with pXRF. To Kristrina Shuler: this study was inspired by your insight and encouragement. I am deeply indebted to you for the inspiration to begin the comparative study of these two economies. I express my gratitude to the Barbados Museum for permission to study the remains from Newton Plantation. iii I could not have completed this project without the support and encouragement of Coroner Gary Watts and the Richland County Coroner’s Office. To Coroner Kenneth Johnson of Georgetown County, South Carolina: your respect for these enslaved individuals and the recognition that they should be remembered are the only reason this study took place. To John Hathcock: your support and generosity made the biomechanical study possible. I am deeply grateful for all that the Department of Radiology at Auburn University College of Veterinary Sciences provided. To Terrell Lynch: you transitioned from your routine casework to archaeological bones without question. To Stephanie Crette: your patience, kindness and technical support was indispensible. To Carlina de la Cova: you are among my best colleagues, editors and advisors. I look forward to future collaboration. To Terry Weik: beginning with coursework, you have encouraged and given me the tools develop this project. To the Department of Anthropology at USC: especially Cat Keegan and Claudia Carriere, man we’ve been through a lot. Thank you endlessly. Lastly, to my family: Colleen, the next adventure is yours! Dad, thanks for listening, supporting, and always encouraging me! To John and Marcie: We did it! I mean “We”! To the modern-day residents of Hagley Plantation and to the descendant community of these individuals who lived and labored in the rice swamps on the Waccamaw, your collaboration, past, present, and future, will make this project a fulfillment of a true biohistorical study, and in the end, a fitting memorial. iv ABSTRACT This study designs and tests an approach intended to confront one of the major problems faced within biological anthropology, the commingling or mixing of human skeletal remains. The first goal of the study is to implement an approach to sorting mixed human remains in order that they can be made amenable to comparative study. Bioarchaeologists depend on an array of measures, preserved in the human skeleton, to assess the lifestyles and identity of past human groups. As many of these measures are preserved within the morphology of different bones, it is imperative that the association and context of remains are known for purposes of study. Frequently, the effects of nature, human activity, recovery by untrained personnel, and long-term storage or curation, cause commingling among samples of skeletal remains, meaning that they often remain unstudied. Many of these skeletal samples have the potential to provide valuable information about past human biology and culture within our recent evolution. This study implements a combined method approach using traditional morphological and osteological methods for sorting mixed assemblages of remains, combined with elemental analysis of bones using portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) in order to test its efficacy in sorting a sample of human remains that were mixed and damaged by modern construction. Elemental analysis with pXRF has shown potential in recent studies, but has not yet been employed within bioarchaeology for the purpose of facilitating comparative studies. v The remains under study, the skeletons of enslaved African Americans who labored in the tidal rice fields of lowcountry South Carolina during the mid-nineteenth century, offer new insight into our understanding of the lifestyles and health of the enslaved in South Carolina. Following the implementation of an approach to sort these damaged remains into discrete individuals, this study then includes them in a comparative biocultural study designed to contribute to the growing body of temporal and regional studies of diasporic experiences of African, European, and Native American populations within the historic and formative periods of North America and the Caribbean. This study uses a biomechanical approach based on CT-scan derived images of human bone cross sections, in order to test historical questions using the sorted sample of human remains from a South Carolina rice plantation (Hagley Plantation) in a comparative framework with remains from a Barbadian sugar plantation (Newton Plantation). These two historical contexts involved characteristically-different labor regimes and social and economic arrangements according to historical sources. The current study tests questions based on the historical narrative using skeletal measures of functional adaptation designed to assess the effects of lifestyle and forced labor on these two groups within a comparative biohistorical framework. vi PREFACE This dissertation assesses the comparative biological impact of enslaved labor imposed upon African, Barbadian, and African American bondsmen and bondswomen within the context of plantation slavery. In order to assess the biological and historical evidence for these comparisons of lived experience, the study employs primary and secondary documentary evidence which contains racist and derogatory terminology common to the colonial and antebellum periods. These terms are unaltered in quotations from these sources and meant to convey their original meaning within contexts of social control and forced servitude. