Affiliation: University of Nevada in Las Vegas
Debra L. Martin, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, is an expert on violence in past societies, which includes expertise in human osteology and bioarchaeology. She received her PhD from the University of Massachusetts. The analysis of skeletonized human remains from archaeological as well as historic and contemporary settings form a basis for understanding the effects of trauma, fractures, disability and wounds related to lethal and nonlethal violence. She is the Series Editor for Bioarchaeology and Social Theory, a book series dedicated to cutting-edge bioarchaeological work published by Springer Verlag. She is also the Editor of the journal, American Antiquity. Her recent publications include co-authoring Gender Violence in the American Southwest (AD 1100) (Routledge), co-editing Bioarchaeology of Borders and Frontiers (UPF), Massacres (UPF), and Bioarchaeological and Forensic Perspectives on Violence (Cambridge). She is co-author of the textbook, Bioarchaeology An Integrated Approach to Working with Human Remains.
The tomb at the archaeological site of Tell Abraq, located near modern-day Abu Dhabi and Dubai, was discovered in 1989 and excavated over several field seasons. Over 300 individuals were placed in the tomb including premature and newborn infants, toddlers, teens, and adult males and females of all ages. Over time, the addition of corpses caused the disarticulation of most all of the skeletal remains. Our analysis proceeded on a bone by bone basis and questions about health and disease, trauma and violence, and diet and nutrition were addressed using innovative methods for skeletal analysis. “Osteobiographies” were created that provide a glimpse into what life was like over 4000 years ago in in the deserts of Arabia. And, one very enigmatic teenager, the only individual whose remains were not commingled, and perhaps the last person to be put in the tomb, provides a poignant reminder of the toll that disease takes.
Archaeological interpretations regarding violence often rely on limited views on the role of women. Women are often portrayed as passive victims—as sacrificial objects, casualties in conflict, captives, or battered partners and co-wives. This pervasive view impacts how we come to understand the roles that women played in the past. Rather than surrendering to the more simplistic portrayals of women, case studies from early pre-state societies are provided that demonstrate the multifaceted roles that women played in the past. These presentations re-imagine the roles of females highlighting the nuance, complexity, and wide range of contexts within which women were recipients and/or perpetrators of violence.
Are humans more violent now than in the past? Why is violence perpetuated primarily by males, yet many males do not partake in violence? How is the performance of masculinity conducted within the theater of violence? Male violence is often the source of power and influence, but more importantly, it is part of a deeply embedded and practiced set of behaviors that vary across cultures. This presentation uses archaeological data to reconstruct what it means to be a man in early small scale (pre-state) societies. Male violence is often viewed as outside of cultural norms, but the data suggests it is the opposite, that it is a force for constituting male identities, securing wives and resources, and for survival among competing males. Archaeological data provides information on the underlying cultural logic used to normalize male violence, providing insight into the role of male violence in society today.
Archaeological evidence for massacres goes back 10,000 years and there are mounting studies that show that this particular form of extreme violence has been used throughout human history. Why massacres? What is known about the origin and evolution of massacres in human history? Mass killings of entire households or villages are horrific, visceral and unique from traditional warfare and raiding. Massacres are often interpreted as a response to resource competition or cultural crises, but massacres are also seen to be part of a broader cultural and ideological attempt at restoring balance or existential anxiety (real or imagined). In early small scale societies, massacres are characterized by heavy the use of symbolism and ritual which gives them power to remake the status quo. This presentation provides an overview of the archaeological evidence for massacres in early human societies and the implications for better understanding massacres today.
