Department of Sociology & Anthropology
Anthropology 102
Introduction to World Prehistory:
Selected Sources for Research
|
Professor: Scott MacEachern Librarian: Leanne Pander Fall 2005 |
The Library Catalog
The Library Catalog section of the Library Gateway is the primary instrument for accessing the collections of the Bowdoin College Libraries. Included are bibliographic records for books, periodical titles, Archives materials, videorecordings, and sound recordings. Also listed are some of the government documents and Special Collections materials.
In the Library Catalog, you may search for an item by its Author (including editors, illustrators, translators, and corporate authors); Title (including series titles and alternate titles); or one of several other access points, such as call number or words in title.
For best results in Subject searching, use the standardized subject headings found in the large red Library of Congress Subject Headings books. For example, the subject phrase HUNTERS AND GATHERERS reveals no items in our library; the "correct" subject heading is HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES. Sometimes the catalog provides a cross-reference to the preferred subject heading; typing the subject CARBON DATING will refer you to the correct entry of RADIOCARBON DATING. Be creative, use the "red books," or ask a Reference Librarian for assistance anytime!
Indexes and Databases
These sources provide subject and author access to articles in periodicals and other current publications. They differ in the selection of journals covered and in the way they present their information. Although some duplication will be found among the various indexes, it is worthwhile to try several for a thorough literature search on any topic.
Most of the indexes listed below are accessed electronically through the Library Gateway. Print indexes are shelved in alphabetical order in the Reference Department Index Area.
Contains the full text of articles from worldwide newspapers, magazines, news wires and trade journals. Starting dates vary for different publications; current information is updated daily.
Academic Search Premier 1970's+
This electronic database covers over 2,000 English-language periodicals in social sciences, humanities, and science, as well as general interest magazines. The years covered vary for different periodicals, but generally go from the mid-1980's to the present. Beginning in 1992, many periodicals have articles reproduced in full-text. Other references include abstracts of articles.
Abstracts in Anthropology v.16, 1988+
Published eight times per year, this print publication covers mostly English-language periodicals in anthropology, and gives summaries for the citations. Author and subject indexes.
Annual Review of Anthropology
Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews Inc., 1972+
Ref.GN 1 A623
Each yearly volume contains review articles, that is, overview/update articles which discuss past and present studies of some topic from the field of anthropology or archaeology. Each review article concludes with an extensive bibliography of research related to its topic. Each volume has its own subject index, plus a cumulative index of the subjects covered in essays from past annual volumes. Finding a review arcticle and its accompanying bibliography provides valuable material for any research paper.
For electronic access to Annual Review of Anthropology, see:
Annual
Review of Anthropology Online
v.1- 1972- ;Current year and previous 5 years not available online.
Biennial Review of Anthropology Online
v.1-7, 1959-71.
The full-text of the Annual Review of Anthropology (above), plus its predecessor, Biennial Review of Anthropology, are available through the Library Gateway in the JSTOR database. The entire text of the articles, including the bibliographies, can be searched online.
Provides extensive worldwide indexing of journal articles, reports, commentaries, edited works, and obituaries in the fields of social, cultural, physical, biological, and linguistic anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, folklore, material culture, and interdisciplinary studies. Coverage extends back to the 19th Century.
ANTHROSOURCE, Dates vary
Contains the full text of more than 30 journals, including: a complete electronic archive of all AAA journals through 2003, access to archival content housed at JSTOR for key AAA publications including American Anthropologist, and current issues for 11 of the AAA's most critical peer-reviewed publications.
Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective, 1907-1984.
Online version of the two print indexes listed below:
Humanities Index 1974+
[formerly Social Sciences and Humanities Index, 1965-1974; International
Index to Periodicals, 1907-1965]
Provides cover-to-cover indexing of over 340 English-language periodicals in the fields of archaeology and classical studies, area studies, folklore, history, language and literature, performing arts, philosophy, religion and theology, and related subjects.
Social Sciences Index 1974+
[formerly Social Sciences and Humanities Index, 1965-1974; International
Index to Periodicals, 1907-1965]
Indexes over 350 key international English-language periodicals in the fields of sociology, anthropology, economics, public policy, and other social science disciplines. Related to Humanities Index (above). Important for locating citations to anthropology articles published before the availability of electronic indexes.
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: an Encyclopedia.
Edited by Guy Gibbon. New York: Garland, 1998
Ref.E 77.9 A72 1998
Provides answers to such questions as "When did people first enter North America, and where did they come from?" A comprehensive introduction to the precontact cultures of continental North America, organized by major culture areas.
Atlas of World Archaeology.
Edited by Paul G. Bahn. New York: Checkmark Books, 2000.
Ref.CC 165 A85
"Graphically presents the story of human evolution and the development of societies and civilizations in all parts of the globe as revealed by archaeology."
Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution.
Edited by Steve Jones et al. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press,
1992.
Ref.GN 281 C345 1992
A one-volume "introduction to the human species that places modern humans in evolutionary perspective." This encyclopedia deals with the evolution and ecology of human society, as reconstructed from archaeological remains, and from studies of tribal peoples and living primates today.
Dictionary of Anthropology.
Edited by Thomas Barfield. Oxford, U.K.: Blackwell, 1997
Ref.GN 307 D485 1997
Consists of substantial analytical articles focusing on key anthropological concepts, theories, and methodologies.
Encyclopaedia of Indian Anthropology.
Edited by A. Ghosh. Leiden; New York : E.J. Brill, 1990. 2 vols.
Ref. DS 418 E53 1990
Encompasses the major findings of Indian archaeology during the last 150 years, on prehistory, protohistory and the ancient historical period. Volume 1 covers specific topics grouped by large subject categories such as Environmental Archaeology; Pottery; Settlements; Skeletal Remains; and Writing. Volume 2 is a "Gazeteer of Explored and Excavated Sites in India."
Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology.
David Levinson and Melvin Ember, Editors. New York, Henry Hold and Company,
1996 4 vols.
Ref. GN 307 E52 1996
Sponsored by Human Relations Area Files at Yale University, this encyclopedia attempts to cover "all approaches, methods, concepts, and topics that are central to cultural anthropology in the last decade of the twentieth century as well as many subjects no longer of current interest But central to the anthropological enterprise in the past." It also covers selected information from the other three fields of anthropology: Linguistics, Biological Anthropology, and Archaeology.
Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory. 2nd edition.
Eric Delson et al. New York: Garland, 2000.
Ref.GN 281 E53 2000
Defining human evolution in its broadest sense, this encyclopedia covers such areas as systematics, evolutionary theory, genetics, primatology, primate paleontology, and Paleolithic archaeology. Attempts to provide "the most complete context possible for the understanding of the human fossil record."
Encyclopedia of Prehistory.
Edited by Peter N. Peregrine and Melvin Ember. New York: Kluwer Academic, 2001.
9 volumes.
Ref.GN 710 E53 2001
"Represents an attempt to provide basic information on all archaeologically known cultures, covering the entire globe and the entire prehistory of humankind. It is designed as a tool to assist indoing comparative research on the peoples of the past." The first 8 volumes are dedicated to a continent or region, with volume 9 as an index to all volumes.
Encyclopedia of World Cultures.
David Levinson, Editor in Chief. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1991-1994. 10 vols.
& suppl.
Ref.GN 550 E53 1991
An ambitious and impressive work, this series aims to be comprehensive. It provides descriptions of all past and present cultures of each region of the world, or a representative sample of cultures for regions where full coverage is impossible. The volumes include North America, Oceania, South Asia, Europe (Central, Western, and Southeastern Europe), East and Southeast Asia, Russia and Eurasia (China), South America, Middle America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East, and Indexes. Entries are lengthy and detailed, with scholarly bibliographies. The supplement, published in 2002, adds 100 new articles to the basic set.
Handbook of North American Indians.
William C. Sturtevant, Editor. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution,
1978+ 11 volumes; in progress.
Govt.Ref. SI 1.20/2
An impressive production, planned to be complete in 20 volumes, which will give "an encyclopedic summary of what is known about the prehistory, history, and cultures of the aboriginal peoples of North America who lived to the north of the urban civilizations of central Mexico. Each volume comprises essays by specialists on specific aspects of Indian life, with extensive bibliography and detailed index. The volumes published thus far cover the following: v.4, History of Indian-White Relations; v.5, Arctic; v.6, Subarctic; v.7, Northwest Coast; v.8, California; v.9-10, Southwest; v.11, Great Basin; v.12, Plateau; v.13, Plains; v.15, Northeast; v.17, Language.
Handbook of South American Indians.
Julian H. Steward, Editor. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1946-1959 7 vols.
Govt Ref SI 2.3 143
Same as above but covers South American region. The set comprises: v. 1. The Marginal Tribes -- v. 2. The Andean Civilizations -- v. 3. The Tropical Forest Tribes -- v.4. The Circum-Caribbean tribes -- v. 5. The Comparative Ethnology of South American Indians--v. 6. Physical Anthropology, Linguistics and Cultural Geography of South American Indians -- v. 7. Index
Historical Dictionary of North American Archaeology.
Edward B. Jelks, editor, Juliet C. Jelks, assistant editor. New York : Greenwood
Press, 1988.
Ref.E 77.9 H57 1988
A source of basic information on the major prehistoric cultures, archaeological sites, and artifact types of North America. Over 1800 entries, most quite brief; but references to an extensive bibliography lead to sources for further information.
