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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Heterarchy Or Hierarchy: Modeling And Simulation Applied To Social Organization At The Late Iron Age Site Of Kerkenes, Central Anatolia, Jessica Robkin
Heterarchy Or Hierarchy: Modeling And Simulation Applied To Social Organization At The Late Iron Age Site Of Kerkenes, Central Anatolia, Jessica Robkin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
During the late 7th to the first half of the 6th century BC a large urban center existed atop the Kerkenes mountain in central Anatolia. After a brief occupation that ended in a fiery blaze, the site saw only minimal activity until being visited by archaeologists first in the 1920s and then again in the 1990s. Archaeological work at Kerkenes has generated impressive digital datasets through remote sensing and traditional excavation that have identified the foundation of this once impressive city. These types of datasets have proven ideal for use with modeling and simulation methods that have successfully been used …
"They Dare To Continue:" Identity Politics And Coloniality Of Distance At Universidad De Oriente, Yucatan, Mexico, Rachael Root
"They Dare To Continue:" Identity Politics And Coloniality Of Distance At Universidad De Oriente, Yucatan, Mexico, Rachael Root
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
In the last few decades, narratives of diversity and international declarations have directed higher education to become more inclusive. In Mexico, new intercultural universities incorporate indigenous knowledges, skills, languages, and values into Western-style curriculum or create new curriculum that centers local elders and community needs in degree completion requirements. As a public university located in Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico, Universidad de Oriente's objective is to stimulate regional development, yet their mission is to protect and preserve Yucatec Maya language and culture. These opposing priorities generate tensions: is Universidad de Oriente really a school "for the Mayas" or is it yet another …
Amazonian Wetland Domestication: A Spatial Analysis Of Pre-Columbian Fish Weirs In Lowland Bolivia, Charlotte Robinson
Amazonian Wetland Domestication: A Spatial Analysis Of Pre-Columbian Fish Weirs In Lowland Bolivia, Charlotte Robinson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Recent archaeological studies show that pre-Columbian communities began modifying Southwestern Amazonia approximately 3,500 years ago. In lowland Bolivia, a recently mapped network of fish weirs in West Central Llanos de Mojos (WCM) demonstrates how ancient Mojeño groups built artificial earthworks to harness seasonal flooding and catch fish. In the eastern region of Baures, a similar complex of fish weirs has been studied since the 1990s, generating questions about how this system may function in a different hydrological and anthropogenic setting. Similarly, previous research within WCM has focused on the fields and forest islands that pre-Columbian populations built to elevate themselves …
Puerto Rico's Cultural Industry (Re)Construction: A Study On Vulnerable Systems, Post-Disaster U.S. Philanthropy, And Autogestión Through Puerto Rican Artists And Cultural Managers' Perspectives, Andrea Ocasio Cruz
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, and its aftermath significantly changed the local cultural industry's funding infrastructure. Philanthropic foundations in the United States (US) have provided financial support to local artists, educators, cultural managers, and institutions after the storm for over four years. Based on semi-structured interviews with eight participants and fieldwork, this study provides insight into the colonial and neoliberal policies that progressively stripped the cultural industry's public funding infrastructure and ushered in a US-led "impromptu Institute of Culture." This study proposes that Puerto Rico's cultural industry was founded on a vulnerable system shaped by colonialism, resulting in …
Assessing The Overall Utility Of Rapid Digital Documentation Methods On The Juniper Springs Recreational Site In The Ocala National Forest, Alexander Nalewaik
Assessing The Overall Utility Of Rapid Digital Documentation Methods On The Juniper Springs Recreational Site In The Ocala National Forest, Alexander Nalewaik
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The use of rapid digital documentation technologies remains in its infancy, although it promises to change the course of future archaeological work. With rising sea levels, the natural deterioration of historic sites and structures, and the lack of proper funding for historic and cultural sites, more of these sites are at risk of destruction. With the implementation of rapid digital documentation methods, researchers can address risks associated with data loss. To date, only a handful of cultural resource management (CRM) firms use these technologies, citing the lack of use as too expensive or difficult to learn. Using rapid digital documentation …
Integrated Healthcare In The U.S. Safety-Net System: Meeting The Needs Of Patients Through Comprehensive Medical And Social Care, Jacqueline Devaney
Integrated Healthcare In The U.S. Safety-Net System: Meeting The Needs Of Patients Through Comprehensive Medical And Social Care, Jacqueline Devaney
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis examines how a Patient-Centered Medical Home addresses, implements, and provides medical and social resources and services within the Florida U.S. safety-net system, and how patients and providers perceive health care interactions between each other. The safety-net clinics seek to fill the care gap for millions of uninsured low-income U.S. residents who cannot afford private insurance, are unemployed, self-employed, undocumented, or their low income exceeds the qualification threshold, and they face barriers in accessing expensive medical care in the U.S. I have conducted ethnographic research at Grace Medical Home, a safety-net clinic in Central Florida, which included five months …
