José R. OLIVER - B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

• Lecturer in Latin American Archaeology
• Course Co-ordinator: ARCL2039 Ancient Civilisations of Andean South America
• Course Co-ordinator: ARCL3060 Ancient societies of Amazonia
• Course Co-ordinator: ARCL3049 Archaeology of the Caribbean
• Course Co-ordinator: ARCLG003 Themes in South American Archaeology
• DEOLO (Departmental Equal Opportunity Liaison Officer)
• Departmental Data Protection Act Co-ordinator
• Departmental Freedom of Information Act Co-ordinator
  

Research Interests:

Since 1995, José has directed the "Utuado-Caguana Archaeological Project". The primary objective is to test various models regarding the development and functioning of chiefdom societies in Puerto Rico. He has focused his efforts and data collection activities on archaeological sites surrounding the well known "Taíno" (AD 1200-1400) ceremonial center of Caguana. Different types of sites have/are being excavated in order to understand the nature of the settlement organization and function in relation to the center, focusing on the hinterland's socio-economic support base that 'sustained' Caguana.

Recent Publications:

• Hofman,C.L., Hoogland,M.P.L., Samson,A.V.M., Oliver,J.R. (2008). Investigaciones arqueológicas en El Cabo, oriente de la República Dominicana: Resultados preliminares de las campanas 2005 y 2006. Boletín del Museo del Hombre Dominicano 35(42), 307-316
• Oliver,J.R. (2008). Tiempos difíciles: Fray Ramón Pané en La Española. in Oliver,J.R., McEwan,C., Casas Gilberga,A. (ed.) El Caribe precolombino: Fray Ramón Pané y el universo taíno. Barcelona: Ajuntament de Barcelona-Institut de Cultura, Museu Barbier-Mueller, Ministerio e Cultura-Madrid and CaixaGalicia, 1st edition, 72-95. ISBN: 978-84-9850-105-6
• Oliver,J.R. (2008). El universo material y espiritual de los taínos. in Oliver,J.R., McEwanC., Casas Gilberga,A. (ed.) El Caribe precolombino: Fray Ramón Pané y el universo taíno. Barcelona: Ajuntament de Barcelona-Instut de Cultura, Museu Barbier Mueller, Ministerio de Cultura-Madrid and CaixaGalicia, 1st edition, 136-221. ISBN: 978-84-9850-105-6
• Oliver,J.R. (2008). The Archaeology of Agriculture in Ancient Amazonia. Chapter 12 in Silverman,H., Isbell,W.H. (ed.) Handbook of South American Archaeology. New York: Springer Science+Media, LCC, 1st edition, 185-216. ISBN: 978-0-387-74906-8
• Oliver,J.R., McEwan,C., Casas Gilberga,A., editors (2008), El Caribe precolombino: Fray Ramón Pané y el universo taíno,Barcelona, España [Spain]: Ajuntament de Barcelona-Institut de Cultura, Museu Barbier Mueller, Ministerio de Cultura-Madrid and Fundacion CaixaGalicia. ISBN: 97-84-9850-105-6.
• Pagán Jiménez,J., Oliver,J.R. (2008). Starch Residues on Lithic Artifacts from Two Contrasting Contexts in Northwestern Puerto Rico: Los Muertos Cave and Vega de Nelo Vargas. Chapter 11 in Hofman,C.L., Hoogland,M.P., vanGijn,A. (ed.) Crossing the Borders. New Methods and Techniques in the Study of Archaeological Materials from the Caribbean.. Caribbean Archaeology and Ethnohistory series. Series edited by Curet,L.A.. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1st edition, 137-158. ISBN: 13: 978-0-8173-5453-4
• Oliver,J.R. (2007). Estudio acerca del significado y funcione de los aros líticos, piedras en codo y trigonolitos de Puerto Rico y La Española. El Caribe Arqueológico (10), 43-68. ISSN: 1682-7562 [ Online ]
• Turvey,S., Oliver J.R., Narganes,Y., Pye.P. (2007). Late Holocene extinction of Puerto Rico native land mammals. Biology Letters . ISSN: 1744-9561
• Hofman,C., Oliver,J.R., Hoogland,M., Samson,A. (2006). Investigaciones arqueologicas en El Cabo, Oriente de la Republica Dominicana: Resultados de la campaña del 2005. El Caribe Arqueologico 9(2006), 95-106. ISSN: 1682-7562
• Oliver,J.R. (2001). The Archaeology of Forest Foraging and Agricultural Production in Amazonia. Chapter 2 in McEWan, C., Barreto C., Neves, E. (ed.) Unknown Amazon: Culture in Nature in Ancient Brazil. British Museum Press, 1st edition, 50-85. ISBN: 0 7141 2558 X
• Oliver,J.R., Fontan,J.R., Newsom,L.A. (1999). Arqueologia del Barrio Caguana, Puerto Rico: Resultados preliminares de las temporadas 1996-1997. in Fontan,J.R. (ed.) Trabajos de Investigacion Arqueologia en Puerto Rico - 3er Encuentro de Investigadores. Division de Arqueologia, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena, 7-26
• Drewett,P.L., Oliver,J. (1998). Prehistoric Settlements on the Caribbean. Archaeology International (1), 43-46. ISSN: 1463-1725
• Oliver,J.R. (2006). Book Review: Oyuela Caycedo & R. M. Bonzani's "San Jacinto-1. A historical ecological approach to an Archaic site in Colombia (Alabama Press, 2005). Antiquity 80(309), 739-741. ISSN: 0003-598X
• Oliver,J.r. (2006). People of the Caribbean: Cuba and Puerto Rico. Antiquity 80(308), 475-477. ISSN: 0003-598X
• Oliver,J. R. (2005). The Proto-Taino Monumental Cemis of Caguana: A Political-Religious Manifesto. Chapter 7 in Siegel, P. E. (ed.) Ancient Borinquen-Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Puerto Rico. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 1st edition, 230-284. ISBN: 0-8173-1471-7
