An Annotated Bibliography Journal Articles

Daley, J. (2018, January/February). Where the Ice Age Caribou Ranged: Searching for Prehistoric Hunting Grounds in an Unlikely Place. Archeology, 34-37.

The author of this article, Jason Daley, recalls an amazing attempt by John O’Shea, a University of Michigan archeologist, to identify signs of caribou hunters in the Subarctic, and his subsequent findings. According to Daley, this attempt was largely born out of O’Shea’s thought provoking assertion to the effect that “if herds of caribou had once migrated across this landscape… there were probably people hunting them.” O’Shea’s exploration sheds light on not only the land bridge itself, but also how the said Ice Age landscape may have been exploited by hunters. As O’Shea was studying human-reindeer interactions, he also became interested in Lake Huron’s underwater topographical representations/maps which indicated what is now referred to as Alpena-Amberley Ridge – which is essentially a 112 miles long underwater rocky formation/ridge. He became convinced that the ridge may have preserved existing stone hunting formations. O’Shea’s thoughts were largely valid given the relative calm, and hence undisturbed, depths of Lake Huron. However, an attempt to investigate the phenomenon was in essence a logistical nightmare – especially given the extensive area to be covered and depth limitations. The systematic approach used, however, worked and by stroke of luck, O’Shea and his team stumbled upon a man-made drive lane that had been designed in such a way that caribou would be herded into a coral, whereby upon reaching a predetermined hunting blind, they would be killed by the waiting Paleo-Indians. This was followed by the discovery of similar structures. With the help of modern technology, O’Shea and his team have been able to further survey the ridge. As a matter of fact, they were able to identify previously undiscovered hunting structures via the utilization of 3-D virtual models of the range.

I am of the opinion that the utilization of modern technology, as opposed to overreliance on intuition, in an attempt to predict more sites could particularly be beneficial. This is more so the case as O’Shea and his team fail to answer some of the queries that remain unsolved regarding the landscape which could have been used by both the hunters and the caribou. For instance, it would be interesting to find out for how long the ridge was occupied by hunters at a time before they went back to the mainland. Being a person that has extensively studied 19th century Great Lakes shipwrecks as well as prehistoric cultures, I am convinced that the information O’Shea presents in this article is not only valid but also factual. The article also has logical flow and by incorporating the viewpoints of other experts, Jason Daley effectively enhances not only the article’s validity, but also its relevance. The author’s background as an environment and history writer also gives the article additional authenticity as far as the subject matter is concerned.

Rogers, C. (2017). Christopher Who? History Today, 67(8), 39-42.

Columbus encounters with the New World’s indigenous peoples is extensive and detailed. In that regard, it would be interesting to find out how Columbus was perceived by the Tainos, who are in essence the indigenous people of the Caribbean. This is exactly what Claudia Rodgers, the author of this article, sets about to do. The author find out that how Columbus was perceived by diverse communities was largely imprecise and cannot be distinctly or definitely defined. This, as per the author’s findings, is more so the case given that by dint of their unique circumstances, communities perceived, and hence responded to Christians in marked and distinctive ways. It is important to note that while some communities were hostile to Columbus and his crew, others avoided them by fleeing, while others were more friendly and welcoming – even trading with them.

There is no doubt whatsoever that this is a well-researched article. The fact that the author goes out of his way to gather pertinent historical facts and data to support his assertions and viewpoints further reinforces our understanding of the encounter between Europeans and Tainos. The author also leaves open a door for further prodding of the subject matter. This is more so the case when it comes to the further exploration of not only the Tainos philosophy of life, but also their ideological as religious inclinations.

Sitaraman, G. (2017, April). Divided we Fall. New Republic, 42-45.

Since Donald Trump took power, many have questioned his commitment to not only the rule of law, but also his devotion and dedication to the further enhancement of democracy in America. However, according to the author, Ganesh Sitaraman, heaping the blame on trump is missing the point. The root cause of the constitutional crisis, in the author’s own words is “massive economic inequality and deeply entrenched political divisions.” In that regard, therefore, the author sees Trump as the symptom, and not the cause of the current crisis faced by the country. As the author further points out, there is no magic pill for the current problem the country faces.