Corvette Museum Offers "Free Admission" to Recognize US Military, Fire Fighters and Police in November

To contact us Click HERE
The National Corvette Museum would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the many men and women who have served, and are serving our country.

November is "Military Appreciation Month" at the National Corvette Museum and all military personnel, fire fighters, police officers and their immediate families receive "Free Admission" during the entire month of November. All American branches including active, retired and reserve members will be honored with free admission when presenting a military or service ID.

"We are truly a blessed nation and our military provide the safety we have to enjoy our American privileges," states NCM Executive Director, Wendell Strode. "Corvette is an American icon and we invite these special individuals and their family members to experience a tour of the Museum dedicated to America’s favorite sports car."

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM!

Breakfast with Santa and Santa's Market at the Corvette Museum

To contact us Click HERE
There’s nothing like seeing the face of a child light up when they first spot Santa each holiday season… except maybe when you see a child spot Santa driving a red Corvette into the room! For kids (and kids at heart) it will be a memory they will never forget and for Santa – well, he gets a taste of what it must have been like when the Beatles would take the stage.

The National Corvette Museum is hosting the 3rd Annual Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday, November 26 at 9am, complete with the man in red in a Corvette of red! “There’s something magical about the moment when the garage doors open up and Santa comes driving in,” said Katie Frassinelli, Museum Marketing Manager. “I have to admit, even I get a little excited when it happens! It’s not something you’ll find anywhere else.”

This fun-filled event not only offers a hot breakfast for families and a chance for pictures with Santa AND a red Corvette, but also loads of activities like arts and crafts stations, dance performances, music, story time with Mrs. Claus, an IGA sweet treat station with goodies to take home, life-size gingerbread play houses and more.

“Each year we try to pick a theme and have craft activities, decorations and more that focus on the theme,” said Jackie Utzler, Education and Community Events Coordinator for the Museum. “This year each child will get the opportunity to actually make a mini gingerbread house to take home, in addition to other fun crafts.”

A new activity for this year is kid-sized gingerbread houses. The houses, transformed from empty appliance boxes into a miniature replica of historic downtown Bowling Green, will give younger kids a little extra activity to do. In addition, after the festivities the houses will be placed in the Museum for visitors to enjoy throughout the month of December.

Tickets for the event are only $12 for adults and $8 for kids 12 and under. Infants under 1 are free. Tickets must be reserved in advance by phone at 270-781-7973, online at www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/santa or in person at the National Corvette Museum, open daily 8am-5pm. A limited number of tickets are available.

New for 2011 is “Santa’s Market” – an indoor craft and shopping fair offering holiday gift ideas. The fair will also be on Saturday, November 26 on the Museum’s Corvette Boulevard and is free for the public to attend. The Market is 9am-3pm and vendors will be offering goods including sports merchandise, jewelry, homemade packaged foods, cookwear, doll clothing and accessories, children's books, candles, purses, totes and more.

It's a Nano World Exhibit Opens at the Corvette Museum

To contact us Click HERE

January 14 the National Corvette Museum welcomes a special traveling exhibition from the Ithaca, New York Sciencenter entitled “It’s a Nano World.” The exhibit introduces children and their families to the biological wonders of the nano world and inspires curiosity, creating a context for future learning about nanobiotechnology.

The hands-on exhibit’s focus is on the “adventures” of very tiny things and demonstrates the tools scientists use to see them. At the ‘Magnification Station’ visitors can use microscopes of different strengths to look at items such as shells, paper, sand and hair. Children can become larger than life at the ‘Giant Magnifying Glass’ and can learn about the effects of small things in the air while playing ‘germ, dust and pollen pinball.’ There is also a ‘Giant Blood Drop’ represented by a large pit filled with over one thousand red balls (red blood cells) and the challenge is to hunt for the few fluffy white balls (white blood cells).

“This will be the third year in a row that we’ve brought in a special exhibit during this time period,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager. “Your ticket into the Museum gives you access to both Corvettes and this hands-on children’s science exhibit… it’s like two in one!”

The exhibit will officially kick off on Saturday, January 21 with Family Fun day, offering free activities in the Museum’s Conference Center from noon-3pm.
The exhibit is funded in part by a sponsorship from PNC Bank. “PNC has developed a program called ‘Grow Up Great’ which helps prepare children for success in school and life, especially underserved children,” said Katie. “This will be our second exhibit to work with PNC on, and this year we are bringing in all of the Bowling Green Headstart children as part of their sponsorship to give them the opportunity to enjoy the exhibit.”

