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- Keyword
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- Utah (19)
- Fremont (14)
- Ceramics (9)
- Native Americans (7)
- Archaeology (6)
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- Architecture (6)
- Maya (6)
- Parowan Valley (6)
- Burials (4)
- Folklore (4)
- Mormons (4)
- Utah County (4)
- Wolf Village (4)
- Casas Grandes (3)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (3)
- GIS (3)
- History (3)
- Mesoamerica (3)
- Mobility (3)
- NWAF (3)
- Ancestral Puebloan (2)
- Anthropology (2)
- Antiquities (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Caches (2)
- Chiapa de Corzo (2)
- Chronology (2)
- Culture (2)
- Early Archaic (2)
- Exchange (2)
Articles 1 - 30 of 67
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
A Gis Approach To Archaeological Settlement Patterns And Predictive Modeling In Chihuahua, Mexico, Haylie Anne Ferguson
A Gis Approach To Archaeological Settlement Patterns And Predictive Modeling In Chihuahua, Mexico, Haylie Anne Ferguson
Theses and Dissertations
In this study I analyzed the pattern of settlement for known Medio period (A.D. 1200–1450) sites in the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico. Locational data acquired from survey projects in the Casas Grandes region were evaluated within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework to reveal patterns in settlement and site distribution. Environmental and cultural variables, including aspect, cost distance to nearest ballcourt, ecoregion, elevation, local relief, cost distance to nearest oven, cost distance to Paquimé, slope, soil, terrain texture, topographic position index, cost distance to nearest trincheras, vegetation, vegetation variety to 100 meters, vegetation variety to 500 meters, cost …
Lithics And Mobility At Land Hill And Hidden Hills: A Study Of The Stone Tools And Debitage At Sites In The Santa Clara River Basin And On The Shivwits Plateau, Megan Ellice Mangum
Lithics And Mobility At Land Hill And Hidden Hills: A Study Of The Stone Tools And Debitage At Sites In The Santa Clara River Basin And On The Shivwits Plateau, Megan Ellice Mangum
Theses and Dissertations
The Land Hill and Hidden Hills study areas were the site of the 2006 and 2007 Brigham Young University's archaeological field schools. The two study areas are located in contrasting environments; the Land Hill area is located along the Santa Clara River in southwestern Utah, and the Hidden Hills area was is located on the Shivwits Plateau in northwestern Arizona. The Land Hill study area is located within a well-watered environment which would support a primarily horticultural lifestyle. The Hidden Hills study area is located in an arid environment without permanent streams which would support a more mobile hunting lifestyle. …
Exploring Ceramic Vessel Use At Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, Through Use-Alteration Analyses, Jessica Simpson
Exploring Ceramic Vessel Use At Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, Through Use-Alteration Analyses, Jessica Simpson
Theses and Dissertations
The Casas Grandes Valley is located in the northwestern corner of the modern state of Chihuahua, Mexico. This area falls into the greater Northwest/Southwest cultural region. Research conducted on Casas Grandes ceramics up to this point has focused on form and design in connection with burials, authority, sociopolitical organization, ceremony and ritual, communication, and identifying cultural boundaries and influences. Very little has been said about some of the everyday uses of Casas Grandes ceramics. My thesis explores the evidences of use on ceramic vessels in the Casas Grandes region during the Medio period (AD 1200-1450). I conducted a use-alteration analysis …
A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of San Juan Red Ware, Robert Jacob Bischoff
A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of San Juan Red Ware, Robert Jacob Bischoff
Theses and Dissertations
San Juan Red Ware was widely distributed throughout the Four Corners region of the U.S. Southwest between about AD 750 and 1100. Prior research indicates this ware is a marker of identity and was likely associated with feasting and other communal activities. A study of the distribution of this ware indicates that it was traded widely, but with significant variation in relative quantity between sites. This variation is likely caused by unequal access to this ware due either to a lack of access to the necessary exchange networks or by a conscious decision to not participate in the exchange of …