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................v PREFACE ......................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1 PROJECT GOALS AND DESIGN ............................................................................2 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE AND INTELLECTUAL MERIT .......................6 EXPECTATIONS AND QUESTIONS ......................................................................9 GANG VERSUS TASK LABOR .............................................................................10 HYPOTHESES .........................................................................................................11 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION ...............................................................13 CHAPTER 2: HISTORICAL AND BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT ...................15 BIOCULTURAL THEORY AND POLITICAL-ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES ......................................................................................................18
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Anthropology Department Newsletter
    Anthropology Department Newsletter SPRING 2014 From the Department Chair INSIDE THIS The SIU Department of Anthropology welcomed several new members this year. Herrin City Cemetery 2 Emily Ferré, became our office manager in the fall. After a period of shifting tempo- rary staff following the retirement of Tedi Thomas, Ms. Ferré returns a welcome Faculty 2 sense of congenial stability to the main office. Two anthropologists joined our faculty CFAR 7 this year. Dr. Jeremiah Scott is a bio-anthropologist specializing in osteology and evo- lution. His research and teaching carries on the department’s long established exper- Kincaid Mounds 9 tise in dental anthropology. Dr. Leila Monaghan is a linguistic anthropologist who joined us last fall in wake of the departure of Dr. Hofling (who retired) and Dr. Web- CAI 10 ster (who moved to University of Texas). Dr. Monaghan’s focus on Native American Graduate Students 12 languages continues the department’s well-established interest in the peoples and cul- tures of the Americas. The department also welcomes María Ansución Avendaño Graduates 22 García, an advanced doctoral student from the National Autonomous University of Awards and Honors 23 Mexico, who has come to Carbondale to advance her research on post-disaster com- munities. Working in conjunction with Dr. Roberto Barrios (our resident specialist in Contact Us 23 disaster studies) Ms. Garcia will be in Carbondale for the rest of the year. It has been a very productive year for SIU anthropology. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and the glimpse it provides into some of the fascinating and important work being done by SIU anthropologists, as well as the impressive achievements and independent research conducted by our students.
    [Show full text]
  • The Archaeology of Slavery an D Plantation Life
    The Archaeology of Slavery and Plantation Life Edited by South Carolina State Museum Columbia, South Carolina ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. (H.lrcoort Brace Jovanov~ch.Publishers) Orlando San Diego New York London Toronto Montreal Sydney Tokyo The Ethnohistorical Approach to Slavery Frederick W. Law Jerome S. Handler INTRODUCTION The concept of plantation slavery as used in this chapter is limited to the form of social control and economic exploitation of non-European workers characteristic of the British Caribbean and American South during the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. The development and longevity of plantation slavery differed in the British Caribbean and the American South, but the common origins of the slave popula- tions, patterns of development, and communality of material culture are sufficientto allow comparative analyses. The ideas expressed here draw heavily from our re- search in Barbados (Handler and Lange 1978), as well as other studies of plantation contexts in the British Caribbean and North America (e.g., Armstrong 1982; Druc- ker 1979; Fairbanks 1974; Lees 1980; Mathewson 1973; Otto 1975; Pulsipher and Goodwin 1982; Singleton 1980). Prior to 1970, historical documents generated most of our data regarding slavery and in our previous reports on the Barbados research (Handler 1972; Handler and Lange 1978, 1979; Lange 1972), we concluded that slavery cannot be identified through archaeological efforts alone. We reiterate this premise about the "archae- ology of slavery" at the outset. Within the ethnohistoric approach we review how research during the past decade has demonstrated the potential for the study of THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF 15 Lopvr~qhr0 1985 by r\c~dcrn~cPress.