Through Grow Up Great, PNC supports families, educators and community partners to provide innovative opportunities that enhance learning and development in a child’s early years. Research shows that children who participate in high-quality preschool programs are far more likely to experience greater educational achievements, strive toward higher vocational aspirations and contribute to society later in life. Their website, http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com/ offers a number of great Sesame Street themed activities, downloads and information.

"We’re excited to bring this hands-on exhibit to Bowling Green,” said Kevin Carrico, PNC Regional Manager. “PNC’s Grow Up Great program offers educational opportunities to children everywhere, and It's a Nano World has activities families not only from south central Kentucky can enjoy, but also the many visitors who pass through our wonderful community.”

In addition to PNC’s commitment the Museum is seeking businesses and individuals to sponsor classrooms and schools that might not otherwise get the opportunity to take a field trip. The “Fund-A-Fieldtrip” program has the potential to increase the number of visitors to the Museum while providing kids with a fun, educational learning opportunity outside the classroom walls. Classroom sponsorships are $300 and include a number of recognition benefits. Contact Katie at 270-467-8846 or katie@corvettemuseum.org to find out how you can sponsor a classroom.

Admission to the Museum and Exhibit(Regular admission price includes the exhibit)
$10 for adults
$5 for kids age 6-16
$8 for seniors
$25 family admission (everyone in a household)
$4 student groups age 6-16
$3 student groups age 3-5
(1 free teacher/leader with every 10 students, bus drivers free)

Discount tickets to the exhibit are available at Bowling Green and Smiths Grove branches of PNC Bank, and PNC Bank customers may simply show a bank card to purchase discount tickets at the Museum.

Hours & LocationOpen seven days a week, 8am-5pm CT
350 Corvette Drive, just off I-65 exit 28.
The exhibit is open January 14 - April 15, 2012

Learn more about this and other educational programs offered by the Museum online at www.corvettemuseum.org/exhibits/nanoworld.shtml.

For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit our website at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/ or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).

Family Fun DaySaturday, January 21 - 12-3pm
The exhibit will officially kick off on Saturday, January 21 with Family Fun day, offering free activities in the Museum’s Conference Center from noon-3pm. Activities include an indoor inflatable, face painting, arts and crafts activities, games, vendor booths and more. The first 50 kids to attend will receive FREE admission to the Museum and Nano World exhibit!


Character BreakfastSaturday, January 21 - 8-11am
Kid Stuff Around Town, a local nonprofit organization who matches youth volunteers with opportunities, is hosting a "Character Breakfast" in conjunction with Family Fun Day. The breakfast will give families the opportunity to dine with various "characters" including Big Red, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, Cinderella, Iggy, Licky, Axel the Hot Rods Bear and many others. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased online at:http://www.kidstuffaroundtown.com/.

'Celebrate My Drive' With Free Teen Driving Event Saturday

To contact us Click HERE


On Saturday, September 15, 2012, State Farm is hostingCelebrate My Drive events across the U.S. and Canada, creating one special dayfor communities to rally around new drivers as they explore the roadahead.  One such local community eventwill be from 10am-3pm at the National Corvette Museum.
“The regional State Farm office approached us early thisspring wanting to see how they could partner with us on our teen drivingprograms,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager at theNational Corvette Museum.  “Like us,State Farm has an interest in keeping our teens safe on the roads, and theprograms we offer both through the driving simulators and our car care andmaintenance seminars were a great fit for their Teen Driving efforts.  State Farm is supporting the Museum withgrant funding for this event, the texting while driving virtual realitysimulator, and additional resources for our ongoing teen driver classes.”
Activities at Saturday’s event include a golf cart courseusing Fatal Vision goggles, basic vehicle maintenance seminars, door prizedrawings, driving simulator demos every 30 minutes, vendor booths and a mockcrash by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. The Museum and State Farm have also rented the P.E.E.R.S. FoundationVirtual Reality Simulator – Aware TXT. The simulator is designed to teachstudents the dangers of texting and driving, the consequences of their actions,how to make the right choice and to provide them with a hands-on demonstration onthe simulator.
Families are welcome to drop in for a few activities, orstay for the entire event.  All CelebrateMy
Drive activities are free, and reduced rate Museum admission is available forthose participating who would also like to tour the exhibit areas.  A complete schedule with more details isavailable online at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/drive/index.shtml.
State Farm’s website also has many resources for teendrivers and their families. Log on to http://teendriving.statefarm.com/celebrate-my-driveto learn more.

