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College of Arts and Sciences
Wilson Administrative, second floor, 204
740-593-0053

Elliot Abrams

Dr. Elliot Abrams, portrait
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
Bentley Annex 025
Sociology and Anthropology
abrams@ohio.edu

Recent News

Teaching Awards

Arts & Sciences Transformative Faculty Award, 2010-11

Education

Ph.D.: Pennsylvania State University, 1984

Research & Specialization

  • Mesoamerican Archaeology
  • Ohio Valley Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Economics

Courses Taught

  • ANTH 1010: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 2020: Introduction to World Archaeology
  • ANTH 3610: North American Prehistory
  • ANTH 3700: Mexican/Central American Prehistory
  • ANTH 4520: Anthropological Archaeology
  • ANTH 4911: Fieldschool in Ohio Archaeology
  • ANTH 4943: Seminar in Archaeological Anthropology

Selected Publications

Elliot Abrams and Paul Patton. 2015. "The Ecology of Indigenous Domestic Architecture in the Hocking River Valley, Ohio," in Building the Past: Prehistoric Wooden Post Architecture in the Ohio Valley – Great Lakes, edited by B. Redmond and R. Genheimer, pp. 63-84, University Press of Florida, Gainesville.

Elliot M. Abrams, AnnCorinne Freter, and Vania Stefanova. 2014. Environmental Change Since the Woodland Period in the Mid-Ohio Valley: Results from the Patton Bog Sediment Core Palynological Analyses. MidContinental Journal of Archaeology 39: 163-178.

Elliot Abrams, John Parhamovich, Jared Butcher, Jr., and Bruce McCord. 2012. Chemical Composition of Architectural Plaster at the Classic Maya Kingdom of Piedras Negras, Guatemala. Journal of Archaeological Science 39: 1648-1654.

Sarah Weaver, Elliot Abrams, AnnCorinne Freter, and Dorothy Sack. 2011. Middle Woodland Domestic Architecture and the Issue of Sedentism: Evidence from the Patton Site (33AT990), the Hocking Valley, SE Ohio. Journal of Ohio Archaeology1: 22 - 37.

Elliot Abrams. 2010. "La Construccion de las Grandes Piramides de Mexico." Arqueologia Mexicana 17: 64 - 67.

Abrams, Elliot. 2009. "Hopewell Archaeology: A View from the Northern Woodlands." Journal of Archaeological Research 17: 169-204.

Tracy Formica, Elliot Abrams, AnnCorinne Freter, and Dorothy Sack. 2009. "The Domestic Economy at the Allen Site 2 (33AT653), A Late Woodland - Late Prehistoric Community in the Hocking Valley, Southeastern Ohio." West Virginia Archaeologist 56: 28-52.

Paul E. Patton, Elliot M. Abrams, and AnnCorinne Freter. 2009. "A Geochemical Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics in the Hocking Valley, Southeastern Ohio." Pennsylvania Archaeologist 79: 54-74.

Rachel Crews, Elliot Abrams, AnnCorinne Freter, and Jeff Ueland. 2009. "A GIS Analysis of the Archaic to Woodland Period Settlement Trends in the Margaret Creek Watershed, Athens County, Ohio." West Virginia Archaeologist 55: 40-54.

Abrams, Elliot, and Mary LeRouge. 2008. "Political Complexity and Mound Construction among the Early and Late Adena of the Hocking Valley, Ohio." In Transitions: Archaic and Early Woodland Research in the Ohio Country, edited by M. Otto and B. Redmond. Ohio University Press, 214 - 231.

Hicks, John J., Elliot M. Abrams, AnnCorinne Freter, and Jeffrey Ueland. 2008. "The Formation of Indigenous Sedentary Communities in the Monday Creek Tributary of the Hocking River Valley, Ohio: A GIS Archaeological Landscape Approach". Pennsylvania Archaeologist 78: 44-63.

