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The Potential and Pitfalls of Large Multi-Source Collections

Insights from the Analysis of Mimbres Gender Imagery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2017

Michelle Hegmon ,
James R. McGrath  and
Marit K. Munson
Michelle Hegmon*
Affiliation:
School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA
James R. McGrath
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Iowa, 114 Macbride Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA ([email protected])
Marit K. Munson
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada ([email protected])
*
[email protected], corresponding author.
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Abstract

Archaeologists’ newfound ability to access vast digital collections creates opportunities but also presents challenges when those collections are from varied sources, including public institutions and private collectors. We illustrate these challenges by comparing two analyses of gender in Mimbres pottery images. Both analyses used the same procedures, but one included material in private collections, while the second drew on a smaller but more controlled sample. Gender distinctions and division of labor were revealed by the first analysis, but the results were not duplicated in the reanalysis using the controlled sample. We consider reasons for the difference, addressing how collectors’ interests may skew collections and suggesting that some particularly desirable Mimbres pottery designs were created using modern paint. The article concludes with recommendations for how archaeologists can best use mixed collections. These include considering how collections might be skewed and designing analyses to counterbalance likely issues, more chemical analyses with representative samples to gauge the extent of modern manipulation of Mimbres vessels, collecting data on the provenance (i.e., collection history) of material in order to try to trace the likelihood of post-excavation modifications, and studying the process of collecting as a means of understanding the authenticity of artifacts.

La recién adquirida habilidad de los arqueólogos de acceder a vastas colecciones digitales crea oportunidades pero también presenta desafíos cuando esas colecciones provienen de diversas fuentes, incluyendo instituciones públicas y coleccionistas privados. Ilustramos estos cambios por medio de la comparación de dos análisis de género en imágenes de la cerámica mimbres. Ambos análisis usaron los mismos procedimientos, pero uno incluyó material de una colección privada, en tanto que el segundo se basó en una muestra de material más pequeña pero mejor controlada. El primer análisis detectó distinciones de género y división de trabajo, pero estos resultados no fueron replicados por el reanálisis que usó la muestra controlada. Consideramos las razones que explican esta diferencia, proponiendo que los intereses de los coleccionistas pueden distorsionar la obtención de las colecciones. Sugerimos que algunos diseños particularmente deseables en la cerámica mimbres fueron creados usando pintura moderna. El artículo concluye con algunas recomendaciones para un mejor uso de las colecciones mezcladas por parte de los arqueólogos. Estas incluyen considerar los posibles sesgos o distorsiones existentes en colecciones y como diseñar análisis para contrarrestar probables problemas; implementar más análisis químicos con muestras representativas para evaluar la extensión de la manipulación moderna de las vasijas mimbres; reunir datos sobre la procedencia del material (es decir, la historia de las colecciones) para tratar de rastrear la probabilidad de modificaciones post-excavación; y estudiar los procesos de coleccionar como una manera de evaluar la autenticidad de los artefactos.

Type
Articles
Information
Advances in Archaeological Practice , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , May 2017 , pp. 138 - 146
Copyright
Copyright 2017 © Society for American Archaeology 

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References

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