Free Admission to Area Museum on Smithsonian Magazine's 8th Annual Museum Day

To contact us Click HERE
On Saturday, September 29, 2012, the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, and the National Corvette Museum will participate in the eighth annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day. The Museums will join other participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide to open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day Ticket from Smithsonian.com. A journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities.

The Historic RailPark & Train Museum takes a step back in time to the golden era of passenger service. A guided tour of vintage railcars showcases the workings of a Post Office Car, Dining Car and Sleeper Car. The self-guided tour of the two story museum immerses visitors into the cultural story of the railroad including two new exhibits. "Hobo Times explores the life of the Hobo with the secret language interpreted into quilts by Creative Quilters Guild," said Sharon Tabor, Executive Director of the Railpark. "The Civil War and the Railroad includes personal stories, models and antique photography," she added.

Visitors to the National Corvette Museum will enjoy the special "September 11, 2001: A Global Moment" exhibit on loan from the New York State Museum, plus a new 1,000 square foot KidZone. "We are an ever-changing Museum and no two visits with us are the same," said Katie Frassinelli, Corvette Museum Marketing Manager. "We are more than just Corvette, offering a little something for everyone."

The Museum Day Ticket is available to download at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people to one participating museum or cultural venue of their choice. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. Listings and links to participating museums’ and sponsors’ sites can be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

Shula's Naples Earns Wine Spectator Award

To contact us Click HERE

CongratulationsShula’s Steak House at The Hilton Naples for earning Wine Spectator’s 2012Award of Excellence!!! 

WineSpectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards recognize restaurants whose wine listsoffer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to awide range of wine lovers.

To qualify foran award, the list must present complete, accurate wine information. It mustinclude vintages and appellations for all selections, including wines availableby the glass. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory,while the overall presentation and appearance of the list is also taken intoconsideration. 

Reservations: 239-430-4999 Private Dining: 239-659-3176Follow Us On Facebook.

A Legendary Evening At Shula's Steakhouse

To contact us Click HERE
Join Shula's Steakhouse Naples For A Legendary Evening with Alexander Valley Vineyards & Sommelier Max VaterEnjoy A Four Course Meal Paired With Estate Wines From Alexander Valley Vineyards. Reservations Required By Contacting Jeff Jerome at (239) 659-3176.  Wine List DescriptionEstate ChardonnayHarvested from estate vineyards along the RussianRiver ourChardonnay is dry, crisp and clean, with rich flavorsof citrus fruits,peaches, green apples, minerals and vanilla. It iselegant and foodfriendly.
Estate MerlotA big powerful Merlot with aromas of cassis &blackberry along withnuances of vanilla & cedar. The seductive richflavors of blackberry,currant and cassis and toasty oak combined with suppletannins giveour Merlot immediate appeal. Often called the “Cablovers Merlot”, ithas a finish that just goes on and on.
Estate CabernetSauvignon AVV’s flagship for over three decades .Elegant and balancedwith rich concentrated flavors of blackcherry, plum, cassis,chocolate and spicy polished finish. Lotsof finesse, enjoyable in itsyouth; and an age worthy value for thewine cellar.
CYRUS ~ The First Growth of SonomaOur tribute to the Alexander Valley and Bordeauxgrapes. Intensearomas of black cherry, plum, cassis and chocolatecombine withrich complex fruit, spicy oak, and a velvety mouthfeel. Firm tannins,beautiful balance and a long finish give testament tothe opulence ofthis wine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight! Children's Museum of Naples Adult Only Night

To contact us Click HERE
Not only does C'mon encourage children to befree to play, learn and dream, it also lets adults have a night of fun on theirown!

Tonight is their adult-only playtime where you can relax, explore, learn and justhave a lot of fun!
Food, drink, music, themes and other 'big-kid' fun.  The night will beanything but typical, as the Museum opens its doors to grown-ups looking formusic and a chance to recapture the feeling of childhood curiosity and wonder.

September 13, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Theme: Tailgate Party
Cost: $15 members/$25 non-member (21+)
Call: (239) 514-0084

**The Children's Museum of Naples will be closed from September 17, 2012 to October 1, 2012 for scheduled maintenance.

Shula's Naples Is Celebrating National Seafood Month

To contact us Click HERE


It’s National Seafood Month and Shula’s Steak HouseNaples is CELEBRATING!!!
JoinUs Every Friday In October With A Special Three Course Meal Starting At $42.95.Highlighting Our Crab Cakes, Our Lobster Tail Or Our Fresh Grilled Salmon.
AlsoEVERYONE In October We Are Offering Two Of Our Signature Appetizers For ONLY $8.
EnjoyOur BBQ Shrimp Or Our Blackened Sea Scallops.
MakeYour Reservations Today!(239)430-4999
 Don't Forget To Enter For Your Chance To Win An All-Inclusive Escape To Tuscany or one of many other great...Click Here To Enter!