The Beef Basin Occupation As An Extension Of The Northern San Region: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Ceramics In Beef Basin, Utah, Jaclyn Marie Eckersley
The Beef Basin Occupation As An Extension Of The Northern San Region: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Ceramics In Beef Basin, Utah, Jaclyn Marie Eckersley
Theses and Dissertations
This paper is a summary of the methods and key results of my analysis of 7,997 sherds from 14 sites in Beef Basin, Utah. I discuss physical attributes of the collection, the results of mean ceramic dating, the results of neutron activation analysis, and the results of refiring a sample of nips in an oxidizing atmosphere. I briefly summarize the architecture at each site , as well as possible Fremont cultural material found in and near Beef Basin. I conclude that Beef Basin was likely occupied in the early Pueblo III period and that the occupation was sudden and brief. …
Examining Large Game Utility And Transport Decisions By Fremont Hunters: A Study Of Faunal Bone From Wolf Village, Utah, Spencer Francis Lambert
Examining Large Game Utility And Transport Decisions By Fremont Hunters: A Study Of Faunal Bone From Wolf Village, Utah, Spencer Francis Lambert
Theses and Dissertations
This analysis of faunal bones from Wolf Village focuses on large game and its utility, as evidenced by what is known as the modified general utility index (MGUI). The MGUI proposes that bones at sites reflect transportation and butchering choices made by hunters at kill-butchering sites. According to the assumptions associated with the MGUI, hunters should select animal portions with high food value. The MGUI has been used in Fremont archaeology to provide a rough measure of site function. The expectation is that faunal bones would accompany the prized cuts of large game meat at habitation sites – and the …
Laying The Foundation For A Fremont Phytolith Typology Using Select Plant Species Native To Utah County, Madison Natasha Pearce
Laying The Foundation For A Fremont Phytolith Typology Using Select Plant Species Native To Utah County, Madison Natasha Pearce
Theses and Dissertations
Archaeobotanical evidences for the presence of wild plants at Fremont archaeological sites are numerous. However, little can be positively argued for why those plants are present, if they were used by site inhabitants, and how they were used. Additionally, there are likely several wild plants that were used but that do not appear in the archaeobotanical record as pollen or macrobotanicals, the two most commonly identified plant remains. I argue that it is possible to provide better interpretations for how and why the Fremont used plants by researching how their historic counterparts, the Goshute, Shoshone, Ute, and Southern Paiute, used …
Chiapa De Corzo Mound 3 Revisited: Burials, Caches, And Architecture, Michaela Ann Ostler
Chiapa De Corzo Mound 3 Revisited: Burials, Caches, And Architecture, Michaela Ann Ostler
Theses and Dissertations
Chiapa de Corzo Mound 3 was excavated by Tim Tucker under the direction of the New World Archaeological Foundation in July 1965. Mound 3 is located in the ritual center of Chiapa de Corzo, the southwest quadrant. Significant Preclassic and Protoclassic architecture, burials, and caches were discovered there but were never fully analyzed or published. A complete analysis of this mound is necessary to better understand the role of Chiapa de Corzo as a whole and as a regional power. This thesis completes the analysis and accomplishes the following goals: (1) completes the ceramic analysis and classification started by Tucker, …
Nabataean Subadult Mortuary Practices, Courtney Dotson Ewert
Nabataean Subadult Mortuary Practices, Courtney Dotson Ewert
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis provides the beginnings of further research on the correlation between Nabataean mortuary practices and specific biological age ranges. It seeks to answer the question of whether Nabataean infants were absent from, or under-represented, in Nabataean cemeteries. Several quantitative analyses and descriptive statistics were performed, comparing Nabataean adult and subadult burials from fourteen sites. Nabataean cemetery populations were also compared with Walter Scheidel's model life table. These analyses demonstrate that Nabataean burials typically consisted of either a single adult or multiple individuals of various age ranges. Subadults, individuals under the age of 20 years, were rarely found buried by …
Burial Plots: Finding Theatre In The Thanatology Of Colonial North Coast Peru, Connie Ericksen
Burial Plots: Finding Theatre In The Thanatology Of Colonial North Coast Peru, Connie Ericksen
Theses and Dissertations
