I would like to draw your attention to a call for papers related to wood and/or charcoal studies in North or South America. The articles will be published in "Americae: The European Journal of Americanist Archaeology", a new open access, peer-reviewed archaeology and ethnohistory journal that is funded in part by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and coordinated by the CNRS's UMR 8096 "Archéologie des Amériques" laboratory. The journal is not yet online, but its debut is planned for Fall 2013.

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The archaeology of wood use and craftmanship in the Americas

Although wood remains are still often considered rare finds at archaeological sites, their recovery is increasing across the Americas, in the form of charcoal, artifacts, architectural elements and traces of their past presence. For example, wood constitutes the most abundant archaeological remains preserved at the now unanimously accepted oldest site in the Americas, Monte Verde (Chile). Thus, wood is gradually gaining consideration in Americanist Archaeology as a critical resource for the development of past societies.

Recent research from around the globe demonstrates the nuanced and multi-faceted potential of wood analysis to go beyond simply identifying fuel and construction taxa. However, in the Americas, certain aspects of the method and theory of archaeological wood studies, particularly anthracology (charcoal analysis), have not yet developed to the same extent as they have in Europe and other regions. Nonetheless, in other subfields, such as dendrochronology, Americanist scholars are recognized leaders. When wood remains are analyzed in Americanist archaeology, it is primarily in the context of paleoenvironmental reconstruction. However, this environmental emphasis may lead us to overlook (or disconnect) the other significant roles that wood resources can play in the wider context of human ecology and economy.

This call for papers aims to demonstrate the diversity, breadth and richness of wood analysis in the Americas to highlight the importance of this resource in many contexts, whether itis abundant or scarce. We welcome papers that describe new methods, new finds or broader syntheses that combine various types of wood analysis (e.g., anthracology, dendrochronology, chemical analysis, technological analysis, and ethno-archaeology) to answer questions about humans’ relationships with their woody environment and wood resources. All archaeological time periods and geographical locations within North and South America will be considered.

Best regards,

Michelle Elliott