@article{0c06cfab085c4d52a58049d06d5b18bf,
title = "Accumulations research: Problems and prospects for estimating site occupation span",
abstract = "Accumulations research examines the dynamic relationship among artifact discard, duration of occupation, and population size. The history of accumulations research is reviewed, emphasizing studies that use accumulation rates to measure site occupation span. Ethnoarchaeological and experimental research demonstrates that cooking pots are an ideal artifact type for accumulations research. Data from the Duckfoot site in southwestern Colorado are used to develop an annual accumulation rate of cooking pot sherds for households. This rate is used, along with population estimates and estimates of the total cooking pot sherd accumulation, to determine the occupation span of five sites located in the nearby Dolores River valley.",
keywords = "Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Pottery use and discard, Site occupation span",
author = "Varien, {Mark D.} and Mills, {Barbara J.}",
note = "Funding Information: The idea for this paper was conceived at a 2-day (March 15-16, 1991) working conference on accumulations research sponsored by the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Bruce Bradley, Keith Kintigh, Bill Lipe, Ricky Lightfoot, Barbara Mills, Michael Schiffer, Sarah Schlanger, Ian Thompson, and Mark Varien were conference attendees. Each of these individuals provided input incorporated into this paper. Sarah Schlanger provided a particularly useful summary of the conference after it was completed, and she developed an outline for what a subsequent paper might accomplish. Bruce Bradley, Keith Kintigh, Scott Ortman, and Ian Thompson read drafts of this paper and their comments were incorporated into this article. Michael Schiffer, Michael Shott, Sarah Schlanger, Timothy Kohler, Timothy Pauketat, and three anonymous referees provided extensive and useful comments on the manuscript submitted for publication. Art Rohr worked with the Dolores Archaeological Program database and wrote the program to calculate the point estimates and confidence intervals for cooking pottery at these sites. Chris Pierce and Jim Potter provided helpful comments with regard to developing the accumulation rate for cooking pot sherds. Mark Varien's research was supported by the Crow Canyon Archeological Ce~ater and by a grant from the Colorado Historical Society. We thank all those who helped in the development of this article. Errors of data presentation and interpretation remain the responsibility of the authors.",
year = "1997",
doi = "10.1007/BF02428057",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "4",
pages = "141--191",
journal = "Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory",
issn = "1072-5369",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "2",
}