I think Wallace did a few anthropological studies on the subject. Here is
one source.
Anthony Wallace, Human Behavior in Extreme Situations: A Study of the
Literature and Suggestions for Further Research. Washington: National
Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, 1956.
Mike Deegan
> It is interesting that Anthony F.C. Wallace did some important studies of
> the anthropology (i.e. ethnography) of human
> disasters. I am not sure of the published source but I think it was the
> impact of a hurricane or tornado.
>
> Bob Schuyler
>
> At 04:41 PM 9/5/2005, you wrote:
>>Thanks, Dr. Schuyler, for saying that. I certainly did not intend to
>> sou=
>>nd callous, and I certainly do not feel callous toward the folks of the
>> G=
>>ulf Coast. I have an aunt in Biloxi, who, thankfully, is alive and well
>> =
>>in her own home -- it took us 3 days to find that out, and some family
>> an=
>>d friends are only finding out today, so it has been a hellacious week
>> fo=
>>r them. It has, as near as we can tell, been pretty hellacious for her,
>> =
>>as well, and she is among the fortunate "few" who are not dead, injured,
>> =
>>or homeless. The devastation is incredible at more levels than many of
>> u=
>>s can comprehend (and I number myself in that group, being so far
>> removed=
>> geographically), and Dr. Dawdy is both correct and right in urging us
>> no=
>>t to confuse professional "distance" with human empathy, or to replace
>> th=
>>e latter with the former.
>>I will make no attempt to defend my statements, lest I appear callous
>> aga=
>>in. I will say, though, as I said in this same forum a few days ago,
>> tha=
>>t "as citizen anthropologists, we have the responsibility to bring what
>> o=
>>bjectivity we can to the social and cultural aspects of this awful
>> situat=
>>ion as it exists and as it unfolds before us, with the goal that ALL
>> peop=
>>le impacted by this disaster . . . are treated with appropriate dignity
>> a=
>>s humans."
>>Please do not abandon archaeology on my account, or on account of the
>> awf=
>>ulness and aftermathof Katrina. It is not inhuman to be objective.
>>=20
>>=20
>>Jeffrey L. Boyer, RPA
>>Office of Archaeological Studies
>>P.O. Box 2087
>>Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
>>tel: 505.827.6343
>>fax: 505.827.3904
>>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>=20
>>
>>________________________________
>>
>>From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY on behalf of Robert L. Schuyler
>>Sent: Mon 9/5/2005 1:23 PM
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Just a thought . . .
>>
>>
>>
>>I do not think that Boyer's comment was meant in that spirit. New
>> Orleans=
>>,
>>of course, will not be abandoned. It will be rebuilt
>>and reoccupied. It is fortunate that the historic district seems to be
>> in=
>>
>>fairly good shape as that is the economic engine that
>>will keep New Orleans going in the future. After things are back
>> together=
>>
>>the SHA should give serious consideration to going
>>to New Orleans for a future annual conference as soon as possible. We
>> met=
>>
>>there once before (year?) and the historic city and especially the
>> people=
>>
>>of New Orleans were wonderful.
>>
>> Bob
>> Schu=
>>yler
>>
>>At 02:21 PM 9/5/2005, you wrote:
>> >I can't afford thoughts like this while people are still
>> >stranded and dying in their attics as we write. See the local
>> >paper's website www.nola.com, if you want to know how truly
>> >horrendous the local scene continues to be.
>> >
>> >I don't want the analytical distance I bring to the study of
>> >the past to carry over into how I relate to breathing human
>> >beings in the present. But maybe that's just me.
>> >
>> >Callousness like this makes me want to abandon archaeology,
>> >not New Orleans.
>> >
>> >---- Original message ----
>> > >Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 09:29:15 -0600
>> > >From: "Boyer, Jeffrey, DCA" <[log in to unmask]>
>> > >Subject: Just a thought . . .