Otto, Martha, and Elliot Abrams. 2008. "Preface". In Transitions: Archaic and Early Woodland Research in the Ohio Country, edited by M. Otto and B. Redmond. Ohio University Press, vii-x.

Peoples, Nicole, Elliot M. Abrams, AnnCorinne Freter, Brad Jokisch, and Paul Patton. 2008. "The Taber Well Site (33HO611): A Middle Woodland Habitation and Surplus Lithic Production Site in the Hocking Valley, Southeastern Ohio." Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 33: 107–128.

Spertzel, Stacy, Elliot M. Abrams, AnnCorrine Freter, and Gregory Springer. 2007. "Facing Monday Creek Rockshelter (33HO414): A Late Woodland Hunting Location in Southeastern Ohio." Pennsylvania Archaeologist 77: 53-70.

Arco, Lee and Elliot Abrams. 2006. "An Essay on Energetics: the Construction of the Aztec Chinampa System." Antiquity 80: 906-18.

Abrams, Elliot and Ann Freter, co-editors. 2005. The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Abrams, Elliot and Ann Freter. 2005. "The Archaeological Research History and Environmental Setting of the Hocking River Valley, Southeastern Ohio" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Stump, Nicole, Elliot Abrams, Ann Freter, and James Lein. 2005. "A Preliminary GIS Analysis of Hocking Valley Archaic and Woodland Settlement Trends" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Abrams, Elliot and Sara DeAloia. 2005. "The Walker Site (33AT960): An Archaic/Woodland Hunting-collecting Site in the Hocking Valley" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Heyman, Marjorie, Elliot Abrams, and Ann Freter. 2005. "Late Archaic Community Aggregation and Feasting in the Hocking River Valley" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Crowell, David, Elliot Abrams, James Lein, and Ann Freter. 2005. "Woodland Communities (1000 B.C. - A.D. 200) in the Hocking Valley" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Blazier, Jeremy, Ann Freter, and Elliot Abrams. 2005. "Woodland Ceremonialism in the Hocking Valley" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Abrams, Elliot and Christopher Bergman, Donald Miller. 2005. "The Allen Site and Late Prehistoric Community Structure in the Hocking River Valley" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Abrams, Elliot and Ann Freter. 2005. "Tribal Societies in the Hocking River Valley" in The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: Tribal Societies of Southeastern Ohio. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Wymer, Dee Anne, and Elliot Abrams. 2003. "Early Woodland Plant Use and Gardening: Evidence from an Adena Hamlet in Southeastern Ohio." Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 28: 175 - 194.

Abrams, Elliot. 2001. "Architecture, vernacular." Pp. 37-41 in The Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia, edited by Susan Evans. New York, NY: Garland Press.

Abrams, Elliot. 2001. "Lime/limestone." Pp. 402-403 in The Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia, edited by Susan Evans. New York, NY: Garland Press.

Abrams, Elliot. 2001. "Observaciones preliminares sobre el proceso de construccion en Piedras Negras." Pp. 587-592 in Proyecto Arqueologico Piedras Negras, Informe Preliminar 4, edited by H. Escobedo and S. Houston. Guatemala City, Guatemala: Instituto de Antropologia e Historia de Guatemala.

Abrams, Elliot. 2000. "Investigation of an Obsidian Midden at Cihuatecpan." Pp. 835-839 in The Teotihuacan Valley Project Final Report, Vol. 5, edited by W. Sanders and S. Evans. Occasional Papers in Anthropology, No. 26. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.

Abrams, Elliot and Thomas Bolland. 1999. "Architectural Energetics, Ancient Monuments, and Operations Management." Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 6:263- 290.

Waldron, John, and Elliot Abrams. 1999. "Adena Burial Mounds and Inter-Hamlet Visibility: A GIS Approach." Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 24: 97 - 111.

