I attended the "Star Wars" session and was not very happy with it. It was supposed to be a session where the concepts advocated by Deetz and those put forth by South were explored and perhaps even debated to a degree. Instead, I thought it was little more than an ambush of Stan South. It could have been a much better thing.

Pat Garrow  

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Robert L. Schuyler" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Dec 4, 2008 8:54 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Star Wars (SHAs 1979)
>
>Yes, it is coming back to me, its coming back to me more after seeing 
>the 1979 Nashville Program. I now remember:
>
>SHA 1979
>
>My most vivid memory was of Mel Thurman violently attacking the 
>conference organizers at the Business Meeting because the conference 
>was not perfect in all details. The conference chair started to stand 
>up to defend himself when his colleagues wisely stopped him because 
>they knew there was no defence when Thurman was in his attack mode. 
>Perhaps one missing element were the Abstracts of papers and 
>sessions. Does anyone know for sure?
>
>I also remember there was a rotating restaurant on top of the Hyatt 
>Regency Hotel (or some building). It was the first time I was in such 
>a structure and there were great views. You could see so far that it 
>was even possible we could see into civilized states like, say, Ohio. 
>I am not sure if the staff were paid employees or slaves. Remember, 
>this meeting was a long time ago.
>
>Yes, Deetz actually showed up for this one unlike the meeting which 
>he was suppose to preside over as the SHA President. He forgot to 
>come to that one!
>
>Symposium:
>
>I do recall being very pleased that I was the last discussant because 
>I had some brilliant, insightful concluding remarks. Unfortunately I 
>can not remember one of them. Am looking for notes or a copy of the 
>remarks if I wrote them out before the meeting.
>
>Did anyone make a tape recording of the session? Probably not.
>
>The Star Wars Session was very successful and a lot of fun. But the 
>details . . . . . . After attending over 40 SHA meetings they all 
>start to merge in ones memory.
>
>Bob Schuyler
>
>
>At 10:30 PM 12/3/2008, you wrote:
>>The March 1979 SHA Newsletter reproduced essentially the same information,
>>with slightly less detail.  No discussion or commentary on the conference.
>>
>>My program and abstracts for this conference are missing from an otherwise
>>complete set of conference programs dating from 1975 onwards.  Spooky?
>>
>>  I recall the Star Wars session in great detail though I admit I had
>>completely forgotten, indeed erased the memory, that certain individuals had
>>commented on the South & Deetz 1977 books.  No one can accuse me of 20/20
>>hindsight.
>>
>>I always wished Jim Deetz had published more on his brilliant notion of
>>developing a formula for assessing levels of domestic strife on the basis of
>>sherd breakage.  (Grin.)
>>
>>mcb
>>
>>On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 10:11 PM, Robert L. Schuyler
>><[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>>
>> > Dan:
>> >
>> > I am sending my initial findings via HISTARCH because perhaps someone on
>> > the list (Rick Sprague ?) can help with a problem I have encountered.
>> >
>> > The "Star Wars" Session was indeed in 1979 and I have that Program (PROGRAM
>> > SHA CUA January 2-6, 1979 Nashville) which on page 4 (unnumbered) reads:
>> >
>> > WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, January 3
>> >
>> > 1:00 Official welcome (Regency Ballroom) -
>> >        Herbert Harper and George Fielder
>> >
>> > SHA SESSION 4: STAR WARS 79: Will the Pole Arm of Historical Archaeology Be
>> > Fashioned from Nomothetic Metal or the Dream Dust of Structuralism: Being a
>> > Review of the Recent Work of James Deetz and Stanley South (Organized by
>> > G.P. Moran), Regency Ballroom
>> >
>> > 1:10    Introduction - Geoffrey P. Moran
>> >
>> > 1:20    "Sate of the Art/Science" - James Deetz
>> >
>> > 1:40    "Start of the Art/Science" - Stanley South
>> >
>> > 2:20    Review of "In Small Things Forgotten and Method and Theory" - W.H.
>> > Adams
>> >
>> > 2:40    R. Dickens
>> >
>> > 3:00    COFFEE BREAK
>> >
>> > 3:20    W. Kelso
>> >
>> > 3:40    M. Leone
>> >
>> > 4:00    C. Redman
>> >
>> > 4:20    R. Schuyler
>> >
>> > 4:40    Cross-Examination and Rejoinders
>> >
>> > 
>> *********************************************************************************
>> >
>> > The problem is that I can not find the 1979 Abstracts for the meeting. Does
>> > anyone on the list have the Abstracts (papers)? Were there Abstracts given
>> > out that year? Of course the discussants may not have had formal papers. I
>> > am checking my own records on that question.
>> >
>> > Bob Schuyler
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > At 10:26 AM 12/3/2008, you wrote:
>> >
>> >> Dear Colleagues,
>> >> I'm keen, in a paper I'm writing, to discuss the so-called 'Star Wars'
>> >> session/debate at the
>> >> SHAs circa 1978, which included contributions from Jim Deetz and Stan
>> >> South (among
>> >> others).
>> >>
>> >> As there is little or nothing published on the session, I'd be very
>> >> grateful if anyone who
>> >> was there could send their memories of the session to me by email (or
>> >> indeed, anyone
>> >> who wasn't there, but has opinions about its significance or content).
>> >>
>> >> Any references to descriptions/discussions of the session in print also
>> >> gratefully received!
>> >>
>> >> Many thanks in advance for your assistance and guidance with this,
>> >>
>> >> Dan Hicks
>> >> ........................................
>> >> Dr Dan Hicks MIFA, FSA
>> >> University Lecturer & Curator in Archaeology
>> >> School of Archaeology/Pitt Rivers Museum
>> >> University of Oxford
>> >> email: [log in to unmask]
>> >>
>> >
>>
>>
>>--
>>Mary C. Beaudry, PhD, RPA, FSA
>>Professor of Archaeology & Anthropology
>>Department of Archaeology
>>Boston University
>>675 Commonwealth Avenue
>>Boston, MA 02215-1406
>>tel. 617-358-1650
>>
>>people.bu.edu/beaudry/Mary_Beaudrys_Research/Welcome.html