Dru McGill | North Carolina State University (original) (raw)

Books by Dru McGill

In this dissertation, fragments of over 1,400 Mississippi Plain pottery (MPP) rimsherds from the ... more In this dissertation, fragments of over 1,400 Mississippi Plain pottery (MPP) rimsherds from the late pre-Columbian Mississippian archaeological site of Angel Mounds (12VG1) were examined to address questions about individual and group pottery production and consumption practices. Samples of coarse shell-tempered, undecorated rimsherds were drawn from four spatially-distinct and coeval areas within the site: two village “neighborhoods,” and two mound contexts. Most samples were originally recovered in early 20th century excavations; thus, this research included reanalysis of legacy collections. Samples were also taken from recent excavations at Unit A, a supposed “Potter’s House.”

A new pottery analysis methodology was developed and tested, which was inspired by prior pre-Columbian ceramic research, and designed to measure the extensive variability of technological styles in MPP production. Specifically, a detailed ceramic analysis was completed, resulting in the sorting of rimsherd samples into vessel shape and size categories, and the documentation of MPP morphological variability (e.g. varied rim angles, thicknesses, and lip shapes). Quantitative and qualitative analyses of MPP variability revealed culturally-meaningful patterns of variation linked to vessel type, size, and function, differential consumption practices at mound versus village locations, and small-group and individual production techniques and consumption preferences that support the hypothesis of spatially-distinct neighborhood communities of practice within Angel. Idiosyncratic variations in MPP also revealed aspects of personal identity for Angel pottery producers and consumers (e.g. skill level).

The results of this dissertation complement prior studies of decorated pottery at Angel and other Mississippian sites that documented type/variety classifications, suggested chronological markers via pottery styles, and debated the presence of elite material and ideological control over material culture. This research is innovative as it addresses variation within a single pottery type (MPP), which is the most common material culture form on many Mississippian sites. Utilizing a theoretical frame in materiality, practice theory, and consumption, this research highlights the role of “ordinary” people and their objects in culture-making in Mississippian societies. Everyday actions that included the use and contextualization of material culture are shown to be significant practices in creating and transforming social processes, including social organizations, subsistence, and identity formation.

Based on the Society for American Archaeology’s Annual Ethics Bowl, this book is centered on a se... more Based on the Society for American Archaeology’s Annual Ethics Bowl, this book is centered on a series of hypothetical case studies that challenge the reader to think through the complexities of archaeological ethics. The volume will benefit undergraduate and graduate students who can either use these cases as a classroom activity or as preparation for the Ethics Bowl, as well as those who are seeking to better understand the ethical predicaments that face the discipline

Papers by Dru McGill

Economic Anthropology

In its origins as a concept, wealth in people depended on the circulation and accumulation of rig... more In its origins as a concept, wealth in people depended on the circulation and accumulation of rights and obligations among and over the living. But if a person is a source of wealth, what happens when the person dies? Would the person be excised from the relationships upon which wealth in people depends, or might his or her wealth remain accessible to the living? To address this question, we present the case of Oberlin Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina. The cemetery was the core of Oberlin Village, a freedperson's African American community founded in the mid‐nineteenth century. Today, development threatens historic resources surrounding the cemetery, but a community organization founded by descendants and neighbors has emerged to preserve and promote their heritage. We are a group of anthropologists, geologists, and historians who live and work near Oberlin Village and who collaborate to help this organization achieve its goals. Here we report how our efforts to document the cemetery's history have bolstered their advocacy and validated their claims to wealth in the people buried there. Thus we show how wealth in people extends to the dead when graves and the people within them are potent sources of value for the living.

Seventy years of archaeological investigations at the site of Angel Mounds (12VG1) have led to a ... more Seventy years of archaeological investigations at the site of Angel Mounds (12VG1) have led to a broad overall understanding of the cultural practices of the Mississippian people in southwest Indiana nearly 1,000 years ago, but have also raised ever expanding new questions. Recent field-school excavations at Angel Mounds, sponsored by the Glenn A. Black Laboratory (GBL) at Indiana University, explored magnetic anomalies in a previously unexcavated area at Angel Mounds. Analyses of features and artifacts encountered during the excavations at Units A (the "Potter's House"), including large amounts of Mississippi Plain pottery and craft-production objects, inspired new questions on the organization of craft production at Angel Mounds and other Mississippian archaeological sites. In this article, I test whether a structure at Unit A may have been a craftproduction workshop by reviewing data archaeologists traditionally associate with workshops and examining the standardization of pottery found at the location. Preliminary results demonstrate the variability of Mississippi Plain pottery, even within single locations, and also show the potential analytical utility of such variability for testing important issues in the archaeology of Mississippian societies, including supposed elite-control over craft production and intrasite social organizations.