Show Your Appreciation To Your Boss At Shula's Naples

To contact us Click HERE


 Show Your AppreciationTo Your BossAnd Celebrate Boss’s Day at Shula’s!
Tuesday,October 16^th 11:30AM to 2:30PM  TreatYour Boss to Lunch at Shula’s and Their MEAL IS ON US!*Limit One (1) Complimentary Meal PerTable of Equal or Less Value.
ReservationsAre Required.Please tell yourHostess that you are making a reservation to honoryour Boss.
 CALLTODAY239-430-4999Group Lunch of 10 or more?Contact Jeff at 239-659-3176.
GIVE YOURBOSS A LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE!!!

Shula's Naples Earns Wine Spectator Award

To contact us Click HERE

CongratulationsShula’s Steak House at The Hilton Naples for earning Wine Spectator’s 2012Award of Excellence!!! 

WineSpectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards recognize restaurants whose wine listsoffer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to awide range of wine lovers.

To qualify foran award, the list must present complete, accurate wine information. It mustinclude vintages and appellations for all selections, including wines availableby the glass. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory,while the overall presentation and appearance of the list is also taken intoconsideration. 

Reservations: 239-430-4999 Private Dining: 239-659-3176Follow Us On Facebook.

A Legendary Evening At Shula's Steakhouse

To contact us Click HERE
Join Shula's Steakhouse Naples For A Legendary Evening with Alexander Valley Vineyards & Sommelier Max VaterEnjoy A Four Course Meal Paired With Estate Wines From Alexander Valley Vineyards. Reservations Required By Contacting Jeff Jerome at (239) 659-3176.  Wine List DescriptionEstate ChardonnayHarvested from estate vineyards along the RussianRiver ourChardonnay is dry, crisp and clean, with rich flavorsof citrus fruits,peaches, green apples, minerals and vanilla. It iselegant and foodfriendly.
Estate MerlotA big powerful Merlot with aromas of cassis &blackberry along withnuances of vanilla & cedar. The seductive richflavors of blackberry,currant and cassis and toasty oak combined with suppletannins giveour Merlot immediate appeal. Often called the “Cablovers Merlot”, ithas a finish that just goes on and on.
Estate CabernetSauvignon AVV’s flagship for over three decades .Elegant and balancedwith rich concentrated flavors of blackcherry, plum, cassis,chocolate and spicy polished finish. Lotsof finesse, enjoyable in itsyouth; and an age worthy value for thewine cellar.
CYRUS ~ The First Growth of SonomaOur tribute to the Alexander Valley and Bordeauxgrapes. Intensearomas of black cherry, plum, cassis and chocolatecombine withrich complex fruit, spicy oak, and a velvety mouthfeel. Firm tannins,beautiful balance and a long finish give testament tothe opulence ofthis wine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight! Children's Museum of Naples Adult Only Night

To contact us Click HERE
Not only does C'mon encourage children to befree to play, learn and dream, it also lets adults have a night of fun on theirown!

Tonight is their adult-only playtime where you can relax, explore, learn and justhave a lot of fun!
Food, drink, music, themes and other 'big-kid' fun.  The night will beanything but typical, as the Museum opens its doors to grown-ups looking formusic and a chance to recapture the feeling of childhood curiosity and wonder.

September 13, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Theme: Tailgate Party
Cost: $15 members/$25 non-member (21+)
Call: (239) 514-0084

**The Children's Museum of Naples will be closed from September 17, 2012 to October 1, 2012 for scheduled maintenance.

Shula's Naples Is Celebrating National Seafood Month

To contact us Click HERE


It’s National Seafood Month and Shula’s Steak HouseNaples is CELEBRATING!!!
JoinUs Every Friday In October With A Special Three Course Meal Starting At $42.95.Highlighting Our Crab Cakes, Our Lobster Tail Or Our Fresh Grilled Salmon.
AlsoEVERYONE In October We Are Offering Two Of Our Signature Appetizers For ONLY $8.
EnjoyOur BBQ Shrimp Or Our Blackened Sea Scallops.
MakeYour Reservations Today!(239)430-4999
 Don't Forget To Enter For Your Chance To Win An All-Inclusive Escape To Tuscany or one of many other great...Click Here To Enter!