Spain's invasion of the Andes initiated a social drama unprecedented in the experience of the Andean natives. Spanish and Spanish-conscripted native chroniclers wrote extensively about Inca pageantry, spectacle, and ritual, and hastily attributed pagan belief to performances they witnessed or heard about. With equal haste, the Spanish appropriated performance as means of introducing and enforcing Christianity. In this thesis, I treat performance as the central feature of Andean Colonial transition. Performance may be viewed as an ephemeral feature of the Andean transition but fortunately, in mortuary performances (dealing with death and treatment of the body); there are many theatrical elements …
Chiapa De Corzo Mound 3 Revisited: Burials, Caches, And Architecture, Michaela Ann Ostler
Chiapa De Corzo Mound 3 Revisited: Burials, Caches, And Architecture, Michaela Ann Ostler
Theses and Dissertations
Chiapa de Corzo Mound 3 was excavated by Tim Tucker under the direction of the New World Archaeological Foundation in July 1965. Mound 3 is located in the ritual center of Chiapa de Corzo, the southwest quadrant. Significant Preclassic and Protoclassic architecture, burials, and caches were discovered there but were never fully analyzed or published. A complete analysis of this mound is necessary to better understand the role of Chiapa de Corzo as a whole and as a regional power. This thesis completes the analysis and accomplishes the following goals: (1) completes the ceramic analysis and classification started by Tucker, …
An Investigation Of The Manufacture And Use Of Bone Awls At Wolf Village (42ut273), Joseph A. Bryce
An Investigation Of The Manufacture And Use Of Bone Awls At Wolf Village (42ut273), Joseph A. Bryce
Theses and Dissertations
Wolf Village is a Fremont farming village located at the southern end of Utah Valley where Brigham Young University has conducted six field schools there and recovered 135 awl and awl fragments. The Wolf Village awls, like the awls from many Fremont sites, represent a large range of morphological variability. Because of the ubiquity and diversity of Fremont bone awls, many different approaches have been taken to organize and understand them; focusing more on morphological characteristics than interpretation. In order to better understand the life use of bone awls, experiments were conducted to replicate the manufacture and use of these …
Reconstructing Prehistoric Human/Plant Relationships At Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico Through A Microfossil Analysis Of Dental Calculus, Daniel James King
Reconstructing Prehistoric Human/Plant Relationships At Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico Through A Microfossil Analysis Of Dental Calculus, Daniel James King
Theses and Dissertations
As part of a multinational project and with the help of other professionals, I gathered and analyzed 110 samples of dental calculus (fossilized plaque) from human remains discovered at Paquimé and the Convento site in the Casas Grandes River valley to identify various microfossils still present in the silica matrix. Once identified, I used the results to reconstruct human/plant relationships present during the Viejo (700-1250 CE) and Medio (1250-1450 CE) periods in and around Paquimé. My data suggest that maize was used throughout both time periods, supplemented by wild plants, and possible marine resources. Further, evidence for cultural food modification …
Prototype For Zion: The Original Provo Tabernacle And The Construction Of Mormon Zion In The American West, Ryan W. Saltzgiver
Prototype For Zion: The Original Provo Tabernacle And The Construction Of Mormon Zion In The American West, Ryan W. Saltzgiver
Theses and Dissertations
During the winter of 2011–2012, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and Office of Public Archaeology (OPA) at Brigham Young University (BYU) conducted archaeological explorations in urban Provo, Utah. The purpose of the research was to uncover and document the extant remains of the Original or Old Provo Tabernacle (OPT; 42UT1844). The data recovered from that excavation was the impetus for the current study. Through a combination of documentary and archaeological evidence, and using Mormon theology as a lens through which to interpret the actions of nineteenth century Latter-day Saints, this thesis demonstrates the important role …
The Greco-Roman Water Catchment Theater: Identification And Distribution, Allison Nicole Lee
The Greco-Roman Water Catchment Theater: Identification And Distribution, Allison Nicole Lee
Theses and Dissertations