>> > >To: [log in to unmask]
>> > >
>> > >Leaving aside personal feelings about The Big Easy (I think
>> >it was Kris Hirst who said, early in this event, that New
>> >Orleans is a city unafraid to reveal itself) . . . were it not
>> >for abandonment, we archaeologists would have pretty much
>> >nothing to do. Imagine how fascinating for our
>> >great-great-grandchildren-in-the-field to examine the
>> >historical records and the historical archaeology (and the
>> >notoriety) of New Orleans. Imagine the archival and material
>> >information on population movement and
>> >absorption/assimilation. Please understand: not a death wish
>> >for the city or its residents -- I would really like to sit in
>> >the Quarter and eat barbecued shrimp and beignets (sp?). Just
>> >a thought . . .
>> > >
>> > >Jeffrey L. Boyer, RPA
>> > >Office of Archaeological Studies
>> > >P.O. Box 2087
>> > >Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
>> > >tel: 505.827.6343
>> > >fax: 505.827.3904
>> > >e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >________________________________
>> > >
>> > >From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY on behalf of David Babson
>> > >Sent: Sun 9/4/2005 10:17 PM
>> > >To: [log in to unmask]
>> > >Subject: Re: Hurricane damage
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >I have seen several newspaper op-eds, and heard opinions from
>> >a few
>> > >associates (not archaeologists) that New Orleans SHOULD be
>> >abandoned,
>> > >because it is "not a sustainable city," being too low, and
>> >that taxpayer
>> > >dollars should not be wasted perpetuating a mistake begun by
>> >the French
>> > >(one of the usual suspects, of course) 300 years ago. They
>> >do want to
>> > >keep the port and the French Quarter (under a dome, and suitably
>> > >Disneified, I presume), since the economy and its wealthiest
>> > >beneficiaries MUST be served. After all, they were able to
>> >skedaddle
>> > >before the looting, and presumably will continue to be able
>> >to do so,
>> > >even when gas reaches $15.00/gallon. Leaving aside the fact
>> >that much
>> > >of this is the usual garbage from bigots and bluenoses who
>> >have never
>> > >liked new Orleans (too Black, too gay, too drunk, and,
>> >probably, having
>> > >too much fun), would a failure to rebuild New Orleans be a
>> >sign of
>> > >social recession, of the sort that accompanies a declining
>> >society?
>> > >This is one of the classic problems in archaeology, studying past
>> > >social, economic and cultural collapses--classical Mediterranean
>> > >civilizations in the early-to middle part of the first
>> >millennium CE,
>> > >the classic Maya, Norse Greenland, etc., and, of course, one
>> >of the
>> > >archaeological markers of these processes is abandoned
>> >cities. This
>> > >comes a bit too close to using archaeology in prediction,
>> >something we
>> > >pay lip service too, but generally avoid, as it is so
>> >uncertain. But,
>> > >if we come to seriously consider abandonment of the
>> >30th-largest city
>> > >(this is a city-limits population rank from 2000 census data from
>> > >Google--I think the entire metropolitan area must be larger),
>> >then where
>> > >are we, as a nation?
>> > >
>> > >D. Babson.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >-----Original Message-----
>> > >From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>> >Behalf Of
>> > >Robert L. Schuyler
>> > >Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 4:09 PM
>> > >To: [log in to unmask]
>> > >Subject: Re: Hurricane damage
>> > >
>> > >I want to second the "thanks" to Shannon Dawdy for an
>> >excellent precis
>> > >on
>> > >what has happened in New Orleans and the region.
>> > >I also think that some discussion of the disaster beyond
>> >archaeology per
>> > >se
>> > >is not completely out of line in HISTARCH but
>> > >Anita does have to rein us all back in now and then ...
>> > >
>> > >Back to Archaeology:
>> > >
>> > > (1) How many times since its founding has New
>> >Orleans been hit
>> > >by
>> > >major hurricanes?
>> > >
>> > > (2) Do these events leave a recognizable trace in the
>> > >archaeological record? I assume it would be mass
>> > > dumping of buildings etc. in pits after
>> >clean-up and
>> > >rebuilding. A destruction layer?
