Anthropology Commons^™

Diagnosing Anencephaly In Archaeology: A Comparative Analysis Of Nine Clinical Specimens From The Smithsonian Institution Nation, Stevie Mathews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of human fetal skeletons in the archaeological record can reveal much about past cultures' perception of life and death. The preservation of fetal remains in the archaeological record is a rarity, and the discovery of pathological skeletons is even rarer. A fetal skeleton from a Roman period cemetery (c. 31BC - 303AD) in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, displays what are thought to be classic skeletal indicators of the neural tube defect, anencephaly. The published literature concerning the skeletal diagnosis of anencephaly is scant so in order to diagnose this individual it is pertinent to create a diagnostic standard. …

Bent Bones: The Pathological Assessment Of Two Fetal Skeletons From The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Darcy Cope

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluates two fetal individuals (B532 and B625) from the Kellis 2 cemetery (Roman period circa A.D. 50 A.D. 450), Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, that display skeletal anomalies that may explain their death. Both individuals exhibit bowing of the long bones in addition to other skeletal deformities unique to each individual. To assess these pathologies a differential diagnosis based on the congenital occurrence of long bone bowing is developed. Long bone bowing is selected because it is the more prevalent abnormality in the paleopathological literature and the other abnormalities are not as easily identifiable in the literature. For the …

The Gendered Altar: Wiccan Concepts Of Gender And Ritual Objects, Jesse Sloan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many ethnographic accounts within the annals of anthropological literature describe the religious beliefs and magical rituals of peoples throughout the world. Fewer scholars have focused on the relatively young Neo-Pagan religious movement. "Neo-Pagan," explains Helen Berger in Voices from the Pagan Census (2003), "is an umbrella term covering sects of a new religious movement, the largest and most important form of which is…Wicca" (Berger et al. 2003: 1). This thesis examines the relationship between practice and ideology by analyzing the material culture of Wiccan altars as used by Wiccans in Central Florida, USA. Particular attention is paid to beliefs …

Discerning Migration In The Archaeological Record: A Case Study At Chichã©N Itzã¡, Andrea Slusser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migration, as a theory to explain aspects in the archaeological record, has fallen out of favor in Mesoamerican archaeology, possibly due to a lack of a standard definition or description of migration. Migration as an explanation of change in Maya civilizations has been around since the 1950's and the culture-history era of American archaeology. Since the early 1990's, migration has been treated as a process, one that can be discerned in pre-literate cultures as well as historical ones. Models of the migration process are being developed and tested. One type of migration, elite dominance migration, is a particularly suitable process …

Tools Of A Local Economy: Standardization And Function Among Small Chert Tools From Caracol, Belize, Lucas Martindale Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis undertakes detailed analysis of a sample of 229 small chert tools from a single locus at the Maya site of Caracol, Belize. Emphasis is placed on determining the function of these tools and on the nature of their use in the broader Caracol economic system. Analysis sought to determine whether they were used for day-to-day household tasks or for specialized craft activity within the specified household locus and/or if they were prepared for broader distribution at Caracol. By focusing detailed analysis on artifacts from a single locus, greater insight is provided into the impact of household production on …

Haitian American Mothers' Health And Dietary Beliefs Concerning Their Infants, Daniel Schooler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies on the effects of immigration are becoming more important as the number of immigrants into the United States continues to grow. This study was implemented in order to discover the infant feeding practices and beliefs of Haitians living in Central Florida. A food frequency card sort and interview were conducted with thirty-four Haitian mothers. Mothers were asked to identify which foods they fed their children. Foods pictured on the cards included a majority of Haitian staple foods, some of which are primary to the American diet as well. Low food feeding frequencies were generally attributed to lack of access …

The University Of Mississippi Confederate Cemetery: Lost Cause Ideology, Monumentation, And Ritual, Allan Lemmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work is an analysis of the University of Mississippi Confederate Cemetery. Several remote sensing surveys were conducting inside the confines of the cemetery wall in order to determine the nature of the internments. This was done in order to determine if the cemetery is the site of a mass grave as local legends indicate. Following this analysis historical research was conducted to discover the intended meaning of the cemetery. A theoretical analysis of mortuary activities as discussed by archaeologists is utilized as a means of verification regarding the ideology attached to the cemetery. The cemetery on the campus is …

Maya Eclipses: Modern Data, The Triple Tritos And The Double Tzolkin, William Earl Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Eclipse Table, on pages 51-58, of the Dresden Codex has long fascinated Maya scholars. Researchers use the mean-value method of 173.3 days to determine nodal passage that is the place where eclipses can occur. These studies rely on Oppolzer's Eclipse Canon and Schram's Moon Phase Tables to verify eclipse occurrences. The newer canons of Jean Meeus and Bao-Lin Liu use decimal accuracy. What would be the effect of modern astronomical data on the previous studies and the Maya Eclipse Table? The study utilizes a general view of eclipses that includes eclipses not visible to the Maya. Lunar eclipses are …