Population Differences In Human Mandibular Growth, Madison Hubbart
Population Differences In Human Mandibular Growth, Madison Hubbart
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Mandibles are one of the most common bones encountered in the human archaeological record. Variation in mandibular morphology is often associated with differences in subsistence strategy as masticatory stresses influence bone growth and development. Bone growth is stimulated by bone modeling, the process by which formation and resorption occur through the uncoupled activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. There is a limited understanding of bone modeling patterns in humans due to a lack of quantitative data and small sample sizes. The aim of this research was to address the question: is there a shared bone modeling pattern in the mandible …
Utilizing Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes To Examine Elite Juvenile Diet Of Individuals From Meroitic Sai Island, Sudan, Anelis Diaz
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Limited research has assessed the lived experiences of juveniles during the Nubian Meroitic Period (300 BCE - 350 CE). Therefore, the focus of this research is to examine dietary patterns throughout development of elite juveniles from Sai Island, Sudan to identify if dietary variations exist throughout development that may be a result of social differences within the juvenile population. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses of tooth dentin from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd molars of 11 adult individuals interred at cemetery 8-B-52.B on Sai Island are utilized to examine diet through the life course. As each tooth corresponds to …
Using Gis To Better Understand The Cracker Community Of Pat's Island In The Ocala National Forest, Florida, Nicholas Kopp
Using Gis To Better Understand The Cracker Community Of Pat's Island In The Ocala National Forest, Florida, Nicholas Kopp
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This research uses GIS methods to contextualize a Florida Cracker community in the Ocala National Forest. My case study is drawn from two seasons of fieldwork and supporting desktop surveys associated with Pat's Island, the home of multiple Cracker families. Cracker culture is historically categorized by its efforts to avoid modernization and prevent the commercialization of traditional lifeways in the quickly shifting society of late-19th and early 20th-century Florida. The geospatial expressions of these Cracker values are an emphasis on semi-remote living, adaptations to a unique environmental context, and the development of a semi-self-sufficient community. This research evaluates how GIS …
Social Complexity And Water Management Strategies At Holtun, Guatemala, Melvin Rodrigo Guzman Piedrasanta
Social Complexity And Water Management Strategies At Holtun, Guatemala, Melvin Rodrigo Guzman Piedrasanta
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Water management strategies are intrinsically associated with the development of complex societies. Traditional approaches have often characterized these strategies as homogenous and monolithic. Recent studies have shown that water management among the ancient Maya was a significant source of power, but the strategies implemented, and the outcomes are highly variable and dependent on the landscape. The case of Holtun, a modest-sized site, adds to the growing body of water management research in ancient Maya archaeology as most water management systems are investigated in large primary centers. Although water resources at Holtun are relatively small, they supported large communities during the …
Utilizing Geographic Information Systems To Explore The Mortuary Landscape At Kuelap, Peru, Hannah Haynes
Utilizing Geographic Information Systems To Explore The Mortuary Landscape At Kuelap, Peru, Hannah Haynes
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The placement of the dead is important for considering social memory, a source of collective knowledge and experiences that shapes social group identity. Mortuary placement is one form of ritual action that communities undertake to remember the dead. This allows anthropologists to ask questions about how humans engaged socially with each other and the landscape. This thesis utilizes an innovative methodological approach combining geographic information systems (GIS) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to investigate mortuary variation and social identity within the Late Intermediate Period site (A.D. 800 – 1535) Kuelap in the northern Peruvian Andes. Spatial, demographic, and …
Analyzing Cut Mark Characteristics On Bone From Chopping/Hacking Tools: Implications For Forensic Analysis, Kelly Mcgehee
Analyzing Cut Mark Characteristics On Bone From Chopping/Hacking Tools: Implications For Forensic Analysis, Kelly Mcgehee
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Sharp force trauma (SFT) is a mechanism of traumatic injury in which a tool with a pointed or slanted edge impacts the skin and/or bone, producing a penetrating cut mark. Current assessment of forensic and bioarchaeological contexts typically focuses on evaluating and interpreting traumatic injuries to bone due to cutting and stabbing using small, bladed tools, primarily knives and saws. Minimal research focuses on the damage inflicted by a larger class of chopping/hacking tools. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to experimentally evaluate and analyze macroscopic characteristics of chopping/hacking trauma inflicted on pig bones (Sus scrofa domesticus) to determine …