Water has always been a necessity for human beings. How individuals and populations have reacted to, adapted, and manipulated water is apparent in the archaeological record. Ancient urban water systems often utilized a number of components, including aqueducts, siphons, underground tunneling, and cisterns. This thesis proposes that Greco-Roman theaters were utilized as components of ancient urban water systems in specific environments, and that this theater type may be identified in the archaeological and literary record as a water catchment theater. The goal of my thesis was to define, describe, identify, and plot the distribution of water catchment theaters in …
Comparative Analysis Of Ceramics From Three Great Houses And One Small House Site In Southeast Utah, Rachel Marie Harris
Comparative Analysis Of Ceramics From Three Great Houses And One Small House Site In Southeast Utah, Rachel Marie Harris
Theses and Dissertations
Ceramics from three Utah great houses, Bluff, Cottonwood Falls, and Edge of the Cedars, were analyzed and compared with ceramics from Three Kiva Pueblo, which is not a great house site but was occupied contemporarily. Data on jar and bowl rim diameters were considered to understand great house feasting dynamics. Cooking jars with large rim diameters were more common at Three Kiva than they were at the great houses. This suggests that Three Kiva residents prepared large batches of food more frequently than great house residents. Distributions of Mancos Black-on-white bowl diameters were very similar at great houses and Three …
The Roman Riders: Ethnicity And Iconography On Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones, Jessica Colleen Kramer
The Roman Riders: Ethnicity And Iconography On Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones, Jessica Colleen Kramer
Theses and Dissertations
The funerary grave stelae of the Roman cavalrymen are large, impressive monuments set apart from their military counterparts by the ornate relief carvings which they exhibit. The two most common motifs featured on these tombstones are the rider relief motifs and the totenmahl motifs. Aspects of both the reliefs and the inscribed epitaphs are distinctly characteristic of the Roman military. Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, men in the auxiliary cavalry units were recruited from non-Roman allied tribes. These recruits brought with them foreign languages, customs, and beliefs. Through a comparative study of Roman cavalry tombstones found in Great …
Fremont Ceramic Designs And Their Implications, Katie Kristina Richards
Fremont Ceramic Designs And Their Implications, Katie Kristina Richards
Theses and Dissertations
Although Fremont ceramic design styles have the potential to tell archaeologists a great deal about Fremont social interaction and boundaries, they have never been studied in detail. In the Fremont world, painted designs appear almost exclusively on the inside of bowls produced in two different regions of Utah. The firstis the Snake Valley production zone in southwestern Utah where Snake Valley Black-on-gray was produced; the second is the Emery production zone in central Utah where white-slipped Ivie Creek Black-on-white bowls were produced. The similarities in designs on the two main types of Fremont painted bowls indicates regional interaction and exchange …
An Analysis Of The Archaeological Work Of The Provo River Delta, Utah, Adrien Carole Mooney
An Analysis Of The Archaeological Work Of The Provo River Delta, Utah, Adrien Carole Mooney
Theses and Dissertations
Throughout the 20th century, a significant amount of work was conducted at archaeological sites in Utah Valley dating to the Archaic, Fremont, and Late Prehistoric periods. Despite the amount of work conducted, very little has actually been reported in the past. As a result, very little has previously been known about either the prehistoric archaeology of the Provo River Delta area or the historic archaeological work that has taken place. This thesis presents a synthesis of historical work, a reanalysis of artifacts from previous excavations, and a review of extant documentation (including field notes, maps, and student reports) of several …
Izapa Group B: Excavations, Burials, And Offerings, Rosemary Lieske
Izapa Group B: Excavations, Burials, And Offerings, Rosemary Lieske
Theses and Dissertations
Izapa, a Late Preclassic regional center located in southern Mexico, was heavily excavated by the New World Archaeological Foundation from 1961-1965. However, much remains unclear regarding the details of those excavations, specifically in regards to Group B. In this thesis I hope to present important details derived from those excavations in a way that is meaningful and useful. The purpose of this thesis project is to: (1) reconstruct the excavation history of Izapa Group B, (2) to provide a reconstruction of Group B's architectural history as revealed through the excavations, and (3) to identify and present descriptions of the contents …
