Table Of ContentArchitectural Energetics in Archaeology
Archaeologists and the public at large have long been fascinated by
monumental architecture built by past societies. Whether considering the
earthworks in the Ohio Valley or the grandest pyramids in Egypt and
Mexico, people have been curious as to how pre-modern societies with
limited technology were capable of constructing monuments of such
outstanding scale and quality. Architectural energetics is a methodology
within archaeology that generates estimates of the amount of labor and
time allocated to construct these past monuments. This methodology allows
for detailed analyses of architecture and especially the analysis of the social
power underlying such projects.
Architectural Energetics in Archaeology assembles an international
array of scholars who have analyzed architecture from archaeological and
historic societies using architectural energetics. It is the first such volume of
its kind. In addition to applying architectural energetics to a global range
of architectural works, it outlines in detail the estimates of costs that can be
used in future architectural analyses.
This volume will serve archaeology and classics researchers, and lecturers
teaching undergraduate and graduate courses related to social power and
architecture. It also will interest architects examining past construction and
engineering projects.
Leah McCurdy is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Art & Art History
at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and a Research Associate with
the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Leah earned her PhD from
UTSA in 2016 with her dissertation focused on the application of energetics
and labor analysis to the ancient Maya site of Xunantunich, Belize. Leah has
been excavating at Xunantunich since 2008 to collect data relevant to her
research interests in ancient construction practices, cooperative labor, the
intersections of monumentality and community, as well as the meaning of
the ancient built environment.
Elliot M. Abrams is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Ohio University.
He refined and promoted the methodology of architectural energetics in
How the Maya Built Their World (1994). In addition to his archaeologi-
cal research in Mesoamerica, he has conducted excavations in the Ohio
Valley for over three decades. He coedited (with AnnCorinne Freter) The
Emergence of the Moundbuilders: The Archaeology of Tribal Societies in
Southeastern Ohio (2005), which outlines the formation of sedentary tribal
communities. He also studies environmental change, economic institutions,
and social power through the lens of anthropological archaeology.
Architectural Energetics
in Archaeology
Analytical Expansions and
Global Explorations
Edited by Leah McCurdy and
Elliot M. Abrams
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 selection and editorial matter, Leah McCurdy and Elliot M. Abrams;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Leah McCurdy and Elliot M. Abrams to be identified as the
authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual
chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: McCurdy, Leah, editor. | Abrams, Elliot Marc, 1954- editor.
Title: Architectural energetics in archaeology: analytical expansions and lobal
explorations / edited by Leah McCurdy and Elliot M. Abrams.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, [2018] |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018021990 (print) | LCCN 2018045261 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315109794 (Master) | ISBN 9781351614146 (ePUB) |
ISBN 9781351614139 (Mobi/Kindle) | ISBN 9781351614153 (Web PDF) |
ISBN 9781138088566 | ISBN 9781138088566 (hardback; alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781315109794 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Architecture, Ancient. | Architecture, Prehistoric. |
Social archaeology. | Archaeology–Methodology.
Classification: LCC CC77.H5 (ebook) | LCC CC77.H5 A75 2018 (print) |
DDC 930.1–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018021990
ISBN: 978-1-138-08856-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-10979-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
Elliot dedicates this volume to his wife, AnnCorinne, and his
son, Zachary.
Leah dedicates this volume to Daniel. You are always with
me. You told me so.
Contents
List of figures ix
List of tables xiii
Contributors xvi
Preface xx
Acknowledgments xxi
1 Massive assumptions and moundbuilders: The history,
method, and relevance of architectural energetics 1
ELLIOT M. ABRAMS AND LEAH McCURDY
2 Built environments and social organizations: A comparative
view from Asia 26
NAM C. KIM AND JINA HEO
3 Pharaonic power and architectural labor investment at the
Karnak Temple Complex, Egypt 56
MEGAN DRENNAN AND MICHAEL J. KOLB
4 An energetics approach to the construction of the Heuneburg:
Thoughts on Celtic labor cost choices 76
FRANÇOIS REMISE
5 To house and defend: The application of architectural
energetics to southeast Archaic Greek Sicily 95
JERRAD LANCASTER
6 Labor mobilization and medieval castle construction at
Salemi, western Sicily 114
MICHAEL J. KOLB, SCOTT DETRICH KIRK, AND WILLIAM M. BALCO
viii Contents
7 Labor recruitment among tribal societies: An architectural
energetic analysis of Serpent Mound, Ohio 138
JAMIE L. DAVIS, JARROD BURKS, AND ELLIOT M. ABRAMS
8 The energetics of earthen landscape modification:
An assessment of an emerging Mississippian polity 161
CAMERON H. LACQUEMENT
9 Dual labor organization models for the construction of
monumental architecture in a corporate society 182
ANTHONY JAMES DeLUCA
10 Peopling monuments: Virtual energetics and labor impact
analysis of monumental construction at Xunantunich, Belize 205
LEAH McCURDY
11 A construction management approach to building the
monumental adobe ciudadelas at Chan Chan, Peru 235
RICHARD L. SMAILES
12 Towards a multiscalar comparative approach to power
relations: Political dimensions of urban construction at
Teotihuacan and Copan 265
TATSUYA MURAKAMI
13 The future of architectural energetics in 2D and 3D 289
LEAH McCURDY AND ELLIOT M. ABRAMS
Index 295
Figures
2.1 Satellite photograph of the Co Loa settlement 28
2.2 Excavation profile within the Middle Wall at Co Loa 30
2.3 Location, excavation area 39
2.4 Photographs of the Pungnap Earthen Rampart 41
2.5 Construction phases and estimated dimensions of the
Pungnap Earthen Rampart at excavation location 42
2.6 Location of the Pungnap Earthen Rampart and excavation area 43
3.1 The Nile River with the three most important capitals of
ancient Egypt 58
3.2 The Karnak Temple Complex, and the precinct of Amun 58
3.3 Total construction volumes of each pharaoh that contributed
to Karnak 65
3.4 Mean construction volume totals by dynasty, showing an
early peak in construction followed by cycles of building
and an overall pattern of decline 68
3.5 Construction volume totals of pharaohs grouped by century 68
3.6 Construction volume totals by participation in warfare,
which illustrates greater building periods at Karnak during
offensive warfare 69
3.7 Construction volume totals by participants in warfare, which
demonstrates a trend of greater dedication to Karnak during
periods of warfare with external (non-Egyptian) forces 69
3.8 Mean construction volume totals by centralization 70
4.1 The Heuneburg site 77
4.2 The Heuneburg reconstruction 78
4.3 Key factors 79
4.4 Mudbricks manufacture experiment values 80
4.5 Mudbricks manufacture in Peru 81
4.6 Mudbricks manufacture values in energetics studies 82
4.7 Indian values compared to Erasmus’ values 84