An Anthropological Study Of The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Drug Treatment In The United States, Abigail Shepherd
An Anthropological Study Of The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Drug Treatment In The United States, Abigail Shepherd
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis examined the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the structure of drug treatment in the United States and how the effects have influenced the experience of undergoing and providing services in a variety of contexts. The COVID-19 pandemic emerged amid an opioid epidemic, which has taken the lives of over 564,000 Americans since the late 1990s. With overdose deaths increasing since the onset of the pandemic and government agencies responding with policy changes, recent research in the social sciences and on drug treatment services has necessarily shifted its focus to the effects of the pandemic on …
Examining Diet, Mobility, And Social Dynamics In Southern Medieval France Using A Multi-Isotopic And Gis Approach, Jane Holmstrom
Examining Diet, Mobility, And Social Dynamics In Southern Medieval France Using A Multi-Isotopic And Gis Approach, Jane Holmstrom
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Exploring dietary choices during life and status after death provides information about status and identity within an evolving and expanding Christian community. Through a combination of multi-isotopic analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, strontium), GIS mapping, and historical evidence, the life story of Medieval French Christians, buried in the elite cemetery of Saint-Jean de Todon (9th – 13th century) (n = 192) and lower-status cemetery of Saint-Victor-la-Coste (9th – 13th century) (n = 21), can be elucidated. Dietary differences were found between the two cemetery populations using carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from bone collagen. Incorporating archaeological evidence with isotopic data, a …
Investigating Mobility Through An Oxygen Isotope Study Of The Medieval Cemetery At Kilroot, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Hannah Pytleski
Investigating Mobility Through An Oxygen Isotope Study Of The Medieval Cemetery At Kilroot, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Hannah Pytleski
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Mobility is an important, multifaceted process involving complex interactions of culture, politics, and economics while also intersecting with individual identities, like religion, status, gender, and age. As such, a multitude of people from different origins can comprise a settlement or a community, which may be detectable through biogeochemical assessment. This study employs stable oxygen and carbon isotopic analysis to evaluate evidence for residential mobility within the early to late Medieval Kilroot cemetery (c. 6th to 16th centuries A.D.) at County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The site is 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) east of Carrickfergus Castle and the surrounding town, which was …
Ground Penetrating Radar And Public Archaeology At Eastonville Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Richard Ott
Ground Penetrating Radar And Public Archaeology At Eastonville Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Richard Ott
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis explores the intersection of geophysical prospection methods such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and public archaeology through a case study with the descendant community of Eatonville Memorial Gardens, an African American cemetery located in Central Florida. This moves beyond traditional uses of GPR, such as focusing on locating unmarked burials by engaging the descendant community in each stage of the research project. This expanded focus is advocated for because cemeteries serve as ancestral landscapes providing such communities with a sense of place and history. The maintenance and care of such places often reflect the same social conditions affecting …
The Ceramic Sequence For Vista Alegre, Quintana Roo, Mexico., Carrie Tucker
The Ceramic Sequence For Vista Alegre, Quintana Roo, Mexico., Carrie Tucker
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis creates a ceramic chronology for the site of Vista Alegre, a Middle Preclassic-Postclassic Maya port site on the northern coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. As a member of the Proyecto Costa Escondida (PCE), I analyzed a sample of ceramic material (14,326 sherds) from three off-structure test units and their extensions (Pozos 8, 8A, 10, 12, 12A, and 12B). I completed "type: variety-mode" identification for 13,114 identifiable sherds with the help of the PCE and the Yucatán INAH ceramoteca facility, and I found a total of 101 established ceramic types and varieties, and twenty-five "specials" for which only the …
The Use Of Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analyses To Examine Diet, Life Course, And Social Identities Among The Meroitic Elite Of Sai Island, Sudan, Rachel Lotze
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The focus of this thesis is to learn more about the diets and lives of Nubian individuals who lived on Sai Island during the Meroitic period (250 BC to AD 250) using an approach based in life history, gender, and social identity theory. These individuals were in buried the cemetery 8-B-52.B and they were part of the elite social class. Dietary analysis was conducted by analyzing the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from bulk samples of human bone collagen. A total of 34 bone samples were analyzed, and 31 of those samples were determined to be well-preserved. These data were …
