Papers by Katherine Spielmann
The Human Experience of Social Change and Continuity: The Southwest and the North Atlantic in Interesting Times ca. A.D. 1300
... In Zuni Origins: Toward a New Synthesis of Southwestern Archaeology, DA Gregory and DR Wilcox... more ... In Zuni Origins: Toward a New Synthesis of Southwestern Archaeology, DA Gregory and DR Wilcox, eds., pp. 77-96. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. Dugmore, Andrew J., Thomas H. McGovern, Orri Vésteinsson, Jette Arneborg, Richard Streeter, and Christian Keller ...
Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals... more Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS has largely focused on simple models and controlled experiments in ecology and climate science. When humans are considered in these arenas they are invariably seen as external sources of disturbance or management. In this article we explore ways to include societal components of socio-ecological systems directly in EWS analysis. Given the growing archaeological literature on 'col-lapses,' or transformations, in social systems, we investigate whether any early warning signals are apparent in the archaeological records of the build-up to two contemporaneous cases of social transformation in the prehistoric US Southwest, Mesa Verde and Zuni. The social transformations in these two cases differ in scope and severity, thus allowing us to explore the contexts under which warning signals may (or may not) emerge. In both cases our results show increasing variance in settlement size before the transformation, but increasing variance in social institutions only before the critical transformation in Mesa Verde. In the Zuni case, social institutions appear to have managed the process of significant social change. We conclude that variance is of broad relevance in anticipating social change, and the capacity of social institutions to mitigate transformation is critical to consider in EWS research on socio-ecological systems.
Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals... more Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS has largely focused on simple models and controlled experiments in ecology and climate science. When humans are considered in these arenas they are invariably seen as external sources of disturbance or management. In this article we explore ways to include societal components of socio-ecological systems directly in EWS analysis. Given the growing archaeological literature on 'col-lapses,' or transformations, in social systems, we investigate whether any early warning signals are apparent in the archaeological records of the build-up to two contemporaneous cases of social transformation in the prehistoric US Southwest, Mesa Verde and Zuni. The social transformations in these two cases differ in scope and severity, thus allowing us to explore the contexts under which warning signals may (or may not) emerge. In both cases our results show increasing variance in settlement size before the transformation, but increasing variance in social institutions only before the critical transformation in Mesa Verde. In the Zuni case, social institutions appear to have managed the process of significant social change. We conclude that variance is of broad relevance in anticipating social change, and the capacity of social institutions to mitigate transformation is critical to consider in EWS research on socio-ecological systems.
This paper addresses the question, ‘If art makes society, under what conditions does society ceas... more This paper addresses the question, ‘If art makes society, under what conditions does society cease to make art?’ The answer, I suggest, lies in art’s loss of social efficacy. The case I use to explore the cessation of art is that of the Ohio Hopewell. In southern Ohio, between AD 1400, a ceremonial system known as Ohio Hopewell developed, flourished, and was then entirely abandoned. This ceremonial system was characterized
by elaborate material objects (art) made from exotic materials, communal rituals involving pageantry and burial of the
dead that were held in large geometric earthwork enclosures, and large-scale offerings of objects in these ceremonial precincts. After AD 400, art, the large earthen enclosures, and elaborate offerings ceased to be made for a considerable period of time in the Midwestern US. This paper draws on theoretical, historical, and ethnographic information
to make the argument that the collapse of Ohio Hopewell and its art represents a radical transformation in how people perceived materiality. The paper argues that the cessation of art represents a widespread and active rejection of ritual authority and of the power of material objects to mediate with the spiritual world.
Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears... more Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission.
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Papers by Katherine Spielmann
by elaborate material objects (art) made from exotic materials, communal rituals involving pageantry and burial of the
dead that were held in large geometric earthwork enclosures, and large-scale offerings of objects in these ceremonial precincts. After AD 400, art, the large earthen enclosures, and elaborate offerings ceased to be made for a considerable period of time in the Midwestern US. This paper draws on theoretical, historical, and ethnographic information
to make the argument that the collapse of Ohio Hopewell and its art represents a radical transformation in how people perceived materiality. The paper argues that the cessation of art represents a widespread and active rejection of ritual authority and of the power of material objects to mediate with the spiritual world.