Teaching Ethics, 2012

As a young scholar and instructor in the field of anthropology, specifically archaeology, I have ... more As a young scholar and instructor in the field of anthropology, specifically archaeology, I have had a number of noteworthy experiences related to the topics of compliance and research ethics education in the university setting. The goal of archaeology is to reveal, interpret, and preserve the (mostly) unwritten parts of the past. Most often, the goal of archaeology education is to instruct students on the cultural practices of former peoples, the methods archaeologists use to determine those practices, and the importance of understanding diverse modern and past peoples today. For some practitioners, archaeology education also includes learning about the modern impacts and professional ethics of archaeological research.

Archaeologies

This paper discusses exploratory PhD research which utilized ethnographic methods in an attempt t... more This paper discusses exploratory PhD research which utilized ethnographic methods in an attempt to understand the myriad connections to archaeology, history, and heritage in a small Indiana town. I rejected an initial hypothesis that archaeological resources are an integral part of collective cultural identities and, instead, discovered that talking with living people can facilitate more effective communication and collaboration between archaeologists and local communities by making research and educational efforts contextualized and community-based. Through discussions with local stakeholders, I believe all archaeologists have better opportunities to link the professional ethics of accountability, public education, and stewardship in their research.

INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY

In September 2007, Project Co-Coordinators Cheryl Ann Munson (Indiana University Research Scienti... more In September 2007, Project Co-Coordinators Cheryl Ann Munson (Indiana University Research Scientist) and Dru McGill (Indiana University Doctoral Candidate) led a combined project of research and education at the Hovey Lake site (12Po10) near Mt. Vernon, Indiana, to coordinate with Indiana Archaeology Month. Small-scale excavations were utilized as a space for educating children and adults about archaeological methods, Indiana prehistory, and the importance of preservation of archaeological sites. The many educational goals of this project were successfully accomplished through diverse methods, and with the help of numerous project volunteers and co-sponsors. This project was titled “Community, Collaboration, and Participation” because of the importance of local community support of, and participation in, our activities. Hundreds of volunteer hours provided by concerned citizens of southwestern Indiana, such as teachers and university students, were spent distributing educational literature, advertising project events, preparing project materials, and working on-site.

Anthropology …, Jan 1, 2006

Teaching Documents by Dru McGill

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Conference Presentations by Dru McGill

Mississippi Plain pottery dominates ceramic assemblages recovered from many Mississippian archaeo... more Mississippi Plain pottery dominates ceramic assemblages recovered from many Mississippian archaeological sites. Over 99% of the two million excavated pottery sherds from Angel Mounds, Indiana (12Vg1) are undecorated (Hilgeman 2000). In this paper, I will discuss the extent of variability of Angel Mounds Mississippi Plain rimsherds, as identified during dissertation research at the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology at Indiana University. The discovery of culturally meaningful patterns in the Mississippi Plain variability (associated with variables such as space, time, and function) will complement extant studies of decorated wares and augment understanding of production, consumption, and technological style within Mississippian sites.

Fact Sheets by Dru McGill

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), is a document that describ... more A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), is a document that describes the terms of a cooperative agreement between two or more parties, as well as the goals of the cooperation. A MOA typically marks the beginning of a collaborative project, and is an opportunity for stakeholders to outline their visions, conduct debates, and resolve issues. A MOA is normally not considered to be a legal contract. The main difference is that a contract is an agreement where something of value is exchanged (for example goods or labor) – “John agrees to pay Jane $500 to create a website about
his family’s history.” A MOA is an agreement for parties to work together to meet an objective, without necessarily exchanging
anything – “John and Jane agree to work together on such and such terms in a collaborative project to document family
histories.”

Economic Anthropology

Teaching Ethics, 2012

Archaeologies

INDIANA ARCHAEOLOGY

Anthropology …, Jan 1, 2006