>> > >
>> > > (3) Did major hurricanes cause real shifts in the
>> >culture of
>> > >New
>> > >Orleans; that is, did the population as a
>> > > result swing way up or down and did the ethnic
>> > >composition
>> > >of the city change as a result?
>> > > [If I went through one of these "events" I
>> >think I
>> > >would,
>> > >like General Butler, be headed back
>> > > north.]
>> > >
>> > > Bob
>> >Schuyler
>> > >
>> > >At 01:26 AM 9/2/2005, you wrote:
>> > >> >From New Orleans North:
>> > >>
>> > >>The human tragedy is immense, and of course we must
>> > >>immediately do what we can to stave it. It will take weeks
>> > >>before we know what flooding has done, and the news reports
>> > >>are spotty and hard to trust as to the extent and geography of
>> > >>the water damage.
>> > >>
>> > >>However, the oldest notarial records are actually in a vault
>> > >>on the fifth floor of a large office building and are probably
>> > >>safe. Across the street in the basement were the late
>> > >>19th-century through 20th century notarial acts, which may be
>> > >>decimated, as would be the mortgage and conveyance books
>> > >>dating from the 1820s that include a wealth of information on
>> > >>slavery. Still, staff members did know the value of these old
>> > >>dusty books and it is possible they had a couple hours to move
>> > >>them to higher floors before they evacuated.
>> > >>
>> > >>Collections at Tulane, UNO, the Public Library and the
>> > >>Louisiana State Museum are all elevated at least one tall
>> > >>floor. The Historic New Orleans Collection was in the process
>> > >>of building a new archive storage facility to protect their
>> > >>collections, so I am a little worried about those. The State
>> > >>Museum, which was badly funded to begin with, will be
>> > >>hard-pressed to conserve their 10,000 irreplaceable 18th
>> > >>century documents from the French period if there is water
>> > >>exposure through window breaks or leaks. The best that could
>> > >>be done in that case is to put political pressure on the state
>> > >>to transfer custodial care. Same I would say with the Public
>> > >>Library's wonderful collection (the building is modernist with
>> > >>glass walls, so I am a bit worried).
>> > >>
>> > >>My understanding is that there was some ground-floor flooding
>> > >>in the French Quarter and certainly some looting of contents,
>> > >>but that most of the structures there stood up fairly well --
>> > >>after all, they've been through quite a few of these. Same is
>> > >>true of the Garden District. I am still waiting to hear
>> > >>specifics, though, on sites such as Madame John's Legacy, the
>> > >>Ursuline Convent, or Pitot House, which some of you have asked
>> > >>me about.
>> > >>
>> > >>But little do people realize that the historic value of the
>> > >>hard-hit lower 9th ward and the neighborhood of Holy Cross was
>> > >>tremendous as an extensive community of small, lower income
>> > >>shotgun houses from the 19th century largely spared the 'urban
>> > >>renewal' of the 20th century. Still, I'd lose all those
>> > >>houses again in exchange for one of the lives lost within them.
>> > >>
>> > >>Unfortunately, the political geography of the past will
>> > >>probably dictate historic preservation in the future. Since
>> > >>its founding, the wealthy in New Orleans have crowded their
>> > >>estates and townhouses along the high ground of the natural
>> > >>levees, leaving the swampy swales to the poor. So all those
>> > >>mansions and fancy townhouses valued by tour guides and
>> > >>blue-haired architectural boards are probably in relatively
>> > >>decent shape, but they will also receive the lion's share of
>> > >>reconstruction assistance.
>> > >>
>> > >>Many of the quaint cottages of the largely black 'back of
>> > >>town'neighborhoods may be wiped out, either because they were
>> > >>heavily damaged if next to the levee breaks, or because even
>> > >>with minor damage they will be last on the list of priorities
>> > >>for repair or preservation. But will anyone care? These are
>> > >>not neighborhoods where tourists are funneled. And the human
>> > >>loss there may make it difficult to focus on preserving a now
>> > >>painful past.