Paleoethnobotany And Starch Grain Residue Analysis Of Pottery From Site 8br85, Cape Canaveral, Florida, Hanna Park
Paleoethnobotany And Starch Grain Residue Analysis Of Pottery From Site 8br85, Cape Canaveral, Florida, Hanna Park
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Located on Cape Canaveral within the Indian River region of Central Florida, the Burns Site (8BR85) reveals important information about the Ais, a mobile fisher-gatherer group who occupied the area during the Malabar II Period (A.D.1000 – 1600). As a bridging region between the two largest cultures in Florida (Timucua to the North and Calusa to the South), Central Florida and the Ais, in general, are under-studied concerning paleoethnobotanical research. The research presented here investigated starch residues of ceramic vessel sherds from the Burns Site which were identified through a comparative catalog which was built-in part of this research project. …
Using Lidar To Locate Indigenous Mound Structures Along The St. Johns River In The Ocala National Forest, Taylor Collore
Using Lidar To Locate Indigenous Mound Structures Along The St. Johns River In The Ocala National Forest, Taylor Collore
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The Indigenous people of Florida terraformed the region's relatively flat landscape into monumental vantage points for residence, burial, and displays of regional power. Known as mound structures today, these long-abandoned sites are now obscured by dense vegetation and thick tree canopies making their rediscovery difficult. Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology these lost sites can be located remotely for protection and study. In this research, LiDAR is used to locate Indigenous mound sites along the St. Johns River within the Ocala National Forest. Using free an open source geographic information systems (GIS) and similar software, LiDAR point cloud data …
Documenting Outdoor Simulated Scenes With Photogrammetry: Methods For Improving Dappled Lighting Conditions, Caroline Jasiak
Documenting Outdoor Simulated Scenes With Photogrammetry: Methods For Improving Dappled Lighting Conditions, Caroline Jasiak
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The primary goal of a forensic archaeologist is to reconstruct the context of scenes involving skeletal remains using recording and mapping methods. However, the outdoor locations of most forensic archaeology scenes can result in difficulties when recording and mapping scenes. While close-range photogrammetry (CRP) has been considered for documenting context of forensic sciences, this method lacks a sufficient procedural basis to guide data recording when encountering problematic environmental conditions. The purpose of this research is to test how light correction tools, a sheet and artificial lights, could improve harsh lighting conditions. Photographs were taken of controlled scenes with skeletal remains …
Queer Arab American Experiences: Navigating Cross Cultural Expectations Of Gender And Sexuality, Gabriela Mansour
Queer Arab American Experiences: Navigating Cross Cultural Expectations Of Gender And Sexuality, Gabriela Mansour
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The understanding of the experiences of queer Arab Americans and the ways in which they navigate cross cultural expectations of gender and sexuality is limited in the anthropology or social sciences scholarship. The available scholarship focuses primarily on queerness in juxtaposition to Islam, which is not relatable to all Arab Americans as they are a religiously diverse group. Through an intersectional approach, this research, conducted from April 2020 to May 2021, explores the lived experiences of queer Arab Americans from across the United States (U.S.) while seeking to identify potential commonalities that could encompass a more general queer Arab American …
"I Have My Coven Now": Transgender Experience In The Central Florida Pagan Community, Alison Whitmore
"I Have My Coven Now": Transgender Experience In The Central Florida Pagan Community, Alison Whitmore
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis analyzes Transgender experience and dynamics in the Pagan community of Central Florida. Religion plays an important role as part of social structure for many people in the United States. It can also be a source of strife and conflict between culture groups and within cultures. In the US, predominant religious traditions stem from monotheistic Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam); however, Wicca, a Neo-Pagan polytheistic religion, is practiced by a small but growing number of people. Based on nearly one year of ethnographic engagement with the Central Florida Wiccan community, this study presents an analysis of participants experiences …
Bioarchaeological And Mortuary Patterns At Holtun, Guatemala: Integrating A Comparative Osteobiographic Approach, Horvey Palacios
Bioarchaeological And Mortuary Patterns At Holtun, Guatemala: Integrating A Comparative Osteobiographic Approach, Horvey Palacios
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Bioarchaeological analysis can help identify patterns of mortuary ritual and social experience of ancient Maya peoples. However, there is limited bioarchaeological and mortuary evidence for the relationship between the development of social complexity and social experience. Particularly, how is social organization reflected in patterns of burial practice and skeletal markers of stress. This thesis uses osteobiographies to contextualize the mortuary and biological profiles of 20 individuals interred at the Maya site of Holtun, Guatemala to examine bioarchaeological variation during the Preclassic (800 B.C. – 250 A.D.) and Late Classic (550 A.D. – 900 A.D.) periods. This work highlights the integration …
