AIA Lecture: Dr. Steve Lekson discusses Southwestern Archaeology
T-Doors, Tri-Walls, and Sub-Floors: Southwestern Examples of Clunky Evidence in the Age of Big Data
Pottery has always held pride-of-place for both quantity and quality of archaeological data. It defines the basic "culture areas," and changes in ceramics track much of the history we infer for the archaeological cultures of the Southwest. Yet, other, larger, clunkier evidence like architecture is also worth a look. Various buildings "types" provide similar kinds of information as pottery, but are often distributed across ceramic boundaries, and sometimes they seem to tell different stories. This talk will look at several patterns of larger evidence, including the iconic T-shaped doors of the Southwest. Comparing and contrasting all forms of evidence for the past reveals new patterns in prehistory that “big data” alone might mi