    [Show full text]
  • Printable Version of 2006 Annual Report.Pub
    2006 Annual Report 2006 Annual Report Table of Contents Chairman’s Foreword.................................................................................. 3 President’s Report ....................................................................................... 4 Program Highlights Research Grants and Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships ...................... 6 International Programs .......................................................................12 International Symposia and Symposia Publications....................... 14 Other Foundation Programs and Activities...................................... 15 Individual Research Grants Dissertation Fieldwork Grants ........................................................... 17 Post-Ph.D. Research Grants .............................................................. 26 Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships.......................................................... 30 Conference and Workshop Grants .......................................................... 31 International Collaborative Research Grants.......................................... 34 Wadsworth International Fellowships ..................................................... 35 Initiatives Grants........................................................................................ 38 Historical Archives Grants........................................................................ 39 Grant Making Statistics............................................................................. 40 Financial Statements................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • CAPA Newsletter 2002B2
    CANADIANCANADIAN ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATION FORFORFOR PHYSICALPHYSICALPHYSICAL ANTHROANTHROANTHROPOLOGYPOLOGY Robert D. Hoppa, Editor L’ASSOCIATIONL’ASSOCIATION CANADICANADIENNEENNE D’ANTHROPOLOGIED’ANTHROPOLOGIE PHYSIQUEPHYSIQUEPHYSIQUE Department of Anthropology University of Manitoba NewsletterNewsletter Volume 2002 Issue 2 Fall 2002 Message from the Outgoing President Richard Lazenby Inside this issue: So this is the also goals I had hoped to ac- studies, and into tenure-stream end. It has complish which were not positions (even within the been a full achieved, and among those the highly competitive US market). 2 three years most vexing is that we still re- Skinner named 2002 plus one that I flect, by and large, the commu- I would like to thank all of my Bora Laskin Fellow have served as nity of English-speaking biologi- colleagues with whom I have President of cal anthropologists. had the pleasure of working as Three Centuries of TB 3 CAPA,. It has President: Nancy Lovell and been a time of some transfor- But we are nonetheless a very Rob Hoppa (past and present mation of the Association, dynamic community, of excel- Newsletter Editors), Charles most of which I imagine has lent scholars (witness the num- FitzGerald and Anne Zeller Member News 4 been fairly imperceptible to ber of Canada Research Chairs (past and present Secretary- much of the membership among our relatively small Treasurers), Leslie Chan (web (perhaps a hallmark of good midst: Shelley Saunders, Chris guru), Chris White, who pre- change?). We have a new con- White, Linda Fedigan, and Rob ceded me in this role and pro- Quebec Cree Back 6 stitution with a new executive Hoppa) and excellent stu- vided much guidance in the Power Project organization, a new financial dents – peers and future col- time of baby steps.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to the Current Anthropology Records 1957-1987
    University of Chicago Library Guide to the Current Anthropology Records 1957-1987 © 2008 University of Chicago Library Table of Contents Descriptive Summary 3 Information on Use 3 Access 3 Citation 4 Historical Note 4 Scope Note 4 Related Resources 5 Subject Headings 5 INVENTORY 6 Series I: Administrative 6 Series II: Editorial 35 Series III: Associates 106 Series IV: Artifacts and Audio-Visual Material 236 Series V: Card Files 238 Descriptive Summary Identifier ICU.SPCL.CURRENTANTHRO Title Current Anthropology. Records Date 1957-1987 Size 144.5 linear feet (290 boxes) Repository Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A. Abstract Current Anthropology began publication in January 1960 under editor Sol Tax. It is published by the University of Chicago Press and funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. It is one of the few journals that publishes articles encompassing all the subdisciplines of anthropology. The 144.5 linear feet of records of the Current Anthropology contains correspondence, memoranda, minutes, subscriptions, financial records, production notes, published manuscripts, and associates' reply letters. A large portion of the collection is composed of records of the journal’s associates, either private or institutional. The rest of the collection consists of correspondence with associates, printers, and foundations; records of Associate’s Reply Letters; page-proofs and production notes for journal issues; and office records of finances, mailings, and personnel. Information on Use Access Series I: Boxes 29-35, 40-44, and 58 contain financial records and budgets that are restricted for 50 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Handler, Diseases and Medical Disabilities of Enslaved Barbadians
    33 Diseases and Medical Disabilities of Enslaved Barbadians, From the Seventeenth Century to around 1838 Part II (Continued from Vol. 57, No. 6: 605–620) JS Handler ABSTRACT The disease environment, health problems and causes of mortality of enslaved Barbadians are described. Data are derived mainly from documentary sources; also included are bio-archaeological data from analyses of skeletons recovered from Newton Plantation cemetery. Major topics include infectious diseases transmitted from person to person, as well as those contracted through water, soil, and other environmental contaminations, and diseases transmitted by insects, parasites and other animals; nutritional diseases, including protein energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, anaemia, and geophagy or “dirt eating”; dental pathologies, lead poisoning, alcoholism, traumas, and other disorders, including psychogenic death or illness caused by beliefs in witchcraft or sorcery. Enfermedades y Discapacidades Médicas de los Barbadenses Esclavizados, Desde el Siglo Diecisiete Hasta Alrededor de 1838 (Parte II) (Continued from Vol. 57, No. 6: 605–620) JS Handler RESUMEN Se describe el ambiente de enfermedades, problemas de salud y causas de mortalidad de los barba- denses esclavizados. Los datos proceden de fuentes documentales, e incluyen también datos bio- arqueológicos a partir del análisis de esqueletos recuperados del cementerio de la Plantación Newton. Los asuntos principales incluyen las enfermedades infecciosas transmitidas de persona a persona, así como aquellas contraídas por el agua, el suelo, y otros medios de contaminación ambiental. Asimismo se incluyen enfermedades transmitidas por insectos, parásitos, y animales; enfermedades nutricionales, incluida la malnutrición energético-proteica, las deficiencias de vitaminas, la anemia y la geofagia o el “comer tierra”, las patologías dentales, el envenenamiento por plomo, el alcoholismo, los traumas, y otros trastornos, incluyendo la muerte psicogénica o las enfermedades causadas por creencias en la brujería y la hechicería.
