Applied Archaeology

Surviving Sudden Environmental Change: Answers from Archaeology

by Jago Cooper

Cooper, Jago & Sheets, Payson eds. 2012. Surviving Sudden Environmental Change: Answers from Archaeology. Boulder: University Press of Colorado

In Surviving Sudden Environmental Change, case studies examine how eight different past human communities—ranging from... more In Surviving Sudden Environmental Change, case studies examine how eight different past human communities—ranging from Arctic to equatorial regions, from tropical rainforests to desert interiors, and from deep prehistory to living memory—faced, and coped with, the dangers of sudden environmental change. Many disasters originate from a force of nature, such as an earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, drought, or flood. But that is only half of the story; decisions of people and their particular cultural lifeways are the rest. Sociocultural factors are essential in understanding risk, impact, resilience, reactions, and recoveries from massive sudden environmental changes. By using deep-time perspectives provided by interdisciplinary approaches, this book provides a rich temporal background to the human experience of environmental hazards and disasters. In addition, each chapter is followed by an abstract summarizing the important implications for today’s management practices and providing recommendations for policy makers.

Short and Sweets:Diagnosing the Causation of Stunting in the Guatemalan Maya Population through Historical, Cultural, and Biological Analysis

by Corey Kerkela

Malnutrition and illnesses related to it are rampant problems in a majority of the regions once occupied by Classic... more Malnutrition and illnesses related to it are rampant problems in a majority of the regions once occupied by Classic Maya society. Contemporary studies based on archaeological data and chemical analysis of faunal and human bones in many areas demonstrate that the diet of many Classic Maya societies was nutritionally superior to that of many Maya today. Consequently, the last millennium has seen several shifts in "foodways" that have detrimentally affected the health and stature of the contemporary Maya populations in the region. Historical, ethnographic, and biological studies all point to the causes of stunting and the related illnesses observed in Guatemala today.
This paper builds a framework for the discussion of dietary insufficiency and its causal relationship with stunting and long-term health in the Guatemalan Maya region. Evidence points to historical shifts, contemporary cultural practices, and biological forces as variables in the equation that produces these results. On to a foundational understanding of historical shifts in the Maya diet, implications are made that indicate contemporary practices, despite several programs focused on alleviating the problem of stunting, have done little to reverse the effects of these shifts in rural Guatemala. In fact, these practices combined with socioeconomic nutritional deprivation continue to perpetuate this epidemic. Additionally, The medical impacts of stunting, through “fetal programming”, morbidity, and malnutrition have developed a cyclical epidemic of multi-generational regressions in stature for the Guatemalan Maya people.

The Pan Fryin' Movement: Lessons Found in the Classic Maya Applied to Suggest Reintroduction into Contemporary Maya Society

by Corey Kerkela

Malnutrition and illnesses related to it are rampant problems in a majority of the regions once occupied by Classic... more Malnutrition and illnesses related to it are rampant problems in a majority of the regions once occupied by Classic Maya society. Contemporary studies based on archaeological data and chemical analysis of faunal and human bones in many areas demonstrate that the diet of many Classic Maya societies was nutritionally superior to that of many Maya today. Historical data can be analyzed on a regional level to compare health, diet, and technologies for geographically similar populations. From these comparisons, individualized suggestions can be made for reintroduction of foods and/or technologies that will benefit the Modern people in these regions.
Through a broad definition of food history and its associated utilization strategies and technologies, this paper suggests that modern society is at a point where agricultural and culinary intensification must be developed. Furthermore, many examples are available in the archaeological record of intensification technologies that if reintroduced would help alleviate malnutrition and land dispersal issues in the region. While it is clear that more than this must be done, the inclusion of these processes should be an integral part of all poverty reduction programs in these areas.

Arte Rupestre Y Turismo: Comarca Andina Del Paralelo 42, Argentina

by Vivian Scheinsohn

Co-authored Cristina Bellelli, Vivian Scheinsohn, Mercedes Podestá, Mariana Carballido, Pablo Fernández y Soledad Caracotche.
Published in Estudios y perspectivas en turismo. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Turísticos. Buenos Aires. Pp.22-50.

Results for a research projet linkin archaeological sites and tourism developped in Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42º... more Results for a research projet linkin archaeological sites and tourism developped in Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42º (NW Chubut an SW de la Río Negro Provinces, Patagonia, Argentina) are presented ,