Show Your Appreciation To Your Boss At Shula's Naples

To contact us Click HERE


 Show Your AppreciationTo Your BossAnd Celebrate Boss’s Day at Shula’s!
Tuesday,October 16^th 11:30AM to 2:30PM  TreatYour Boss to Lunch at Shula’s and Their MEAL IS ON US!*Limit One (1) Complimentary Meal PerTable of Equal or Less Value.
ReservationsAre Required.Please tell yourHostess that you are making a reservation to honoryour Boss.
 CALLTODAY239-430-4999Group Lunch of 10 or more?Contact Jeff at 239-659-3176.
GIVE YOURBOSS A LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE!!!

Softcore Solipsism

To contact us Click HERE
 “Softcore solipsism” is the namegiven by Charles Tilly to the work of social historians who take alow-intensity postmodernist approach to theory and research, a kind of “postmodernlight.” Although Tilly criticizes this approach in various works, the mostexplicit is in a book review essay titled “softcore solipsism” (Tilly 1994); see also Tilly (1998, 2008, 2010). I think this phrase is anapt description of much recent archaeological theory.
Solipsism is the philosophicaldoctrine that the only thing one can be sure exists is one’s own mind. Theexternal world does not exist, or we cannot know that it exists, so only aperson’s mind is important. The softcore version admits that the real worldexists, but casts doubt on the notion that scholars can generate objectiveknowledge about that reality (particularly in the past). Everyone has their ownviews of the ancient past, and who is to decide that one view is better thananother? Specifically, the foci of analysis are ideas and mental states. Theseare what matter in the study of the past.
Tilly’s discussion of softcoresolipsism in social history includes these features (Tilly 1994):

• Only mental states are important.
• Avoidance of causality in general,and explicit denial and denigration of the notion that economic phenomena havea causative effect on society and social patterns.
• A linguistic or textual analogyfor human experience.
• Statements about past humansociety are seen as not intersubjectively verifiable.
• Heavy usage of weak verbs andpassive voice in writing.

Does this sound familiar? Checkout recent archaeological writing on the following topics:

• Identity or identities
• The meaning of material culture
• Agency and practice theory
• Social construction
• Material culture as a text
• Postcolonial and poststructuralperspectives

 I am not saying that everyarchaeological work that deals with one or more of these themes can becategorized as softcore solipsism. But if the shoe fits….
Sometimes I take a relativistperspective on things like archaeological softcore solipsism. If people want totalk about this stuff, that’s fine; it doesn’t prevent more materialist andempirically-minded archaeologists from doing our work. This is the way I phrasemy distaste for high-level social theory in my urban theory paper (Smith 2011). If archaeologists want to runaround quoting Giddens and Bourdieu in every other sentence, that is fine, but thiskind of theory is not at all necessary for doing explanatory analyses of pastsocieties. It may make people feel good, but it will not move research forward.
At other times I get more alarmedby softcore solipsism. It seems to have hijacked a whole generation ofarchaeologists, who have been diverted from the hard work of empiricaldocumentation and causal explanation of past societies and their changes. Toomany smart archaeologists spend their time trying to figure out clever new waysto guess at past mental states, instead of devising new methodological andepistemological approaches to generate reliable empirical knowledge about thepast. Too many archaeologists want to deconstruct or "problmatize" knowledge of the past, rather than building and accumulating knowledge. When postmodernism hit the academy many disciplines dealt with it andmoved on, whereas anthropology and archaeology got stuck in the mud, and arestill struggling to get out. I think this has seriously harmedthe discipline of archaeology. I have found in Charles Tilly's work a strong direction forward for archaeology as a comparative, historical, and materialist social science. Check out his work.

Smith, Michael E.2011    Empirical Urban Theory for Archaeologists. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 18:167-192.
Tilly, Charles1994    Softcore Solipsism. Labour / Le Travail 34:259-268.
1998    Durable Inequality. University ofCalifornia Press, Berkeley.
2008    Explaining Social Processes. ParadigmPublishers, Boulder, CO.
2010    Mechanismsof the Middle Range. In Robert K. Merton: Sociology of Science andSociological Explanation, edited by Craig Calhoun, pp. 54-62. ColumbiaUniversity Press, New York.