    [Show full text]
  • CURRICULUM VITAE HARVEY HENSON, JR. Assistant Professor
    CURRICULUM VITAE HARVEY HENSON, JR. Assistant Professor Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education and Human Services Department of Geology, College of Science Interim Director, STEM Education Research Center Director, Science, Mathematics and Action Research for Teachers (SMART) MSMSEd Program 475 Clocktower Drive Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL 62901‐4630 Phone: (618) 453‐4214 Email: [email protected] Table of Contents I. CONTACT INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 1 II. EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................. 1 III. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE .................................................................................................... 1 IV. COURSES ................................................................................................................................. 2 V. GRADUATE TEACHING AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION ...................................................... 3 VI. FUNDED GRANTS AND CONTRACTS ($26,980,773 TOTAL SUPPORT) ........................................ 3 VII. OTHER FUNDED GRANTS AND CONTRACTS AND DONATIONS ($337,726 TOTAL SUPPORT) ...... 6 VIII. PUBLICATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 7 JOURNAL ARTICLES ........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • An Onomastic Link Between the Peruvian North and Far North in a Multidisciplinary Perspective Indiana, Vol
    Indiana ISSN: 0341-8642 [email protected] Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut Preußischer Kulturbesitz Alemania Urban, Matthias The Massa Connection: An Onomastic Link Between the Peruvian North and Far North in a Multidisciplinary Perspective Indiana, vol. 32, enero-diciembre, 2015, pp. 179-203 Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, Alemania Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=247043388009 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative The Massa Connection: An Onomastic Link Between the Peruvian North and Far North in a Multidisciplinary Perspective Matthias Urban eien niersit entre for inguistics, he Netherlans Abstract: C utting across the linguistic boundaries of the Peruvian Far North and North Coasts, the names of (semi-)mythological and early h istorical rulers show the same nal element -massa . is is the case for the ruler implemented in the Lambayeque region, Pong- massa, his son Pallesmassa, and two lords of the Far North Coast, Cutmassa at Sechura and Chilimasa at Tumbes. Ethnohistorians, linguists, and archaeologists have noted subsets of these similarities, and several accounts regarding the nature and origin of these similarities have been made casually. Here, I present an overview of the set of names ending in -massa , provide new etymologies for the names of Pongmassa and Pallesmassa, review previous interpretations, and discuss dierent scenarios that could have resulted in the spread of this element. Keywords: Onomastics; P eruvian North Coast; Peruvian Far North; Mochica language; Counting Systems.
    [Show full text]
  • An Archaeological Investigation of Ethnicity at Las Varas, Peru
    AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF ETHNICITY AT LAS VARAS, PERU by Howard I. Tsai A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology) in the University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Professor Joyce Marcus, Chair Professor Kent V. Flannery Professor Philip D. Gingerich Professor Bruce Mannheim © Howard Tsai 2012 To my parents ii Acknowledgments This dissertation was made possible by the kindness and generosity of my colleagues and mentors, members of the Las Varas Archaeological Project, individuals from domestic and foreign institutions, and my friends and families. It is impossible to convey the amount of time and assistance given to me by my advisor, Joyce Marcus. Joyce has devoted so much of her labor and energy to my dissertation; she has given me invaluable advice on archaeology, writing, teaching, grants, job applications, and various other aspects of my professional development. She has generously shared her intelligence, wisdom, and knowledge with me. I cannot thank her enough. She will now receive a lifetime subscription to my future publications. I am fortunate to have the complete support and constant encouragement of my parents, my sister, and my grandparents to pursue archaeology. I am sorry to have worried my parents by traveling so far from home. I thank them for visiting me in Peru during my fieldwork, and I am very happy and blessed to have their endless love and understanding. I dedicate this dissertation to them. I want to thank my committee members Kent Flannery, Philip Gingerich, and Bruce Mannheim. I have learned much from Kent’s insights, analyses, and perspicacious syntheses.