Alternative Epigraphic Interpretations Of The Maya Snake Emblem Glyph, Christopher Tyra Savage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to demonstrate that the Maya snake emblem glyph is associated with religious specialists, instead of geographic locations, as emblem glyphs are typically understood to be. The inscriptions and the media on which the snake emblem glyph occurs will be analyzed to determine the role or function of the "Lord of the Snake." Temporal and spatial data has also been collected to aid in understanding the enigmatic glyph. The snake emblem glyph has recently been identified as originating from a broad area containing the sites of El Peru and La Corona in Guatemala, and Dzibanche, Mexico, a departure …

The Emergence Of The Maya Tlaloc: A Late Classic Religious Icon, Amanda Toyie Groff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iconography has the capability to memorialize and guarantee one's place in history; iconography can also provide powerful insight into human culture, and explore social and cultural values in a visual manner. Iconography can incorporate information about group identities, allegiances, religious affiliations, propaganda, and acceptance within both modern and ancient societies. By studying a specific iconographic figure, the Central Mexican god Tlaloc, as a visual representation of a belief or identity, we can glean a greater understanding of the cultural transmission of iconographic symbols. The substantial use of this icon, in both Central Mexico and the Maya region, reveals iconography as …

Ancient Maya Afterlife Iconography: Traveling Between Worlds, Mosley Dianna Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ancient Maya afterlife is a rich and voluminous topic. Unfortunately, much of the material currently utilized for interpretations about the ancient Maya comes from publications written after contact by the Spanish or from artifacts with no context, likely looted items. Both sources of information can be problematic and can skew interpretations. Cosmological tales documented after the Spanish invasion show evidence of the religious conversion that was underway. Noncontextual artifacts are often altered in order to make them more marketable. An example of an iconographic theme that is incorporated into the surviving media of the ancient Maya, but that is …

Burial Practices In Southern Appalachia., Donna W. Stansberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted in an attempt to determine whether certain burial practices are unique to the people of Southern Appalachia. Eight individuals were interviewed, including a minister and a funeral director. As a result of the research, it was found that, although a strong sense of community and religion still prevails, making certain burial rituals distinctive to the people of Southern Appalachia, they are slowly eroding due to the growing presence of the modern American funeral industry.

Qualitative research methods were used to analyze a segment of the Southern Appalachian population, with literature reviews of related material and in-depth …

A Reconstruction Of Moreau Chambers' 1937 Excavation Of A Chickasaw Village In Northeastern Mississippi, Ladonna F. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An analysis of the archival data relating to the earliest professional investigation of a Chickasaw village site was done in order to reconstruct the excavation and place the artifacts in their appropriate context. A progress report written near the beginning of the project, excavation photographs with annotations and catalogue entries for the primary documentation were available to begin reconstruction. The original field notes have been lost but there were a limited amount of data that were abstracted from them by an earlier researcher. Although an overview of the excavations was derived, there was not sufficient data to allow the reconstruction …

Chocolate Plantation: A Geophysical And Archaeological Examination Of A Sea Island Cotton Plantation On Sapelo Island, Georgia, Christopher William Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chocolate Field, the area containing the ruins of Chocolate Plantation, was occupied from the Late Archaic through the antebellum period into the 20th century. A complex overlay of architectural remains generated during the operation of the plantation by everyone from French nobles to 20^th century millionaires is buried at the site. A four- instrument geophysical survey in conjunction with test excavations provides data which make it possible to delineate the extent of the site, determine structure function, and separate the plantation into occupational phases. These results will ultimately serve to help link the Geechee/Gullah community presently living on Sapelo …

A Land Use History Of The Holly Springs National Forest, Michelle R. Mcanally

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details the land use history of the Holly Springs National Forest. A description of the physical environment and a narrative cultural history of the area from the arrival of people into the North Central Hills are included. Archaeological survey data, soils data and witness tree locations were brought together using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology and analyzed in an ecological framework.

An environmental reconstruction using witness tree locations and soil types served as a platform for the delineation of environmental zones in which presettlement tree cover was estimated and compared with previous environmental studies of the area. Prehistoric …

Fracture Patterns Of Fire Cracked Rock, An Analysis Of Artifacts From The Batesville Mounds, 22pa500, Panola County, Mississippi / By John Sullivan, John Sullivan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The excavations at Batesville Mound sites recovered a large quantity of artifacts. Fire Cracked Rock (FCR) was the major artifact type, if not sheer in weight certainly in number. Much research is being done in Texas, Michigan, Oregon and other states that have helped archaeologists to determine the different ways heated rocks fracture. Rocks will fracture in regular patterns depending on the rate and method of heat loss or gain. The patterns are expansion (dry) and compression (wet) fractures. A large amount of FCR in the mound fill and very little in the village area suggests that the mound refuse …

Food And Drink Of Elizabethan England As Reflected In The Literature Of The Age., Elizabeth Frederick Baggerly 1901-1988

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.