Parowan Valley Potting Communities: Examining Technological Style In Fremont Snake Valley Corrugated Pottery, Scott M. Ure
Parowan Valley Potting Communities: Examining Technological Style In Fremont Snake Valley Corrugated Pottery, Scott M. Ure
Theses and Dissertations
Defining the Fremont archaeological culture has challenged archaeologists for decades. There is still considerable debate about the origins of the Fremont, their eventual demise, their genetic relationship to modern Native American tribes, and myriad other issues. In nearly a century of Fremont research, socio-political, economic, and religious complexity remain elusive subjects. Examining technological style, the manifestation of socially influenced choices during each step of production as a means of passive communication, is one useful avenue to examine Fremont material culture to uncover the social patterns they may, or may not contain. I examine whether or not technological style in Fremont …
Promontory Culture: The Faunal Evidence, Lindsay Deanne Johansson
Promontory Culture: The Faunal Evidence, Lindsay Deanne Johansson
Theses and Dissertations
Following excavations in the Promontory Caves and at several open sites in the Provo River Delta region, Steward (1937) characterized the Promontory culture as large game hunters. He based this on the high number of bison bones recovered within the Caves. Excavations at additional Promontory sites along the Wasatch Front contain faunal assemblages which differ significantly from those in the caves, showing that people living at open sites relied more heavily on small game, waterfowl, and aquatic resources than large game. These differences have been mostly attributed to Steward's sampling strategy and lack of screening, but faunal material recovered during …
Roman And Early Byzantine Burials At Fag El-Gamus, Egypt: A Reassessment Of The Case For Religious Affiliation, Kristin Hacken South
Roman And Early Byzantine Burials At Fag El-Gamus, Egypt: A Reassessment Of The Case For Religious Affiliation, Kristin Hacken South
Theses and Dissertations
The Late Roman necropolis of Fag el-Gamus on the eastern edge of Egypt's Fayum Oasis is a valuable archaeological site for exploring issues of personal and cultural identity in Roman Egypt. Former scholarship regarding the people buried at Fag el-Gamus has claimed-based on narrow evidence--that they represent an exceptionally early Christian community in Egypt. However, a more careful look at the evidence-using recent theoretical approaches, data-driven analyses, and comparisons with contemporary sites throughout Egypt and neighboring areas-reveals a more complicated portrait of their religious affiliation and other aspects of their identity. This study examines several potential markers of religious affiliation …
Parowan Fremont Faunal Exploitation: Resource Depression Or Feasting?, Sara E. Stauffer
Parowan Fremont Faunal Exploitation: Resource Depression Or Feasting?, Sara E. Stauffer
Theses and Dissertations
The faunal remains of large game such as mule deer, pronghorn, and mountain sheep are abundant at Fremont sites, as are jackrabbits and cottontails. The proportions of these species in Fremont faunal assemblages fluctuate through time. Explanations for these variations range from resource depression to communal activities. This thesis provides the results of the faunal analysis from three previously unreported sites. Paragonah (42IN43), Summit (42IN40), and Parowan (42IN100) are large Fremont sites in the Parowan Valley located 20 miles north of Cedar City in Utah. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if the variations in the faunal assemblage …
A Re-Examination Of The Early Pueblo I Components At Monument Village, 42sa971, Rachel K. Pollock
A Re-Examination Of The Early Pueblo I Components At Monument Village, 42sa971, Rachel K. Pollock
Theses and Dissertations
The Pueblo I period (A.D. 750-900) was a time of widespread change in population and settlement organization in the Northern San Juan region of the American Southwest. One major distinguishing feature of the Pueblo I period is the rapid appearance of villages in the late A.D. 700s. Monument Village in southeastern Utah was excavated by Brigham Young University in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but has never been adequately described. Monument Village has a substantial early Pueblo I occupation but the dating of various structures and the size of the overall settlement are unclear. This thesis re-examines architectural and …
