These databases are useful for finding articles - mostly scholarly - about history, anthropology, and archeology. Try using search terms that reflect specific towns, cities, civilizations, and cultures that interest you.
eHRAF ArchaeologyThis link opens in a new windowThe eHRAF Archaeology database searches the Human Area Relations Files which provide systematic comparisons of 90 archaeological traditions. Each tradition includes an author signed article with a summary, narrative, and a selected bibliography.
Description: The eHRAF Archaeology database searches the Human Area Relations Files which provide systematic comparisons of 90 archaeological traditions. Each tradition includes an author signed article with a summary, narrative, and a selected bibliography. Time Period: 1949 to present Sources: Searches thousands of pages. Subject Headings: Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Anthropology Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Books/e-books, Primary documents, Journal Articles, Other, Information Included: Abstracts, Full Text, Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: None Publisher: Yale University Updates: NA Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
America: History & LifeThis link opens in a new windowKey database for research in American and Canadian history. Indexes journals from the 19th century to the present, containing articles on all eras of American history.
Description: Key database for research in American and Canadian history. Indexes journals from the 1960's to the present, containing articles on all eras of American history. Time Period: 19th century to present Sources: Search more than 1,800 journal titles. Subject Headings: Art & Architecture, History, Humanities, Mobile, Social Sciences Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Abstracts, Books/e-books, Citations, Conference Papers, Dissertation and Theses, Journal Articles, Magazine Articles Information Included: Abstracts, Full Text, Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: Yes Print Equivalent: None Publisher: EBSCO Updates: Monthly Number of Simultaneous Users: 6
Historical Abstracts (EBSCO)This link opens in a new windowHistorical Abstracts indexes articles that cover world history from the 15th century forward, including military history, women's history, and the history of education. The database includes some linked full text and searches can be limited to articles about a specified historical period.
Description:Historical Abstracts indexes articles that cover world history from the 15th century forward, including military history, women's history, and the history of education. The database includes some linked full text and searches can be limited to articles about a specified historical period. Time Period: 1955 to present Sources: Indexes more than 2,600 journals. Subject Headings: History, Mobile, Social Sciences Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Abstracts, Dissertation and Theses, Journal Articles, Reviews Information Included: Abstracts,Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: Yes Print Equivalent: Historical abstracts Publisher: EBSCO Updates: Monthly Number of Simultaneous Users: 6
AnthroSourceThis link opens in a new windowFull-text content from peer-reviewed journals and newsletters published by the American Anthropological Association (AAA). Results list will include articles from journal titles with restricted access. Journals with full text will have a green dot on the results list.
Description: Full-text content from peer-reviewed journals and newsletters published by the American Anthropological Association (AAA). Results list will include articles from journal titles with restricted access. Journals with full text will have a green dot on the results list. Time Period: 1970's to present Sources: Search or browse nearly 60 different publications. Subject Headings: Humanities, Philosophy & Religion, Science, Social Sciences Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Citations, Journal Articles, Reviews Information Included: Full Text, Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: Yes Print Equivalent:Abstracts in Anthropology Publisher: American Anthropological Association Updates: Daily Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
JSTORThis link opens in a new windowJSTOR allows you to search across approximately 2,000 journal titles from more than 50 disciplines. It contains complete backfiles of scholarly journals starting with the first issues, many of which date back from the 1800s. Although the majority of titles do not have the most recent 3 to 5 years available in full text, there are some which have the current issues available.
Note: Additional content has been permanently added to JSTOR, including archived journal collections and primary resources. Searches performed using the databases page link will include results from the additional sources, as will the link above.
Description:JSTOR allows you to search across approximately 2,000 journal titles from more than 50 disciplines. It contains complete backfiles of scholarly journals starting with the first issues, many of which date back from the 1800s. Although the majority of titles do not have the most recent 3 to 5 years available in full text, there are some which have the current issues available.
Note: Additional content has been permanently added to JSTOR, including archived journal collections and primary resources. Searches performed using the databases page link will include results from the additional sources, as will the link above.