Science and the Human Sciences: Prehispanic Maya Settlement and History

To contact us Click HERE

(This is a guest post by Gary Feinman)
Published in the journal Science, Medina-Elizalde and Rohling’s (2012) quantitative analysisof Terminal Classic period Maya (AD 800-1000) climatic shifts is a welcomerefinement of the extent of a late 1^st millennium episode ofclimatic change. Yet the authors' speculations regarding the fall of inlandMaya settlements (the so-called Maya Collapse) is fraught with failures inlogic and limitations in hypothesis evaluation that too often are characteristicof natural scientists delving naively into the causes and complexities ofsocietal change. Even more problematic is the repeated license given by one ofthe world’s premier science journals to this kind of disciplinary overreach ata time when extremely few articles by archaeologists are offered this broadlyvisible platform. 
Medina-Elizalde and Rohling beginwith the premise that drought precipitated the collapse of these inlandcenters. But, when finding precipitation declines of only 40%, they do notreconsider their presumed causality, instead inferring that the Maya politieswere so fragile that even the estimated rainfall declines were enough togenerate collapse. These findings then underpin their policy warning that evenminor climatic shifts may fatally endanger contemporary states facing presentclimatic shifts.
Left entirely unconsidered in theirhistorical reconstructions of causality are the numerous other factors, fromwarfare to shifts in pan-Mesoamerican exchange patterns, that have beenadvanced as keys to the fall of the Classic Maya states. The consideration,evaluation, and elimination of alternative hypotheses are central to trulyscientific inquiry, and their absence from this work only reinforces thepreconceived bias that the prehispanic Maya were not sufficiently ingenious torespond to natural environmental fluctuations. It is crucial to recognize thatMaya polities in northern Yucatán and coastal Belize, some of the driest partsof the Maya domain, thrived during and after the decline of inland settlementsand populations.
Also problematic are the advancedpolicy implications. While I share concerns about anthropogenic environmentaland climatic changes that hazard the modern world, the authors’ perspectivesview humans as incapable of forging effective responses to externalperturbations. And yet, those of us dedicated to understanding our species’history recognize that we have repeatedly established cooperative networks atvarious scales to address and forestall similar challenges. If modern societiesfail and fall, the responsibilities will be borne in part by our cooperative,competitive, and leadership networks and arrangements rather than merely theconsequence of declines in rainfall.
At its current best, contemporaryarchaeological practice strives for serious evaluations of the causes andconsequences of social actions and change. Repeatedly we have seen that throughhistory rarely have climatic perturbations alone been both the proximate andultimate causes of significant shifts in human settlement and catastrophicupheavals in political organization (e.g., Middleton 2012). Given the problemsfaced by our species today, the publishers of Science ought to lend their weighty profile and give greater voiceto those of us endeavoring to understand the repertoire of behaviors thathumans and their social groupings have derived and innovated to address thesuite of challenges that they have faced. Many of those historical episodes maybear key insights for addressing the hazards and challenges that we as aspecies and a society face today.

ReferencesCited
Medina-Elizalde, Martín, and Eelco J.Rohling2012 Collapse of Classic MayaCivilization related to modest reduction in precipitation. Science 335:956-959.
Middleton, Guy D.2012 Nothing lasts forever:environmental discourses on the collapse of past societies. Journal of Archaeological Research 20. In press (available online).
Gary M. FeinmanThe Field Museum

John Gerring: Methodological unity or diversity ?

To contact us Click HERE
I've started reading John Gerring's excellent second edition of Social Science Methodology: A Unified Framework (2nd edition, 2012, Cambridge University Press), and it has me thinking about unity and pluralism at various levels: within archaeology; within anthropology; and within the social sciences. I have recently been on a methodology kick. I read Gerring's Case Study Research: Principles and Practices (2006, CUP) a couple of months ago, and loved it. Wow, if you had told me a couple of years ago that I would be reading methodological books by a political scientist (and that I would find them fascinating), I would have said you are nuts.

In chapter 1, in a section called "The Problem of Pluralism" Gerring puts his finger on one of the reasons I have been thinking about sampling, causality and measurement recently. His book proposes "a unified framework" for methods in the social sciences, and it is one I find very attractive. Normally when you hear someone talk about unifying the social sciences, they are talking about a hegemonic move. They typically take some large-scale approach that describes their own research and say that it fits all of social science and that it will soon engulf and take over the field. This was claimed for sociobiology, and more recently for "Darwinian approaches," it has been claimed for rational choice theory, and also by modelers.

