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Archaeological Geology And Postglacial Development Of The Central Penobscot River Valley, Maine, Usa, Alice Repsher Kelley Jan 2006

Archaeological Geology And Postglacial Development Of The Central Penobscot River Valley, Maine, Usa, Alice Repsher Kelley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interdisciplinary study is to provide a geological and environmental context for the Late Pleistocene and Holocene Native American occupation of the central Penobscot River Valley, Maine. In addition, this work provides a model for the regional synthesis of geological, archaeological, and paleoenvironmental data in order to examine large-scale patterns of archaeological site formation and preservation. The postglacial central Penobscot Valley experienced varied and rapid landscape changes. Withdrawal of the Laurentide Ice Sheet was followed by marine transgression and regression. Subaerial exposure initiated landscape development. The postglacial Penobscot River rapidly excavated a channel through glacial sediments, creating …


The Agricultural Productivity Of Chaco Canyon And The Source(S) Of Pre-Hispanic Maize Found In Pueblo Bonito, Larry Benson, John Stein, Howard Taylor, Richard Friedman, Thomas C. Windes Jan 2006

The Agricultural Productivity Of Chaco Canyon And The Source(S) Of Pre-Hispanic Maize Found In Pueblo Bonito, Larry Benson, John Stein, Howard Taylor, Richard Friedman, Thomas C. Windes

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Agricultural productivity estimates suggest that the core area of Chaco Canyon could have sustained only a few hundred individuals. Modern analogues of existing Pueblo populations and their domestic habitations with Chaco structures suggest that Chaco at times had a resident population exceeding 2000 people. These data suggest that maize would have had to be imported to feed permanent residents and those visiting Chaco during ritual–political gatherings and those who participated in the accelerated construction and modification of great houses between AD 1030 and 1130. Comparison of strontium-isotope and trace-element ratios of synthetic soil and natural waters from sites within the …


Isotope Sourcing Of Prehistoric Willow And Tule Textiles Recovered From Western Great Basin Rock Shelters And Caves: Proof Of Concept, Larry V. Benson, E. M. Hattori, H. E. Taylor, S. R. Poulson, E. A. Jolie Jan 2006

Isotope Sourcing Of Prehistoric Willow And Tule Textiles Recovered From Western Great Basin Rock Shelters And Caves: Proof Of Concept, Larry V. Benson, E. M. Hattori, H. E. Taylor, S. R. Poulson, E. A. Jolie

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Isotope and trace-metal analyses were used to determine the origin of plants used to manufacture prehistoric textiles (basketry and matting) from archaeological sites in the western Great Basin. Research focused on strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (18O/16O) isotope ratios of willow (Salix sp.) and tule (Schoenoplectus sp.), the dominant raw materials in Great Basin textiles. The oxygen-isotope data indicated that the willow and tule used to produce the textiles were harvested from the banks of rivers or in marshes characterized by flowing water and not from lakes or sinks. The strontium-isotope …