Mississippian Production II

Abstract

Specialist production has played an important part in theories of the development of social stratification in an extensive literature on that topic in economics and political economy. For the most part, specialization has been proposed as developing in one or another contexts—in production of staple commodities (e.g., Engels 1891, Service 1962, 1975) or in production of finely made goods (as per Earle 1987). This chapter will discuss some of the theories about specialization and its roles in terms of the case for developing hierarchy in Mississippian societies. I want to stress that the concept of specialization is most useful when it is returned to its meaning in economic theory and not redefined in some form that is unique to archaeology. It is also important that any proposal for specialist production be defined in a logical, testable way that addresses the core issues. Some degree of specialization has been widely proposed in association with developing hierarchies in the East (e.g., Pauketat 1987b, 1994; Prentice 1983, cf. Prentice 1985; Yerkes 1983, 1986). As I noted in the last chapter, time and more evidence have brought greater caution, and most recent claims for labor differentiation in Mississippian are qualified or phrased in terms such as “part-time” or “household” specialization (e.g., see Pauketat 1987b, 1994; Prentice 1985). The term craft production has been introduced recently in order to avoid dealing with the issue of specialization, but there is still a problem.

Kατ ĸεραµενς ĸεραµετ ĸoτεει (The potter is hostile to the potter.)

Hesiod