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1. A Day in the Life
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Acknowledgments The research represented in this book was carried out in two pulses. It began as my dissertation study, which was completed in 1988. After a hiatus of several years, I picked the thread up again in 1991 after I arrived at Binghamton University. I thus have had the good fortune to revisit an earlier body of research with additional ¤eldwork and analyses, which, not unexpectedly, altered many of the substantive conclusions in my original study. Further, my perspective on political economy has continued to evolve, resulting in theoretical changes in the original study as well. The somewhat lengthy time devoted to my study of the production and exchange of prehistoric hoes has resulted in a huge debt to numerous institutions and people who facilitated the logistical aspects of my work and who contributed to the ongoing gestation of my theoretical ideas. High on my gratitude list are the archaeologists and related personnel associated with the Shawnee National Forest. Much of the research described here, including the excavations at the Dillow’s Ridge site, was conducted on National Forest properties. Dan Haas and Mary McCorvie did everything possible to promote both the research and educational dimensions of my research, and I believe they have done a tremendous job of acquainting the public with the value of archaeology in the Shawnee Hills. Mary has wonderfully integrated the Passport [54.146.154.243] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 23:08 GMT) in Time Program with our ¤eldwork, and it has been a pleasure to work with the volunteers in that program. The landowners in the research area also have been very supportive of this work, and I am thankful for their interest and patience with our recurring intrusions. I must single out Jackie and Perry Mowery as individuals who have a deep love for the landscape, prehistory, and history of the Shawnees, and I will always be grateful for their support and friendship. The research began during my tenure as a graduate student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and I had the good fortune to be associated with supportive mentors who are now good colleagues and friends. In particular, Jon Muller and Brian Butler supported all facets of my work and were more than willing to let me wander off in theoretical directions that did not always match their own. In the 1990s, Binghamton University and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale became partners in researching Mississippian life in the southern Illinois uplands, and my collaboration with Butler and Muller continues. At about the same time, Jean Stephens undertook surveys and excavations in the Dogtooth Bend region to the south, and her work and advice have been invaluable. Chip McGimsey directed the ¤eldschool at Dillow ’s Ridge in 1994 and deserves the credit for many of our insights on site occupational history. I also thank Don and Prudence Rice for marshaling the support of both the Department of Anthropology and the Center for Archaeological Investigations at SIU-C. Numerous faculty and students (undergraduate and graduate) at Binghamton University have contributed in one way or another to the development of my research, and I regret that I cannot name every single individual. Randy McGuire, Reinhard Bernbeck, and Susan Pollock commented on various chapters in the book and have also made a major impact on my thoughts about political economy. I greatly appreciate their camaraderie and absolve them of blame for any parts of this study that may raise eyebrows. Seán Rafferty and Larissa Thomas worked closely with me on this research at various points in their careers, and Larissa performed a particularly close reading of an earlier draft of the book. Their subsequent successes have been richly deserved. The ®oral analysis was carried out by Lee Newsom and the faunal analysis by Emmanuel Breitberg and Peter Stahl. I trust that I have done no serious damage in my interpretation of their work. Basic to success in any endeavor is core support from family and friends. My wife, Debby, has heard enough about chert to last anyone a lifetime, and I will forever be indebted to her for her support. My parents, John and Heloise, were a continuing source of strength throughout my graduate studies, and I thank them for giving me free xiv Acknowledgments rein to explore my quirky interests throughout childhood and into college. Several funding agencies made this work a reality. I am grateful to the National Science Foundation (BNS-9120222) and the National Geographic Society (Grant #5241-94) for...