You should check out the article "Archaeology and Prohibition" by William B. Bulter, Plains Anthropologist, Vol. 21, No. 71, pp67-72, 1976. The Abstract reads:
The importance of alcohol to the archaeologist is investigated through a study of archaeological productivity before, during and after Prohibition. This contribution to the ethno-science of archaeology reveals that archaeological productivity is positively related to alcohol and its concomitant sin qua non: the bull session.
As you would say Tim,
Cheers,
Harding Polk II
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-----Original Message-----
From: scarlett <[log in to unmask]>
To: HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Fri, Apr 13, 2012 7:19 am
Subject: RFP: Creativity
Hi all,
y my figuring, archaeologists tend to be an extraordinarily creative group of
eople. Now we know why!
his post is a teaser and reminder of my RFP about creativity for SHA 2013!
heers,
im
Drinking Alcohol May Significantly Enhance Problem Solving Skills by Christine
su.
ttp://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_skills/
"Lead author Professor Jennifer Wiley of the University of Illinois at Chicago
iscovered that alcohol may enhance creativity problem solving by reducing the
ind’s working memory capacity, which is the ability to concentrate on something
n particular."
...people who drank alcohol and had a blood alcohol level of 0.07 or higher
ere worse at completing problems that required attentional control but better
t creative problem solving tests." "The surprising discovery was that
articipants with a BAC of 0.07 or higher solved 40 percent more problems than
heir sober counterparts and took 12 seconds to complete the tasks compared to
5.5 seconds by teetotal participants." "Wiley said that the key finding was
hat being too focused can blind a person to novel possibilities and a broader,
ore flexible state of attention may be helpful for creative solutions to
merge."
published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition
egin forwarded message:
> From: scarlett <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Request for Papers: Reconsidering Archaeologies of Creativity
Request for Papers: Reconsidering Archaeologies of Creativity
Call for papers for the 46th Annual Conference on HIstorical and Underwater
rchaeology, January 9-12, 2013, Leicester, Great Britain.
Human creativity is fundamental to understanding the transformations brought
bout by both globalization and immigration, the dual themes of the 2012
onference. People act and react creatively to these processes, in mundane and
rand ways, individually and collectively. Thus, creativity intertwines and
ntangles it's processes with all human interactions. The process and contexts
f creative action, as well as the concept of creativity itself, can be
nderstood from psychological, behavioral, social, humanistic, and philosophical
erspectives. Individual persons and groups derive creativity from the cultural
mprovisations of social interactions surrounding economic, religious,
echnological, recreational, and familial activities; movement through spaces
nd among places; rituals; and the shifting practices of daily life. While
rchaeologists have produced numerous studies of human's creative responses, we
ave given less attention to creativity itself, particularly in those
rchaeologies of the modern world. Scholars in the sciences and humanities have
een able to describe some of the processes and contexts of creative action in
he human experience, but those insights have not lead to creativity's
ationalization or "corporate domestication."
I welcome archaeological studies that critically explore creativity from
ifferent perspectives, including:
- the social construction of creative process
- contexts of creative action, like work and play
- archaeological perspectives on creativity and the brain
- creativity and social change
- creativity and adaptation
- improvisation and creativity
- creativity and behavior
- creativity, capitalism, and entrepreneurial culture
- prehistory vs. history in understanding creativity
- detailed case studies of creative action, as critiques or assessment of
reativity
Please contact Timothy Scarlett by May 1st, 2012 to express interest.
Best regards,
Tim
Timothy Scarlett
Industrial Heritage and Archaeology
Department of Social Sciences
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsed Dr.
Houghton, MI 49931
(906)487-2359
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Additional conference information:
> The Conference Committee has announced their Call for Papers:
ttp://ow.ly/9Vdzg
Conference webpage:
http://www.sha.org/meetings/annual_meetings.cfm
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