Paleoethnobotanical Analysis Of Maya Ceramic Residues From Holtun, Guatemala, Kimberly Batres
Paleoethnobotanical Analysis Of Maya Ceramic Residues From Holtun, Guatemala, Kimberly Batres
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
To the Maya, plant-based foods were not just important for sustenance but also had ritual meaning that was especially emphasized when placed in graves and caches. Food offered during ritual performances created a reciprocal relationship between living individuals, their ancestors, and the gods. The following thesis examines seven ceramic sherds associated with burial and cache offerings of individuals from the lowland Maya site of Holtun, Guatemala, that were found to have contained food offerings. Starch analysis, a method used to determine plant taxa on a microscopic level was performed on the ceramic vessels along with various experimental molecular spectroscopic procedures. …
Understanding The Dietary Behavior Of A 7th - 8th Century Avar Community From Jagodnjak, Croatia Using Stable Isotope Analysis Of Bone Collagen, Marlon Koci
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The dietary behavior of past communities is influenced by several factors such as environmental sources, social and economic organization, individual preferences, and physiological needs. Every society has its characteristics and understanding the dietary choices of its individuals expands the knowledge about its lifestyle. Applying biochemical tracers, we can explore the food choices of an Early Medieval Avar community. The Jagodnjak cemetery (n=35) in Croatia is dated to the 7–8th century. Historical and archaeological records are currently limited for Avar populations. Jagodnjak is a transitory community from a period where different historical events shaped the community's way of life. The research …
To Cut Or Not To Cut? Exploring Parental Decision-Making About Neonatal Male Circumcision, Karli Reeves
To Cut Or Not To Cut? Exploring Parental Decision-Making About Neonatal Male Circumcision, Karli Reeves
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis analyses the narratives of 33 parents in the United States concerning their decisions to circumcise or leave their children intact, and five key informants consisting of medical professionals involved in obstetric and gynecological care and trained childbirth companions. The United States differs from other nations in the Global North due to its comparatively high rates of neonatal male circumcision, a procedure that is performed as a preventative surgery, rather than for cultural or religious indications. However, in recent years, rates of circumcision have begun to decline. This study sought to gain a nuanced understanding of these trends by …
Dietary Variation Of Social Elites Within A Late Horizon Cemetery (A.D. 1470-1532) At Túcume, Peru: Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis Of Huaca Las Abejas., Dylan Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Food choices can create and maintain group membership, also distinguishing groups based on dietary preferences and the perceived social value of foods. The food behaviors of social elites within complex societies are often governed by differential access and cultural factors determining the menu within a regional ecology. This study employs bioarchaeological and stable isotopic analyses to investigate the evidence for dietary variation of social elites within the Late Horizon (A.D. 1470–1532) cemetery of Huaca Las Abejas at Túcume using stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Paired teeth (early life diet) and bones (later life diet) were sampled from 23 individuals to …
Forensic Implications For The Diagenetic Alteration Of The Stable Isotopic Composition Of Pig Ribs Following Exposure To Aqueous Conditions., Erin Martin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This research involves the examination of the contribution of stable isotope analysis to the forensic anthropological objective of human identification. Oxygen isotopes, which vary in water in a predictable manner according to climatological and geographical factors, can be used to determine the region of origin of an unidentified individual following isotopic analysis of human skeletal remains. However, stable oxygen isotopes from human remains recovered from various aqueous environments may be altered by diagenetic processes that occur following deposition. The focus of this research is to determine potential diagenetic changes in the oxygen isotopic value (d18O) of Sus scrofa (domestic pig) …
Identifying Biomarkers Of Alzheimer's Disease From The Dakhleh Oasis Kellis 2 Cemetery Using Icp-Ms, Emily Barron
Identifying Biomarkers Of Alzheimer's Disease From The Dakhleh Oasis Kellis 2 Cemetery Using Icp-Ms, Emily Barron
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Alzheimer's disease is a prevalent disease that affects roughly 5.4 million individuals each year (Fisher et al., 2018). Understanding the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease within the bioarchaeological record can help anthropologists gain an understanding of a population's health while also understanding the potential social ramifications. Trace element analysis is a valuable tool that allows bioarchaeologists to gain insight into individuals' health and development within the context of the past. In bioarchaeological studies, hair analysis has been used to map the nutritional status and migration patterns of individuals of past peoples, with recent studies focusing on disease prevalence. Analysis of hair …