Time Period: 19th century to present Sources: Provides the full text for approximately 2,000 journals. Subject Headings: Art & Architecture, Business, Education, English & Linguistics, General, Health, History, Humanities, Law, Mobile, Music, Philosophy & Religion, Psychology, Science, Social Sciences, Technology Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Citations, Journal Articles, Reviews Information Included: Full Text, Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: None Publisher: JSTOR Updates: Daily Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
Project MUSEThis link opens in a new windowFull text database of journals in disciplines such as art, literature, history, political science, and economics. Some full text will come from the JSTOR database, in PDF format.
Description:Project Muse is a full text database of journals in disciplines such as art, literature, history, political science, and economics. Some full text will come from JSTOR, in PDF format. Time Period: 1993 to present Sources: Indexes more than 300 journals. Subject Headings: Art & Architecture, English & Linguistics, History, Humanities, Philosophy & Religion, Psychology Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Books/e-books, Citations, Journal Articles Information Included: Journal Articles FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: None Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Updates: Daily Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
Recent journal and magazine articles
Munro, I. H. (2019). “A Spot of Ground Which Human Interest Clings To”: Changing Perceptions of Quindaro and Its History. Kansas History, 42(2), 101–112.The article discusses the changing perceptions of Quindaro community, an abandoned townsite which was incorporated into Kansas City, Kansas, through the perspective of each historian in varying periods. Topics discussed include the influence of slavery historian Charles E. Cory in the town's representations from its origin, the role of Charles Robinson, head of the New England Emigrant Aid Co., in the history of Quindaro, and the history of commerce in the area.
Shulman, N. (2019). Nuclear holiday. New Criterion, 38(1), 18–22.The article explores the growth of disaster tourism in Ukraine years following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. It highlights the rising popularity of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone as a tourist attraction. Also discussed is the rise of the nuclear accident as an emblem of Soviet lies and incompetence and a metaphor for the collapse of Soviet control.
Kruger, L. (2017). Piedmont, Wyoming. Wild West, 30(4), 80–81.The article provides information on the history of the ghost town Piedmont, Wyoming, focusing on its role in the link up of the transcontinental railroad and its decline. Information is provided on the town's founder Moses Byrne and Charles Guild who named the town in honor of the home region of their wives, sisters Catherine and Marie Cardon, the rise of the Union Pacific Railroad, and the rapid decline of the town after the railroad rerouted its line bypassing Piedmont after 1910.
Parikh, D., & Petrie, C. A. (2019). “We are inheritors of a rural civilisation”: rural complexity and the ceramic economy in the Indus Civilisation in northwest India. World Archaeology, 51(2), 252–272. https://doi-org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1080/00438243.2019.What role do villages play in 'an urban civilisation'? Although it is likely that most of the populations of South Asia's ancient Indus Civilisation would not have lived in cities, it is not clear what their rural way of life would have encompassed. Using ceramic assemblages excavated from Indus-period villages in northwest India, alongside ethnographic records on village organization and rural craft production, this paper argues that Indus villages were characterized by rural complexity. This comprised a range of activities, including craft production, as well as short- and long-distance socio-economic links. Drawing on historical narratives, we show how South Asian villages have been essentialized and presented as either ideal or conservative extremes. We argue for the importance of a better understanding of the breadth and nuances of the rural sphere, and for a greater research focus on village life in the Indus context.
Vallet, R., Baldi, J., Naccaro, H., Rasheed, K., Saber, S., & Hamarasheed, S. (2017). New evidence on Uruk expansion in the Central Mesopotamian Zagros Piedmont. Paléorient, 43(1), 61-87.The new data from the sites ofGirdi Qala andLogardan (Iraqi Kurdistan) are starting to change the picture of Uruk culture expansion. In the Central Zagros Piedmont, it began as early as the second half of the local Late Chalcolithic 2 (LC2), contemporary with South Mesopotamian Early Uruk. The Uruk presence is documented not only by a large ceramic assemblage, characterized by a broad range of shapes and techniques, but also by numerous production facilities which show that Uruk pottery was made on-site by resident craftsmen. These discoveries lead us to revise traditional conceptions of the Uruk expansion, based on the simple dichotomy between local populations and Uruk colonists. We can now assess the actual forms of intercultural exchange that were taking place over an unexpectedly long period of time.