• Oliver,J.R., Narganes Storde,Y. (2005), The zooarcheaological remains from Juan Miguel Cave and Finca de Dona Rosa, Barrio Caguana, Puerto Rico. Proceedings of the International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology series. Series edited by Tavares Maria,G., Garcia Arevalo,M.. ISBN/ISSN: 99934-813-6-X
• Rivera-Fontan,J., Oliver,J.R. (2005), Impactos y patrones de ocupacion historica jibara sobre componentes tainos: El sitio Vega de Nelo Vargas (Utu-27) Barrio Caguana, Municipio de Utuado, Puerto Rico. Proceedings of the International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology series. Series edited by Tavares Maria,G., Garcia Arevalo,M.. ISBN/ISSN: 99934-813-6-X
• Oliver, J. (2004). Review of "Dark Shamans. Kanaimá and the Poetics of Violent Death" by Neil L. Whitehead. Ethnohistory 51(1).
• Oliver, J. with C. S. Alexander, (2003). Ocupaciones del Plesitoceno terminal en el Occidente de Venezuela. Maguare, 17. Revista del Departamento de Antropología. Universidad Nacional de Colombia Issue editor, G. Ardila Calderón. Bogotá, Colombia. ISSN 0120-3045.
• Oliver, J. (2003). Cultural Resource Management-Reports (Contract Archaeology) An Interpretative Analysis and Discussion of the Río Cocal-1 Community of Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico. In Final Report of Phase-III Mitigation of Cocal-1 Site, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico. Edited by Christopher Goodwin, Chapter 9. Submitted by R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates to the United States Department of the Navy, Atlantic Division. Frederick, Maryland.
• Oliver, J. (2001). The archaeology of forest foraging and agricultural production in Amazonia, pp. 50-85. In McEwan, C., C. Barreto & E. Neves (eds), The Unknown Amazon - Culture in Nature in Ancient Brazil. London: British Museum Press.
• Oliver, J R, (2000). Gold Symbolism Among Caribbean Chiefdoms: Of Feathers, Çibas and Guanín Power Among Taíno Elites, in C McEwan (ed), Pre-Columbian Gold in South America: Technology Style and Iconography, 196- 219. London: British Museum Press ISBN 0714125342. In USA: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers ISBN 1579582877
• Oliver, J R, (1999). The La Hueca Complex in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean: Old Problems, New Perspectives, Possible Solutions, in C Hofman & M Hoogland (eds), Archaeological Investigations on St. Martin, (Lesser Antilles): The Sites of Norman Estate, Hope Estate & Anse des Peres. Archaeological Studies Leiden University, 4, 253-297. Leiden, Holland ISBN-90-76368-04
• Olivier, J & Arvelo, L, (1999). La región Centro-Occidental, in M Arroyo, L Blanco, E Wagner & G Urdaneta (eds), Arte Prehispánico de Venezuela. 120-135. Fundación Galería de Arte Nacional. Caracas, Venezuela. ISBN 980-6420-11-X
• Oliver, J R & Curet, L A, (1998). Mortuary Practices, Social Development, and Ideology in Precolumbian Puerto Rico. Latin American Antiquity, 9(3), 217-239
• Oliver, J R, (1998). El Centro Ceremonial de Caguana, Puerto Rico: Simbolismo iconográfico, cosmovisión y el poderío caciquil taíno de Borínquen. BAR International Series 727, 232 pp. ISBN 0 86054 915 1
• Oliver, J R, (1997). Dabajuroid Archaeology, Settlements and House Structures: An Overview from Mianland Western Venezuela, in A Versteeg & S Rostain (eds), The Archaeology of Aruba: The Tanki Flip Site, 363-428. Co-Publication of the Archaeological Museum of Aruba, Monograph 8 & the Foundation for Scientific Research in the Caribbean Region, 141. Aruba & Amsterdam. ISBN 99-904-85-20-8 & 1381-2491
• Oliver, J R, (1997). The Taíno Cosmos, in S Wilson (ed), Indigenous People of the Caribbean, 140-153. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1531-6

Collaborations:

• The Utuado-Caguana Project is inherently multidisciplinary, involving, besides co-director and archeobotanist Dr. Lee Newsom at Southern Illinois University, paleonutrition specilists from the University of Florida, bioanthropologists from the University of Puerto Rico and archaeologists from the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña- Division of Archaeology. The project has the participation of a dozen or so students (each field season) from the Institute of Archaeology, University of Leiden (Holland), and University of Puerto Rico.
• Currently, Dr. Oliver is collaborating with the Museo Arqueologico of the Universidad de Los Andes (Merida, Venezuela) and Dr. Liz Pye of the Institute in the conservation and analysis of mummfied skin and textile remains from the Andes.
• A book on the archaeology of northern South America is being prepared in collaboration with Prof. Ardila Calderon of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota.

Educational Background:

• BA (1977) in Anthropology Miami University at Oxford, Ohio
• MA (1981) & PhD (1989) in Anthropology, the University of Illinois at Urabana-Champaign
• Ford Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow at Yale University, New Haven

This page last modified 26 January, 2009 by [IoA Webmaster]