    [Show full text]
  • Program of the 63Rd Annual Meeting
    PROGRAM OF THE 63RD ANNUAL MEETING March 25-29, 1998 Seattle, Washington I SAA SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Society for American Archaeology provides a forum for the dissemination of knowledge and discussion. The CONTENTS views expressed at the sessions are solely those of the speakers and the society does not endorse, approve, or censor them. Descriptions of events and titles are those of the organizers, not the society. 4 Maps of Sheraton Seattle and Washington State Program of the 63rd Annual Meeting Convention and Trade Center Published by the Society for American Archaeology 900 Second Street NE #12 8 Meeting Organizers, SAA Board of Directors, Washington DC 20002-3557 USA and SAA Staff Telephone + 1 2021789-8200 Fax + 1 2021789-0284 Email [email protected] 10 General Information Web http:\www.saa.org 13 Featured Sessions Acknowledgments: The Society for American Archaeology thanks the Lummi 14 Summary Schedule Indian Nation and the Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, Seattle, for use of "The Lady Welcomestrhanks with Her Hands" (Sucia Island figure #2.5E603) in the graphic design of all meeting publications. 20 A Word about the Sessions SM also thanks Roy Carlson for providing the photograph on which the design is based. 21 Program 105 Awards Presentation and Annual Business ' Meeting 4 106 SAA Awards • 109 Presidents of SAA Copyright c 1998 Society for American Archaeology. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted in any form or by any means 110 without prior permission from the publisher. Annual Meeting Sites 137 Exhibit Directory Cover design by Supon Design Group, Washington, D.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Isotopic Investigations at Newton Plantation, Barbados: a Progress Report Hannes Schroeder Natural History Museum of Denmark, [email protected]
    African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter Volume 9 Article 11 Issue 3 September 2006 9-1-2006 Isotopic Investigations at Newton Plantation, Barbados: A Progress Report Hannes Schroeder Natural History Museum of Denmark, [email protected] Kristrina A. Shuler Auburn University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/adan Recommended Citation Schroeder, Hannes and Shuler, Kristrina A. (2006) "Isotopic Investigations at Newton Plantation, Barbados: A Progress Report ," African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter: Vol. 9 : Iss. 3 , Article 11. Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/adan/vol9/iss3/11 This News and Announcements is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Schroeder and Shuler: Isotopic Investigations at Newton Plantation, Barbados: A Progres September 2006 Newsletter Isotopic Investigations at Newton Plantation, Barbados – A Progress Report By Hannes Schroeder and Kristrina A. Shuler Introduction The article by Jerome Handler and Frederick Lange in the June 2006 issue of the African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter prompts us to write a short progress report on isotopic investigations that are currently being undertaken on a series of burials from the Newton Plantation cemetery, Barbados. Some 25 years after Handler and Lange began archaeological research at Newton Plantation cemetery, researchers from Southern Illinois University and Syracuse University revisited the site and continued excavations (Shuler 2005, Pasquariello n.d.). The skeletal material from 1997-1998 yields valuable information regarding the life histories and origins of Newton’s slave population.
    [Show full text]
  • F. Clark Howell 1925–2007
    F. Clark Howell 1925–2007 A Biographical Memoir by Richard G. Klein ©2013 National Academy of Sciences. Any opinions expressed in this memoir are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences. FRANCIS CLARK HOWELL November 25, 1925—March 10, 2007 Elected to the NAS, 1972 Francis Clark Howell, known as Clark to his many colleagues and friends, became the leading authority on the human fossil record shortly after he received a PhD in 1952, and he remained so until his death in 2007. Clark’s genius was two-fold. First, and almost uniquely in the 1950s, he recognized that a compelling reconstruc- tion of human evolution required a detailed knowledge not just of the fossils, but also of their paleoenviron- mental, geochronologic, and archaeological context. At the time, the composite of these fields had no name, and Clark was probably the first to popularize it as “paleoanthropology.” His second and equally enviable talent was his ability to scrutinize the human evolutionary By Richard G. Klein record for gaps that fresh fieldwork could resolve and then to seek sites that could fill the gaps. Clark led by example, and he repeatedly integrated the growing sample of human fossils with fresh information on their context. In publications throughout his entire career, he covered every aspect of human evolution, from the australopiths who evolved in Africa between roughly 4.5 and 2 million years ago (1-3), through the various forms of early Homo who existed between 2 million and roughly 300,000 years ago (4, 5), to the Neanderthals who inhabited western Eurasia until they were replaced by fully modern humans between 45,000 and 40,000 years ago (6, 7).
    [Show full text]