Primary sources
These collections contain primary sources like historical newspaper and magazine articles and digitized archival materials. They are useful for finding primary sources about ghost towns and extinct cities - perhaps materials created while they were still thriving. As with secondary databases, try using search terms that reflect the topics and subjects that interest you.
New York Times (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)This link opens in a new windowSearch the complete text of the New York Times from 1851 to 3 years prior to the current year. Includes PDF images of original articles with photographs and drawings, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, historical photos, stock photos, and advertisements.
Note: An additional year of content is added annually.
Description: Search the complete text of the New York Times from 1851 to 3 years prior to the current year. Includes PDF images of original articles with photographs and drawings, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, historical photos, stock photos, and advertisements. Note: An additional year of content is added annually. Time Period: 1851 to 3 years ago Sources: 1 Subject Headings: General, History, News (News) Scholarly or Popular: Popular Primary Materials: Archival Material, News, Reviews Information Included: Full Text FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: Older issues of the New York Times (1857-2005) are on microfilm in the Periodicals and Microforms Collection, Bracken 1 East. Current issues of the paper are in the Current Periodicals collection, also in Bracken 1 East. Publisher: ProQuest Information & Learning Updates: NA Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals CollectionThis link opens in a new windowThe American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection database provides full text access to thousands of historical periodical publications. This database, which is made up of 50 collections, contains scans of each page of all publications, including illustrations. The results list takes you to the article level and allows you to browse the entire issue of the publication.
Description: The American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection database provides full text access to thousands of historical periodical publications. This database, which is made up of 50 collections, contains scans of each page of all publications, including illustrations. The results list takes you to the article level and allows you to browse the entire issue of the publication. Time Period: 1684 to 1912 Sources: Provides the complete text of articles from thousands of magazines. Subject Headings: English & Linguistics, General, History, Humanities, Mobile, Philosophy & Religion, Science, Social Sciences Scholarly or Popular: Semi-scholarly Primary Materials: Magazine Articles Information Included: Full Text, Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: None Publisher: EBSCO Updates: NA Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
Library of Congress Digital CollectionsThis link opens in a new windowLibrary of Congress Digital Collections serves as a portal to the 320 plus digital collections of the Library of Congress, providing links to each collection's home page. The collections include a wide range of materials such as books, collected papers, sheet music, images, and web archives.
Description: Library of Congress Digital Collections serves as a portal to the 320 plus digital collections of the Library of Congress, providing links to each collection's home page. The collections include a wide range of materials such as books, collected papers, sheet music, images, and web archives. Time Period: 1490 to 21st century Sources: Contains more than 1.15 million items. Subject Headings: History, Social Sciences Scholarly or Popular: Scholarly Primary Materials: Images, Archival Materials, Audio, Books/ eBooks, Videos Information Included: Full Text FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: None Publisher: Library of Congress Updates: Daily Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited
Digital Public Library of AmericaThis link opens in a new windowThe Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) provides access to content from American libraries, archives, and museums. Although many items in the DPLA are in the public domain, some items are not. Check the "Rights" field of the item record for the copyright status.
Description: The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) provides access to content from American libraries, archives, and museums. Although many items in the DPLA are in the public domain, some items are not. Check the "Rights" field of the item record for the copyright status. Time Period: 18th century to present Sources: Contains more than 5 million records. Subject Headings: General Scholarly or Popular: Semi-scholarly Primary Materials: Archival Material, Audio, Books/e-books, Images, Videos Information Included: Full Text, Citations FindIt@BALL STATE: No Print Equivalent: None Publisher: Digital Public Library of America Updates: Weekly Number of Simultaneous Users: Unlimited