>> > >>
>> > >>Archaeologically, floods caused by levee breaks actually help
>> > >>protect urban sites unless they are actively being excavated,
>> > >>so I can't really be concerned about those. Rebuilding efforts
>> > >>will likely do greater damage than the hurricane itself. Great
>> > >>loss, however, has probably occured in the Barataria, Lake
>> > >>Borgne and barrier island areas due to the storm surge.
>> > >>
>> > >>All this talk of abandoning New Orleans, the "loss of New
>> > >>Orleans" or its cultural heritage that I am reading in the
>> > >>media is causing a second kind of heartbreak. We need hope,
>> > >>ambition, and a hell of a lot of help, not pessimism and
>> > >>abandonment. New Orleans, I think it is safe to say, is a
>> > >>world heritage site and needs the world's assistance.
>> > >>
>> > >>Back in the early 18th century, the French talked of
>> > >>abandoning New Orleans within 10 years of its founding due to
>> > >>hurricanes and political-economic disasters (Katrina also
>> > >>being a combination). And for all practical purposes, the
>> > >>French government DID abandon New Orleans after 1735. But
>> > >>people stayed, rebuilt, and prospered in their own way.
>> > >>
>> > >>Disasters and their aftermath are also a part of New Orleans'
>> > >>heritage. It wouldn't be what it is without them. For most,
>> > >>it has never been easy to live in the Big Easy. Their
>> > >>creativity and improvisation in survival, as well as their
>> > >>joie de vivre, is the city's real 'cultural heritage.' People
>> > >>who have only visited Bourbon Street have no idea what has
>> > >>been lost, nor have they ever really met the city that will
>> > >>survive.
>> > >>
>> > >>-- Shannon Dawdy
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> > >>Shannon Lee Dawdy
>> > >>Assistant Professor
>> > >>Department of Anthropology
>> > >>University of Chicago
>> > >>1126 East 59th St.
>> > >>Chicago, IL 60637
>> > >>773-834-0829
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>Forgive me if my messages seem crude and brief -- please
>> >assume I am
>> > >short
>> > >>on time, not short of temper.
>> > >
>> > >Robert L. Schuyler
>> > >University of Pennsylvania Museum
>> > >3260 South Street
>> > >Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324
>> > >
>> > >Tel: (215) 898-6965
>> > >Fax: (215) 898-0657
>> > >[log in to unmask]
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential
>> >and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to
>> >whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in
>> >error please notify the system manager. This message contains
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>> > >
>> > >
>> > >Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including all
>> >attachments is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s)
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>> >recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of
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>> >Antigen Email System.
>> >
>> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> >Shannon Lee Dawdy
>> >Assistant Professor
>> >Department of Anthropology
>> >University of Chicago
>> >1126 East 59th St.
>> >Chicago, IL 60637
>> >773-834-0829
>>
>>Robert L. Schuyler
>>University of Pennsylvania Museum
>>3260 South Street
>>Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324
>>
>>Tel: (215) 898-6965
>>Fax: (215) 898-0657
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
>> intende=
>>d solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
>> address=
>>ed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system
>> man=
>>ager. This message contains confidential information and is intended
>> only=
>> for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should
>> =
>>not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
>>
>>
>>Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including all attachments is for
>> the=
>> sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and
>> p=
>>rivileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or
>> distri=
>>bution is prohibited unless specifically provided under the New Mexico
>> In=
>>spection of Public Records Act. If you are not the intended recipient,
>> pl=
>>ease contact the sender and destroy all copies of this message. -- This
>> e=
>>mail has been scanned by the Sybari - Antigen Email System.=20
>
> Robert L. Schuyler
> University of Pennsylvania Museum
> 3260 South Street
> Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324
>
> Tel: (215) 898-6965
> Fax: (215) 898-0657
> [log in to unmask]
>
__________________________________________________
Michael J Deegan Jr
MS Candidate- Historical and Industrial Archaeology
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931
845-661-9788
|
