Many Japanese people consider themselves to be part of an essentially unchanging and isolated ethnic unit in which the biological, linguistic, and cultural aspects of Japanese identity overlap almost completely with each other. In its examination of the processes of ethnogenesis (the formation of ethnic groups) in the Japanese Islands, Ruins of Identity offers an approach to ethnicity that differs fundamentally from that found in most Japanese scholarship and popular discourse. Following an extensive discussion of previous theories on the formation of Japanese language, race, and culture and the nationalistic ideologies that have affected research in these topics, Mark Hudson presents a model of a core Japanese population based on the dual origin hypothesis currently favored by physical anthropologists. According to this model, the Jomon population, which was present in Japan by at least the end of the Pleistocene, was followed by agriculturalists from the Korean peninsula during the Yayoi period (ca. 400 BC to AD 300). Hudson analyzes further evidence of migrations and agricultural colonization in an impressive summary of recent cranial, dental, and genetic studies and in a careful examination of the linguistic and archaeological records. The final sections of the book explore the cultural construction of Japanese ethnicity. Cultural aspects of ethnicity do not emerge pristine and fully formed but are the result of cumulative negotiation. Ethnic identity is continually recreated through interaction within and without the society concerned. Such a view necessitates an approach to culture change that takes into account complex interactions with a larger system. Accordingly, Hudson considers post-Yayoi ethnogenesis in Japan within the East Asian world system, examining the role of interaction between core and periphery in the formation of new ethnic identities, such as the Ainu. He argues that the defining elements of the Ainu period and culture (ca. AD 1200) can be linked directly to a dramatic expansion in Japanese trade goods flowing north as Hokkaido became increasingly exploited by core regions to the south. Highly original and at times controversial, Ruins of Identity will be essential reading for students and scholars in Japanese studies and will be of interest to anthropologists and historians working on ethnicity in other parts of the world. Text adopted at University ofChicago

As contemporary Native Americans assert the legacy of their ancestors, there is increasing debate among archaeologists over the methods and theories used to reconstruct prehistoric identity and the movement of social groups. This is especially problematic with respect to the emergence of southwestern tribes, which involved shifting populations and identities over the course of more than a thousand years. Wesley Bernardini now draws on an unconventional source, Hopi traditional knowledge, to show how hypotheses that are developed from oral tradition can stimulate new and productive ways to think about the archaeological record. Focusing on insights that oral tradition has to offer about general processes of prehistoric migration and identity formation, he describes how each Hopi clan acquired its particular identity from the experiences it accumulated on its unique migration pathway. This pattern of “serial migration” by small social groups often saw the formation of villages by clans that briefly came together and then moved off again independently, producing considerable social diversity both within and among villages. Using Anderson Mesa and Homol’ovi as case studies, Bernardini presents architectural and demographic data suggesting that the fourteenth century occupation of these regions was characterized by population flux and diversity consistent with the serial migration model. He offers an analysis of rock art motifs—focusing on those used as clan symbols—to evaluate the diversity of group identities, then presents a compositional analysis of Jeddito Yellow Ware pottery to evaluate the diversity of these groups’ eventual migration destinations. Evidence supporting serial migration greatly complicates existing notions of links between ancient and modern social groups, with important implications for the implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Bernardini’s work clearly demonstrates that studies of cultural affiliation must take into account the fluid nature of population movements and identity in the prehistoric landscape. It takes a decisive step toward better understanding the major demographic change that occurred on the Colorado Plateau from 1275 to 1400 and presents a strategy for improving the reconstruction of cultural identity in the past.

An exploration of how "north" has been represented in art and literature.

Questions about how social conditioning and historical circumstances influence assumptions about who we are and how others perceive who we are have attracted wide ranging discussion across the disciplines in the arts, humanities and allied sciences. Simultaneously, since the Independence period, scholars have deliberated over the varied implications of new states emerging throughout Africa. The peer-reviewed selected papers for this anthology represent a cross section of the diverse perspectives reflecting research and cross-disciplinary collaborations undertaken by members of the University of Ghana faculty and graduate students working in archaeology, literary criticism of African as well as English and Russian literatures, economics, history, cognitive psychology, linguistics, dance, music, philosophy, sociology, and the study of religions.

Ancient Monuments and Modern Identities sets out to examine the role of archaeology in the creation of ethnic, national and social identities in 19th and 20th century Greece. The essays included in this volume examine the development of interpretative and methodological principles guiding the recovery, protection and interpretation of material remains and their presentation to the public. The role of archaeology is examined alongside prevailing perceptions of the past, and is thereby situated in its political and ideological context. The book is organized chronologically and follows the changing attitudes to the past during the formation, expansion and consolidation of the Modern Greek State. The aim of this volume is to examine the premises of the archaeological discipline, and to apply reflection and critique to contemporary archaeological theory and practice. The past, however, is not a domain exclusive to archaeologists. The contributors to this volume include prehistoric and classical archaeologists, but also modern historians, museum specialists, architectural historians, anthropologists, and legal scholars who have all been invited to discuss the impact of the material traces of the past on the Modern Greek social imaginary.

This volume offers lively current debates and case studies in historical archaeology selected from around the world, including North America, Latin America, Africa, the Pacific, and Europe. Authored by 19 experts in the field. Explores how historical archaeologists think about their work, piecing together information from both material culture and documents in an attempt to understand the lives of the people and societies they study. Engages with current theory in an accessible manner. Truly global in its approach but avoids subsuming local experiences of people into global patterns. Summarizes not only the current state of historical archaeology, but also sets the course for the field in decades to come.