Books by "Michael E. Whalen"
9 books found
Archaeological Structuration is a critical analysis of the theory of structuration and its utility in the study of societal development over deep time. Structuration theory was originally developed by Anthony Giddens in sociology and adopted piecemeal into archaeology. This book takes a closer look at its contributions to new materialism and develops novel ways to operationalize the theory in archaeological research in the twenty-first century. To illustrate the usefulness of structuration theory, archaeologist Michael T. Searcy deploys it to uncover new understandings of ancient societies, particularly focusing on the Casas Grandes civilization in precolonial northern Mexico. Spanning more than seven hundred years, this society exemplifies the rise of social complexity in the Western Hemisphere. Searcy reexamines previous hypotheses about major structural shifts during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries CE, providing fresh insights and updated perspectives. This book not only revisits the foundational influence of structuration theory but also introduces new methodologies to study the longue durée, the long-term historical trajectories of ancient societies. Searcy deftly bridges the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical archaeological applications, providing a thorough analysis of how structuration can address real-world problems through the lens of ancient societal transformations.
This approachable book in the SAA Press Current Perspectives Series is a comprehensive synthesis of Northwest Mexico from the US border to the Mesoamerican frontier. Filling a vital gap in the regional literature, it serves as an essential reference not only for those interested in the specific history of this area of Mexico but western North America writ large. A period-by-period review of approximately 14,000 years reveals the dynamic connections that knitted together societies inhabiting the Sea of Cortez coast, the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, and the Sierra Madre Occidental. Networks of interaction spanned these diverse ecological, topographical, and cultural terrains in the millennia following the demise of the megafauna. The authors provide a fresh perspective that refutes depictions of the Northwest as a simple filter or conduit of happenings to the north or south, and they highlight the role local motivations and dynamics played in facilitating continental-scale processes.
This work applies generational mapping to the Ancestral Pueblo, using 15-year intervals. Distinct phases, found in other cultures, will be tested as to their applicability. They include: 1) "Invisible" Beginnings; 2) Establishment; 3) Novel Consolidation and Opening Up; 4) Crisis & Creativity; 5) Empire and Inclusion; and 6) Renewal or Rigidification? These findings will help the reader grasp the temporal flow of the Indigenous Southwest, which might otherwise be piecemeal and lack clarity. In addition to a useful mapping of time, the author brings an archetypal awareness to the patterns used in imagery and shows how it resonates with historical phases. We invite you to take a temporal journey into Pueblo times, to follow the evolution of their culture and cosmology, and to gain a sense of our solidarity with Indigenous peoples.
The Birth and Unfolding of Phases in History: From Neolithic to World, Pueblo, and U.S. History brings together four major works into a single arc of human time. Michael A. Susko argues that the rhythm of history is not confined to the rise of empires, but begins in the Neolithic with triadic (45-year) generations that set the first phases of historical time in motion. Using this framework, the book explores: Neolithic Çatalhöyük as a non-empire model of symbolic and generational phasing. (This Initial work is in progress.) World history through Egypt, Judah-Israel, Rome, and the Medieval-Modern era, contrasting empire-based and prophetic alternatives. Ancestral Pueblo history as a more egalitarian path outside empire's mold. U.S. history as a largely empire-driven model, tempered by ideals of freedom and equality. This panoramic view balances empire and non-empire trajectories, showing how civilizations universalize their visions either through force or through sharing, covenant, and inclusion. Written in accessible language yet grounded in rigorous patterning, it invites readers to see history not as inevitable empire, but as a set of choices that continue to shape our present and future.
Story and Stone II: Paired Literary & Anthropological Visions
by Michael A. Susko
2025 · AllrOneofUs Publishing
Story & Stone II — Paired Literary & Anthropological Visions Pairs Servants of the Flower World (Books III–V): Fight for This World, Underworld & the Return with A Rosetta Key for Ancestral Pueblo History. In the epic, the struggle to defend a mountain pass, a descent through cavernous underworlds, and a return to the Great House unfold across mesas and canyon walls—stone as ground and dwelling. The companion presents a generational history of the Pueblo world—canyons and mesas, great houses and kivas, sacred turquoise—placing story alongside lived places and time-depth. Presented wholecloth and in dialogue, the two works can be read in either order, inviting readers to explore how a resonance with the Southwestern landscape and cosmology can help inspire a mythic story.
In Generational Mapping Through Phases: Bridging Ancient Civilizations, U.S., and Ancestral Pueblo History (Complete Three-Volume Edition), the author presents a novel approach to understanding history through the lens of generational mapping, which reveals distinct phases. This comprehensive work explores the rise, transformation, and legacy of six important historical traditions: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Israel, Ancient Rome, Medieval-Modern Europe, U.S. History, and the history of the Ancestral Pueblo peoples of the American Southwest. Divided into three volumes, the series introduces the theory that ancient civilizations, U.S. history, and Indigenous histories—long viewed through static or compartmentalized frameworks—can be studied instead as dynamic, evolving processes marked by generational phases. In brief they are: 1) "Invisible Beginnings"; 2) Establishment and Testing; 3) Consolidation and "Opening Up" to outside influences; 4) Crisis and Creativity; 5) Universalizing and Inclusion; and 6) Renewal or Rigidification. The work redefines how we engage with the past, weaving together archaeology, anthropology, and historical analysis to map the interconnectedness of civilizations and the generational forces that shape them. From the achievements of Ancient Egypt to the enduring presence of the Ancestral Pueblo peoples, the generational method offers fresh insight into how time, identity, and transformation shape the arc of human history. This complete edition of Generational Mapping of World History is for readers seeking a deeper understanding of the structural rhythms that define civilizations across time—including the living continuity of Indigenous peoples and their place in global history.