This research is concerned with understanding the social processes associated with large-scale, regional social transformations observable in the archaeological record. Contemporary social theory proposes that many wide-spread social transformations are the result of scale shifts in social movements, that is, shifts to new forms of identification that encompass larger and more distinct groups. Although the archaeological record is marked by numerous rapid transitions in material culture that likely indicate such social transformations, the specific interrelationships between these transformations and social identities at regional scales have not been fully addressed. The proposed research focuses on these interrelationships using an example from the Cibola region of the U.S. Southwest during an era of rapid demographic and social change (ca. AD 1100-1325). This research applies insights from theoretical models, developed in sociology and political science, focused on the development of large-scale social movements and collective identities. Researchers working from these perspectives are concerned with the modes in which identification takes place, rather than with specific kinds of social identity (e.g., ethnicity, class, etc.). This work suggests that social identification can be divided into two major modes; relational identification based on networks of interaction among individuals, and categorical identification based on affiliation with social roles or groups to which one can belong (with or without direct interaction). Importantly, scale shifts and resultant social transformations, which are key issues in this research, can be linked to changes in these modes of social identification.

This research involves three components: (1) Evidence for social transformations, indicated by rapid demographic and settlement transitions, will be developed through settlement studies, drawing on a large site database. (2) Networks of social interaction, the basis of relational identities, will be addressed through two analyses. Data from Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis will be used to characterize pottery production, exchange, and distribution across the region. Technological analyses of ceramics and architectural features will be used to assess the extent to which methods of production of various forms of material culture (utility ware ceramics and domestic architecture) were shared across the region. Shared technological styles will be interpreted as evidence for regular interaction and strong relational connections among the producers of these items. (3) The active expression of collective social identities will be addressed through two additional analyses. First, stylistic characterizations of bold, exterior designs on feasting bowls will show settlements that shared common, highly-visible stylistic conventions that likely related to the active expression of membership within categorical social groups. Second, characterizations of public architecture will be used to assess shared public ritual practices, also interpreted as evidence of categorical identification. These analyses focus on documenting major social transformations, as well as developing and applying methods for tracing changes in the processes of social identification through time.

This project is supported by a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant , a Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grant, and by the School of Human Evolution & Social Change at Arizona State University..

Population and Settlement in the Mimbres Region of New Mexico

Human environmental interaction has been a major focus of research in Mimbres region of New Mexico. A number of recent studies have found evidence of major environmental changes in the Mimbres Valley relating to prehistoric occupation, including depletion of plant and animal species, stream down-cutting, and soil nutrient depletion. Population estimates for the Mimbres Valley proper, along with these changes, have previously been used to argue that the regional population may have been at or near carrying capacity. Despite the continuing importance of demographic variables in explanations of social and environmental change throughout the Mimbres region, there has not yet been a published attempt to estimate population across the entire Mimbres region over time. The goal of this study is to develop population estimates of the most densely occupied portions of the Mimbres region (Mimbres Valley, Upper Gila, and the Rio Grande) across the major period of prehistoric agricultural settlement (ca. A.D. 550-1400).

This project is part of the NSF Biocomplexity project headed by Margaret Nelson.
Long-term Coupled Socioecological Change in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico

The Role of the Antebellum Black Press in the Political Mobilization and Empowerment of African Americans, 1830-1860

By the beginning of the Civil War, the African American newspaper had already proved to be an indispensable ally in the struggle for the rights of African Americans throughout the United States. In the antebellum period, as many as 100 African American newspapers were printed and distributed throughout the nation and beyond. The goal of this study is to delineate how and why the antebellum African American newspapers of the mid-nineteenth century became important as platforms of political agency, intended for those who were largely denied conventional means of participation within the United States government. In particular, I focus on four main avenues through which the African American newspapers were utilized to afford political agency to African Americans: (1) the material and rhetorical support of black suffrage, (2) the promotion and facilitation of public protest, (3) the promotion of material and moral elevation, (4) and the creation of a black national and historical identity.

Peeples, Matthew A.
2008. Creating Political Authority: The Role of the Antebellum Black Press in the Political Mobilization and Empowerment of African Americans. Journalism History 34(2):76-86. [PDF]