Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Collecting Aztalan: An Analysis Of The Chipped Stone Projectile Points From The Milwaukee Public Museum’S Aztalan (Je-0001) Legacy Collections, Kevin Akemann

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a qualitative analysis of chipped stone projectile points from the Milwaukee Public Museum that were obtained from private collectors who reportedly surface collected these artifacts from the site of Aztalan (47-JE-0001). Private collections like these, referred to as Legacy Collections, are the result of early collecting and excavation practices, by private and professional individuals, and in this research, have been only partially examined in relation to Aztalan and mostly overlooked in favor of materials with more reliable and scientific provenience. Through this research I developed a database from the MPM's digital inventory, handwritten catalogs, accession records, and …

An Intra-Site Spatial Analysis Of Selected Faunal Remains From The Aztalan Site (47je01), Megan E. Leigl

Theses and Dissertations

Aztalan is one of the northern-most Mississippian villages east of the Mississippi River. It can be considered a multi-cultural settlement, having been occupied at the same time by both Mississippian and Late Woodland cultural groups. Because of this mixing of cultures, it offers unique insights on Woodland to Mississippian transitions in the Midwest. Many excavations over the years have led to a site-wide artifact assemblage scattered among different institutions. Much of the information available is of a site-wide provenience.

Faunal remains are one line of evidence about life in the past. Intra-site analysis of faunal remains can shed light on …

Understanding Use And Function: An Intrasite Comparative Analysis Of The 2011 Uwm Aztalan Ceramic Assemblage, Jill Marie Kotwasinski

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides an analysis of a subset of the ceramics recovered during the 2011 UWM Aztalan excavations. The analysis was designed to determine if there is a difference between ceramic assemblages recovered from different site depositional contexts presumably reflective of different behaviors, such as refuse disposal, domestic activities, or ritual activity. This analysis consists of a comparison of ceramics from the 2011 UWM Collection, in addition to the three main recovery contexts of the Northeast Mound: the Northeast Mound Top, Sub Mound, and Fill at Aztalan (Zych 2013) and vessels from the 2013 UWM collection. Utilizing only the rim …

Northern Flint, Southern Roots: A Diachronic Analysis Of Paleoethnobotanical Remains And Maize Race At The Aztalan Site (47-Je-0001), Jennifer L. Picard

Theses and Dissertations

Located in Southeast Wisconsin on the west bank of the Crawfish River, the Aztalan site was first settled by horticultural Late Woodland peoples. By the mid-eleventh century A.D., Middle Mississippian migrants arrived from the south. The site was eventually transformed into a fortified village with three platform mounds. During the later component, Middle Mississippian and Late Woodland peoples appear to have coexisted. This thesis consists of a diachronic comparison of floral subsistence remains and maize race at the site. The results of the analysis indicate that while the Late Woodland inhabitants grew maize, food production involving maize and native cultigens …

The Construction Of A Mound And A New Community: An Analysis Of The Ceramic And Feature Assemblages From The Northeast Mound At The Aztalan Site, Thomas J. Zych

Theses and Dissertations

By the start of the 12th century A.D., the Aztalan site in southeastern Wisconsin was home to Middle Mississippian immigrants from the south and local Late Woodland residents. The amalgamated population coexisted, maintained defensive works, and constructed earthen monuments in the spirit of Middle Mississippian mound construction. One mound, located within the domestic complex of the site in the northeast corner of the palisaded area, was the focus of Wisconsin Historical Society excavations during the 1960s. This thesis utilizes the unreported results of these investigations to highlight the social implication resulting from the prehistoric construction of Aztalan's northeast platform mound. …