Gerring's approach is very different. He identifies common elements of methods across the social sciences and discuss productive ways to use them, and to think about them. What is "unified" is a common commitment to rigorous scientific research. He wants to promote cross-disciplinary communication. The methods and approaches in different disciplines (and subdisciplines) should be mutually translatable and not incommensurate.

 "There is no profit in incommensurability. To the extent that academics employ idiosyncratic or field-specific theoretical frameworks, we become islands in a boatless archipelago. Knowledge will not accumulate. Progress -- define it as you will -- is impeded." (pp. 9-10).


He makes the point that social science is important to understand current social issues and problems, and this provides an impetus for creating a common framework. The above quote is followed by this observation:

"To be sure, the need for agreement varies by topic. Those subjects firmly embedded in the past --  those, that is, with few contemporary ramifications -- can perhaps afford a wider array of views." (p.10).

This is the insight that helps explain my current methodology kick. It is no coincidence that this personal interest coincides with my exploration of urban studies outside of archaeology and anthropology. To publish in, say geography or urban planning journals, I have to convince editors and reviewers that my methods and epistemology are up to snuff. And I will soon be submitting a proposal (with a multi-disciplinary group) to several programs at NSF, including sociology and political science (and archaeology). If we can't talk the talk, we certainly won't walk the walk.

I have found methodological works like Gerring's books useful in several ways. First, they enable me to translate good scientific practice in archaeology into concepts and terms that other scholars will understand. To communicate archaeology to scholars in other disciplines, this is essential. Second, they help me understand ontological and epistemological issues in archaeology at a deeper level. And third, they enable me to see where archaeological practices that I thought were pretty good may actually be deficient methodologically and in need of improvement.

From Gerring's observation, an archaeology that is solely about the past can afford a plurality of theories, methods and approaches, something that probably sounds good to the postmodernists. But an archaeology that engages with contemporary social issues and their scholars needs to have a stricter approach, one that makes sense in the world of empirical social science.

Now while I am on a John Gerring kick, here is how he defines "positivism" in his glossary. He provides four meanings:

1. Belief that the only true knowledge is based on sensory experience -- "positive facts" -- thus avoiding metaphysical speculation concerning causes and normative purposes.
2. Logical positivism: the philosophy of science developed by Carnap et al in the Vienna Circle.
3. Loosely, a naturalistic view of social science. Specifically, a strong faith in science as cumulative, falsifiable, objective, systematic, and logically unified endeavor.
4. A position that slights the importance of causality, or sees it only in a neo-Humean fashion, as constant conjunctions and covering laws.

Sign me up for meaning #3. We all know that "positivism" is a bogeyman of the postprocessualists, but which meaning to they dislike? Probably all of them.

And if you are interested in ancient empires, check out Gerring et al (2011), which is VERY relevant (and blows away much prior thinking on hegemonic vs. territorial empires).

Gerring, John
2007    Case Study Research: Principles and Practices. Cambridge University Press, New York.

2012    Social Science Methodology: A Unified Framework. Cambridge University Press, New York.

Gerring, John, Daniel Ziblatt, Johan van Gorp, and Julián Arévalo
2011    An Institutional Theory of Direct and Indirect Rule. World Politics 63(3):377-433.

Free access to Journal of Field Archaeology

To contact us Click HERE

I just got an email from Jennifer Agar at Maney Publishing, publishers of the Journal of Field Archaeology. They are making 3 years of the journal free to download until May 15th (see the text of her message below). JFA is one of my favorite journals. They publish good archaeological data, with high-quality graphics. They are always quibbling over the artwork, insisting on improvements. Years ago, I wrote the editor to express my appreciation for their high standards on graphics. I said that authors always grumble and complain about having to re-do maps and figures, but the result is worth it, and very beneficial to the discipline. He liked the letter and asked if I would mind if they published it as a "Letter to the editor."
And they are still at it. This morning I got word from them on a paper I submitted with a bunch of co-authors on our excavations at Calixtlahuaca. Although the reviewers liked the paper and only suggested a few minor changes, there is a long list of graphics changes and improvements that are needed, and the paper won't be considered accepted until those are worked out. What a pain, more work for us. But it is hard to complain too much when the end result will be a better article, which is good for me and my co-authors, better for readers, and better for the profession.
So go take advantage of the offer of free downloads (and maybe check out Maney's other journals, such as the Medieval Archaeology, European Jr. Archy, Industrial Archaeology, and Cochlear Implants International).
Here is the message I got:
Journal of Field Archaeology is Maney Publishing’s Journal of the Month in April 2012. We are making3 years’ worth of online content (that’s twelve issues) free to download until15^th May 2012, you can access the content on the Journal of theMonth webpage: http://www.maney.co.uk/jotm/jfa.
If this is of interest, please share it with readersof your Publishing Archaeology Blog and any colleagues you think could find ituseful.
Other highlights include:·        Video interview withjournal editor Dr Curtis Runnels·        Spotlight onProfessor Norman Hammond·        Picture gallery ofrecent excavations featured in the journal·        Morag Kersel andChristina Luke on Archaeological Heritage and Ethics·        Meet the editorialteam: Stephanie Simms and Chad DiGregorio·        Best of the archive:the ten most popular articles in Journal of Field Archaeology·        Individualsubscribers receive bonus online access in 2012
Best regards,
Jennifer AgarMarketingExecutive
Maney Publishing, Suite 1C,Joseph’s Well, Hanover Walk, Leeds LS3 1AB, United Kingdom