History of Physical Anthropology: an Encyclopedia.
Edited by Frank Spencer. New York: Garland, 1997. 2 vols.
Ref. GN 50.3 H57 1997
Provides an overview of both the "broad scope" and the "long and frequently convoluted intellectual and institutional history" of physical anthropology. Contains entries covering specific areas of scientific inquiry and theory; description of the discipline's development in specific countries throughout the world; and biographical sketches.
Oxford Companion to Archaeology.
Edited by Brian M. Fagan. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Ref.CC 70 O96 1996
A comprehensive look at archaeology and archaeologists.
Wonderful World Wide Web Sites
Not all websites are created equal! The Web is an electronic repository for books, data collections, encyclopedias, libraries, and any disparate piece of text, graphic, or sound byte that someone chose to put on-line. And some of it is inaccurate, biased, out-of-date, shallow, and inappropriate for academic use.
For help in appraising web sources, see Evaluating WWW Sources.
Professor MacEachern's Selected Web Sites
A variety of sites relating to Anthropology and Archaeology, arranged by topic. See also the list of selected web sites below.
Full-text Resources
Anthropology in the
News
http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html
Links to news stories published on the web by ABC, CNN, the New York Times,USA Today, Washington Post, Nando, Archaeology, university press releases and other sources.
Archaeology
http://www.archaeology.org/
The official publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, online from mid-1996 to present.
Evolution and Behavior
http://www.geocities.com/jieyin98/evolution.html
Links to a variety of evolution-related articles and other resources, including an overview of evolutionary theory.
Indigenous Peoples Sites
Aboriginal Studies
WWW Virtual Library
http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Aboriginal.html
Hundreds of links to Australian native culture, art, history, language, organizations, full-text documents, and related sites.
Arctic Circle
http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/
The overall goal of Arctic Circle is to stimulate among viewers a greater interest in the peoples and environment of the Arctic and Subarctic region. This 'electronic circle' has three interrelated themes: natural resources; history and culture; social equity and environmental justice.
Index of Native American
Resources on the Internet
http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/
Links to hundreds of sites concerned with culture, arts, and other aspects of Native American life.
Indigenous Environmental Network
http://www.ienearth.org/
The Indigenous Environmental Network is an alliance of grassroots indigenous peoples whose mission is to protect the sacredness of Mother Earth from contamination and exploitation by strengthening maintaining and respecting the traditional teachings and the natural laws.
Native Americans and the Environment
http://www.cnie.org/NAE/index.html
Thousands of Internet and published resources related to environmental issues facing Native Americans are described and cataloged at this site..
NativeWeb Home Page
http://www.nativeweb.org
Purpose: "to provide a cyber-place for Earth's indigenous peoples." Documents and links currently focus on the Americas, with material being added for indigenous peoples on other continents. Information on native peoples, literature, language, history, biographies, enterprises.
The World Wide Web Virtual
Library: Indigenous Studies
http://www.cwis.org/wwwvl/indig-vl.html
The Center For World Indigenous Studies (CWIS) played a role in the development of this World Wide Web Virtual Library site. This page provides links to General Indigenous Studies Resources, as well as Indigenous Resources for Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Central & South America, Europe, and the Pacific.
Catalogs, Archives, Special Listings
Archaeological
Institute of America: Search for Fieldwork Opportunities
http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10016
Search for opportunities around the world, by region, country, type of archaeology, etc.
HADDON - the
Online Catalogue of Archival Ethnographic Film
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/external/isca/haddon/HADD_home.html
Produced at Oxford University, this is an online catalogue of archival ethnographic films and film footage shot during the first half-century of cinema. The HADDON catalogue contains records of over 1500 films and lengths of film footage shot between 1895 and 1945. The material is largely documentary and was largely shot outside Western Europe; it is stored in archives, museums and other institutions around the world.
National Archaeological
Database
http://www.cast.uark.edu/other/nps/nagpra/
"An internationally recognized source of information on public archeology. NADB ("Nad-Bee") was established to meet a congressional directive to improve access to information on archeological activities nationwide."
Peabody Museum of Archaeology
and Ethnology
http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/
The homepage for Harvard's Peabody Museum, the oldest anthropology museum in the hemisphere.
Metasites: Search the WWW for Anthropology
ArchNet
http://archnet.asu.edu/
Serves as the World Wide Web Virtual Library for Archaeology. Information is categorized by geographic region and subject, but there are also links to electronic journals, museums and academic departments.
World Wide Web Virtual Library: Anthropology
http://vlib.anthrotech.com/
Information categorized by subject: special fields, institutions, general resources, personal anthropology homepages, jobs, other virtual libraries for anthropology, news and events and exhibitions, research starting points.