Abstract
Boundary Conditions, with its intriguing title, is a well-written and comprehensive presentation of a body of research with the unusual but fortunate circumstance where “…archaeobotanical knowledge about an archaeological culture has developed in tandem with basic facts about the culture itself” (p. 1).
The first chapter, “Defining Oliver,” summarizes recent research and discusses the emerging understanding of Oliver as an archaeological phase and “…coherent cultural entity… [Redmond and McCullough, 2000]” (p. 5). Oliver is a blending of at least two cultural traditions (the Anderson phase of the Fort Ancient tradition and the Late Woodland cultures of the Great Lakes area) in a new geographic area. It is a phase, but not a phase of anything. The Oliver people were agricultural villagers who lived in the White River valleys of central Indiana from about A.D. 1200 to 1450. Characteristic of early Oliver sites is the co-occurrence of both Fort Ancient and Great Lakes motifs on ceramics which have similar form (globular to subglobular jars) and paste (grit-tempered red local clay). By the end of the phase, both motifs are found on the same vessel. The chapter concludes with an elaboration of the more than appropriate phrase “boundary conditions,” describing this interesting and useful concept as a place where the unexpected might occur.
The second chapter, “Food, Identity, and Charcoal” goes into depth about “How and why Oliver's boundaries might be reflected in macrobotanical remains….” (p. 6). The first part of the chapter provides an important foundation—based on cultural and biological aspects of food and foodways—for the subsequent discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of various lines of archaeological evidence. While artifacts, faunal remains, and structural evidence comprise, in part, the inclusive list, charred macrobotanical remains are given the most attention. There is a thorough discussion of sources of material, potential biases in the data, and the information potential of macrobotanical remains. Underlying all of this is the common sense approach that macrobotanical data—like other archaeological data—“…are best used to address questions for which they can provide answers” (p. 24).
The third chapter, “Archaeological and Ecological Background,” completes the essential groundwork necessary for understanding and interpreting the research results presented in later chapters. Chapter three details the archaeology known about Oliver, using topics such as settlement patterns, ceramics, and faunal remains among others, to provide a very complete characterization of the Oliver culture. Five other late prehistoric groups in Indiana—Great Lakes Late Woodland (Western Basin Tradition), Albee, Mississippian, Fort Ancient, Upper Mississippian (Smith Valley, Huber, Fisher)—are then each discussed in a summary fashion. The last section of the chapter discusses the ecology of central Indiana, providing a clear idea of the landscape the Oliver people lived in and shaped.
The next three chapters (chapters 4, 5, and 6) present the methods used, and the analysis of data obtained from Oliver and other late prehistoric archaeological sites. Chapter 5 includes details of each of the Oliver sites studied—with emphasis on the macrobotanical remains—followed by a comprehensive discussion of the overall botanical assemblage found on Oliver sites. Each major category of plants, such as corn, squashes, or wild plants, is introduced with information about origins, domestication, and usage, and is then described within the Oliver culture. A clearly understandable Oliver macrobotanical pattern emerges. Chapter six then follows with an excellent description and use of quantitative analysis, comparing Oliver with other late prehistoric groups.
The final chapter, “Implications of the Oliver Macrobotanical Pattern for Other Aspects of Oliver Life,” continues the author's attention to detail. A definitive Oliver foodway is presented, and then set in the framework of its causes and implications. One of the stated research goals—the description of a distinctive foodway contributing to a unique cultural identity for Oliver—is clearly met. In the conclusion to the book, the concept of boundary conditions is revisited, and neatly re-emphasized as a defining phrase for the Oliver culture.
Boundary Conditions is much more than a report of exceptional and timely archaeological research. Using an eminently logical and readable approach, many salient cultural, biological, and archaeological questions are considered. A good example is the author's discussion of food preferences and what aspects of these are inherited, acquired, or subject to change. How food preferences contribute to cultural identity and what aspects of these preferences can be determined through the archaeological record—and specifically by analysis of macrobotanical remains—adds a refreshing dimension to the research.
Throughout the book, the depth and scope of the topics covered reflect the well thought-out approach to the research itself, and 31 pages of references attest to the thorough coverage of the literature. While the author consistently uses the term archaeobotany, this book is also very much paleoethnobotanical in its consideration and evaluation of the cultural interpretations the macrobotanical data suggest. Of definite interest to both paleoethnobotanists and archaeologists, Boundary Conditions would also be a positive addition to the reading list in a paleoethnobotany or advanced archaeology class. Boundary Conditions is indeed an important contribution to the archaeological and paleoethnobotanical literature.