Pattern and variety: Remembering Stanley A. Ahler's contributions to Plains Village archaeology

Abstract

During his 40-year career, Stanley A. Ahler consistently applied a coherent set of theoretical principles and methodological practices to his studies of Plains Village communities in the Middle Missouri subarea. For Ahler, modes of human behavior could only be understood and explained within the context of behavioral diversity and so he regarded the detection of variation within the material record as a crucial component of archaeological research. Ahler's studies of household and community variation in the Middle Missouri embody the best qualities of processual archaeology: a willingness to challenge previous interpretations; a commitment to actualistic research and interdisciplinary collaboration; a desire to understand the complexities of human behavior; and a belief in the importance of public archaeology. In pursuing this program, Ahler and his many collaborators transformed how archaeologists think about Plains hunter-farmers.

Keywords:

• Plains Village archaeology
• North Dakota
• Middle Missouri subarea
• history of archaeology