Jan. 30, 2020 - The Minor on Global Premodern Studies and IRA are pleased to present "Mississippian Woodworking and Stone Axe production at Cahokia and its Hinterlands," a lecture by Dr. Greg Wilson, Associate Professor of Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. in Broome 1360.
"Mississippian groundstone celts — a type of cutting tool akin to an adze — were often used as woodworking tools and weapons of war, but they have received far less analytical attention than other archaeological materials. Understanding the organization of celt-manufacturing industries in relation to power, social structure, and resource availability promises to greatly inform our understanding of political economy among the Mississippian cultures of the American Midwest.
"This talk compares and contrasts evidence of celt manufacture and use from the American Bottom region of southwestern Illinois and the Central Illinois River Valley of west-central Illinois, explaining how interregional organizational variations in celt production highlight differences in political complexity among Mississippian societies."
For more information, contact Professor of Anthropology, Colleen Delaney, at 805-437-3312 or colleen.delaney@csuci.edu.