Archaeology of the Americas
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The Archaeology of the Americas is the study of the archaeology of
North America, Central America (or Mesoamerica), South America and
the Caribbean. This includes the study of pre-historic/Pre-Columbian
and historic indigenous American peoples.
One of the most enduring classifications of archaeological cultures
was established in Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book
Method and Theory in American Archaeology. They divided the
archaeological record in the Americas into 5 phases.These are:
The Lithic stage, defined initially as a big-game hunting
adaptation. In most places, this can be dated to before 8000 BC.
Examples include the Clovis culture, Folsom tradition and
Paleo-indian groups. |
The Archaic stage, defined as cultures relying primarily on
increasing intensive collecting of wild resources, after the decline
of the big game hunting lifestyle. Typically Archaic cultures can be
dated from 8000 BC to 1000 BC. Representative examples include the
Arctic small tool tradition, the Poverty Point culture and the
Chincharro culture.
The Formative stage, defined as "village agriculture" based. Most of
these can be dated from 1000 BC to AD 500. Examples include the
Dorset culture , Zapotec culture, Mimbres, Olmec, and Mississippian
cultures.
The Classic stage, defined as "early civilizations," and typically
dating from AD 500 to 1200. Willey and Phillips considered only
cultures from Mesoamerica and Peru to have achieved this level of
complexity. Examples include the early Maya and the Toltec.
The Post-Classic stage, defined as "later prehispanic civilizations"
and typically dated from AD 1200 onward. The late Maya and the Aztec
cultures were Post-Classic.
Since these simplistic periods were defined, numerous regional and
sub-regional divisions have been created to break up the cultural
landscape through time and space. Later archaeologists recognized
that these linear stages did not adequately correspond to the
cultural variation that existed in different locations in the
Americas. Although the Formative/Classic/Post-Classic distinction is
still used in the archaeology of Mesoamerica, this division has been
replaced in most of North America by more local classifications.
Also see Sociocultural evolution.
In the United States, physical anthropology and archaeological
investigations based on the study of human remains are complicated
by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, (NAGPRA),
which provides for the bodies of Native Americans and associated
grave goods to be turned over to the recognized tribal body most
legally affiliated with the remains. In some cases, notably, that of
Kennewick Man, these laws have been subject to close judicial
scrutiny and great intellectual conflict.
Models of migration to the New World addresses the central question
of when and how humans reached the Americas. The earliest definite
human peoples visible in the archaeological record throughout the
Americas are today known as the Paleo Indians.
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