Dirty Talking Cracked Pots: Inferring Function And Use Of Decorated Ceramic Bowls At Fourmile Ruin, Az, Heather E. Bullock
Dirty Talking Cracked Pots: Inferring Function And Use Of Decorated Ceramic Bowls At Fourmile Ruin, Az, Heather E. Bullock
Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis, I discuss the function and use of decorated ceramic bowls at Fourmile Ruin, a Pueblo IV site located in east-central Arizona. My research focused on three wares dating to the Pueblo IV period of the American Southwest (AD 1275-1450): White Mountain Red Ware, Salado Polychrome, and Jeddito Yellow Ware. These wares represent the most abundant type of decorated ceramic bowls found at Fourmile Ruin. Ceramic wares and types are described, followed by a description of their physical and stylistic characteristics and functions, an analysis of how vessels were used, and, lastly, a discussion of the contexts within …
Macrobotanical Evidence Of Diet And Plant Use At Wolf Village (42ut273), Utah Valley, Utah., Wendy Dahle
Macrobotanical Evidence Of Diet And Plant Use At Wolf Village (42ut273), Utah Valley, Utah., Wendy Dahle
Theses and Dissertations
Farming played a role in the subsistence base for the Fremont culture, but there is no consensus as to how significant that role was. Maize is consistently found in Fremont sites, but evidence of wild plant use is also abundant. The use of both domesticates and foraged plants by the Fremont, combined with the diversity of the landscape and sites that were inhabited by the Fremont, contributes to the diversity of theories on Fremont subsistence. This thesis examines evidence for plant usage at Wolf Village, a Fremont site in Utah Valley. Wolf Village is ideally situated for a Fremont farming …
The Terminal Classic At El Mirador, Peten, Guatemala., Richard M. Allen
The Terminal Classic At El Mirador, Peten, Guatemala., Richard M. Allen
Theses and Dissertations
Recent excavations uncovered numerous small rooms constructed on top of the Danta Acropolis at El Mirador, Guatemala. The characteristics of the settlement and the material items indicated that it was a late occupation and lacked the features associated with large Maya polities and Classic Maya culture. This thesis focused on describing the continuities and changes that occurred from the Late Classic to the Terminal Classic at El Mirador based on the ceramic assemblage and architecture. Significant continuity and stability of the pottery making community is reflected in the ceramic assemblage. Additionally, it was desirable to gain an understanding of how …
The Origins Of The Maya: A Comparative Analysis Of Narratives, Thomasina Ilene Morris
The Origins Of The Maya: A Comparative Analysis Of Narratives, Thomasina Ilene Morris
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this thesis is to document the changes in archaeological origin narratives concerning the lowland Preclassic Maya. This was accomplished by tracking the changes in four major narratives over several decades. These narratives include Herbert J. Spinden's Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America; The Ancient Maya written by Sylvanus G. Morley, with additional editors, George Brainerd, Robert J. Sharer, and Loa Traxler; Michael D. Coe's The Maya, and Richard E.W. Adams's Prehistoric Mesoamerica. The specific parts of the narratives analyzed were the origins of agriculture, ceramic technology, writing, and monumental architecture. Changes in metaphorical language …
Construction Of Complex A At La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico: A History Of Buildings, Burials, Offerings, And Stone Monuments, Arlene Colman
Construction Of Complex A At La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico: A History Of Buildings, Burials, Offerings, And Stone Monuments, Arlene Colman
Theses and Dissertations
In 1969, Paul Tolstoy commented that archaeological investigation at La Venta had become "a fairly long and at times tortuous story of excavation, interpretation, re-interpretation, and depredation at the famous site found by Stirling." This thesis adds to the torture by describing and illustrating the architecture, burials, offerings, and stone sculpture of La Venta Complex A in an effort to reconcile data into an accurate sequence of meaningful cultural events. The details derive from excavation reports, field notes, maps, photographs, and correspondence of the early investigators of the site. This study addressed three myopic perceptions regarding La Venta: (1) the …