Abrams, Elliot. 1998. "Structures as Sites: The Construction Process and Maya Architecture." Pp. 123-140 in Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture,edited by S. Houston. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks.

Abrams, Elliot and AnnCorinne Freter. 1996. " A Late Classic Lime Plaster Kiln at the Maya Centre of Copan, Honduras." Antiquity, 70: 422-428.

Abrams, Elliot. 1996. "The Evolution of Plaster Production and the Growth of the Copan Maya State" in Arqueologico Mesoamericana: Homenaje a William T. Sanders. Mexico: INAH.

Abrams, Elliot and A. Freter, D. Rue, J. Wingard. 1996. "The Role of Deforestation in the Collapse of the Late Classic Copan Maya State." Pp. 56-75 in Tropical Deforestation: The Human Dimension, edited by L. Sponsel, T. Headland, and R. Bailey. New York, NY: Columbia U. Press.

Abrams, Elliot. 1995. "A Model of Fluctuating Labor Value and the Establishment of State Power: An Application to the Prehispanic Maya." Latin American Antiquity 6(3): 196-213.

Abrams, Elliot. 1994. How the Maya Built Their World: Energetics and Ancient Architecture. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Abrams, Elliot. 1992. "Archaeological Investigation of the Armitage Mound (33-At-434), The Plains, Ohio." Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 7, pp. 80-111.

Abrams, Elliot. 1992. "Woodland Settlement Patterns in the Southern Hocking River Valley, Southeast Ohio." Pp. 19-23 in Cultural Variability in Context: Woodland Settlements in the Mid-Ohio Valley, edited by M. Seeman. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology Special Paper, No. 7.

Abrams, Elliot. 1989. "The Boudinot #4 Site (33-At-521): An Early Woodland Habitation Site in Athens County, Ohio." West Virginia Archaeologist 41(2):16-26.

Abrams, Elliot. 1989. "Architecture and Energy: An Evolutionary Perspective." Pp. 47-87 in Archaeological Method and Theory, vol. 1, edited by Michael B. Schiffer. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press.

Abrams, Elliot and David Rue. 1988. "The Causes and Consequences of Deforestation in Late Classic Copan, Honduras." Human Ecology 16(4): 377-395.

Abrams, Elliot. 1988. "Investigation of an Obsidian Midden at Cihuatecpan." Pp. 235-238 in Excavations at Cihuatecpan, edited by Susan Evans for Publications in Anthropology No. 36. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Anthropology Department.

Evans, Susan, and Elliot Abrams. 1988. "Archaeology at the Aztec Period Village of Cihuatecpan, Mexico: Methods and Results of the 1984 Field Season." Pp. 50-234 in Excavation at Cihuatecpan, edited by Susan Evans for Publications in Anthropology No. 36. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Anthropology Department.

Abrams, Elliot. 1987. "Economic Specialization and Construction Personnel in Classic Period Copan, Honduras." American Antiquity 52(3): 485-499.

Webster, David, William L. Fash, Jr., and Elliot Abrams. 1986. "Excavaciones en el Conjunto 9N-8, Patio A (Operacion VIII)." Pp. 155-317 in Excavaciones en el Area Urbana de Copan, Tomo I, edited by William T. Sanders. Tegucigalpa, Honduras: Instituto Hondureno de Antropologia e Historia.

Abrams, Elliot. 1984. "The Organization of Labor in Late Classic Copan, Honduras: The Energetics of Construction." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Abrams, Elliot. 1984. "Replicative Experimentation at Copan, Honduras: Implications for Ancient Economic Specialization." Journal of New World Archaeology VI(2):39-48.

Webster, David, and Elliot Abrams. 1983. "An Elite Compound at Copan, Honduras." Journal of Field Archaeology 10:285-296.

Fash, Jr., William L., Ricardo Agurcia F., and Elliot Abrams. 1981. "Excavaciones en el Sitio CV36, 1980-1981." Yaxkin IV(2)111-132.