I just posted two new working papers that are intended for inclusion in an upcoming edited book entitled The Enigma of the Event: Moments of Consequence in the Ancient Southeast. The first (“Event and History in the Precolumbian Southeast”) is the introductory chapter written by myself and Jason O’Donoughue. In it, we discuss broadly the nature of the “event” as a historical category as well as its potential utility in archaeological investigations of “prehistoric” social dynamics. The second paper (“Subterranean Histories: Pit Events and Place-Making in Late Archaic Florida”) focuses on the eventfulness of Late Archaic (Orange Period) pit digging and deposition practices at the Silver Glen Run complex in northeast Florida. I argue that these seemingly ordinary acts actually constituted important historical occurrences due to the influence they exerted on future patterns of practice, at both local and extra-local scales.
Any comments or suggestions on either/both of the papers would be greatly appreciated. I am especially interested in hearing opinions regarding the manner in which we frame the event as a concept, as well as any critical viewpoints or references that we may have missed. Thanks in advance!
seacunderground 