Yes, scholars SHOULD contribute to Wikipedia!

To contact us Click HERE
I find myself convinced by Erik Olin Wright's arguments that scholars should actively contribute to Wikipedia. Wright is a sociologist, a productive senior scholar and current President of the American Sociological Association. His views are set out in a clear and concise article in the ASA's newsletter, Footnotes (from November 2011). He has initiated a Wikipedia initiative at the ASA. Here are some quotes from the newsletter article:

"I like to think of Wikipedia as an example of a "real utopia." It embodies ideals of equality, open access, participation, and deliberation in a domination-free environment. It has created a public good available to all."

"Wikipedia has become an important global public good. Since it is a reference source for sociologically relevant ideas and knowledge that is widely used by both the general public and students, it is important that the quality of sociology entries be as high as possible. This will only happen if sociologists themselves contribute to this public good. The basic goal of the new ASA Sociology in Wikipedia Initiative is to make it easier for sociologists to do this. (See the ASA homepage for more information at www.asanet.org.). The heart of the initiative is the creation of a Wikipedia portal connected to the ASA website."

**NOTE: Here is the current link on the ASA website for the "ASA Wikipedia Initiative." I would guess that this is a provisional site that will be improved at some point.

Wright has a great website - many of his publications are available for download, and all sorts of other things. It includes other material related to his Wikipedia initiative, such as a document, "Writing Wikipedia articles as a classroom assignment."



I was struck by two points made by Wright that go against common practice in archaeology. First, he celebrates a broader concept of knowledge than we are accustomed to in archaeology. He says,

" It [Wikipedia] encourages a demystification of credentialism as a source of authority. It softens the boundary between producers and consumers of information, making everyone who uses Wikipedia a potential contributor as well. It is part of a broader movement that challenges exclusionary forms of intellectual property and treats knowledge as a vital commons. It celebrates contributions rooted in motivations of intellectual curiosity and the pleasures of collaborating with a far-flung network of interested people."

Many archaeologists are hesitant to push in this direction, perhaps because there are so many lunatics with supernatural, racist, and other negative agendas writing about archaeology. Participatory knowledge creation is great if you can leave out the diffusionists, the ancient-alien types, and other fringe writers. But sociology certainly has its own fringe elements, promoting racism, exploitation, and other negative and false doctrines. In archaeology, we use credentialism to distinguish valid scholars from these fringe writers. I'd be interested to see how sociology deals with this issue.


My second observation concerns Wright's notion that sociology as a discipline, and the ASA in particular, have the responsibility to create and maintain high quality sociological knowledge in public discourse. While various archaeological societies do promote "public education" (e.g., see the SAA's Principles of Archaeological  ethics, #4, "Public education and outreach"), the emphasis in archaeology seems to lie less on improving public knowledge than on communicating of the results of our fieldwork to the public. I have trouble imagining the SAA undertaking an initiative of this sort, perhaps because the organization has so little intellectual content. It is dedicated to professional goals, which do include journal publication, but the organization seems to rarely take on intellectual issues or pursue intellectual goals. The SAA can publish quality journals, but it doesn't discuss much the content of those journals. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I haven't seen much concern among colleagues for stewardship (a big SAA term) of public archaeological knowledge.

So, personally, I think I may give Wikipedia another chance. The time investment is one of the main drawbacks; should I drop my blogs and start working on Wikipedia? I must admit that i am intrigued by the notion of incorporating Wikipedia into my early cities course. Many Wikipedia entries on ancient cities stress their spectacular and tourist-oriented aspects. Perhaps my students could help give these entries a broader context and ensure that the information is accurate and up-to-date.