Anthropology Commons^™

Congeries In The Backcountry, James Andrew Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The early 18th century Public Monopoly employed a unique form of labor organization to facilitate an administered deerskin trade. This study examines ethnohistoric and archaeological data as a means to evaluate subaltern laborers' participation in a commercializing colonial economy. It utilizes a practice based political-economic framework to situate their activities within the deerskin commodity chain. Activities identified through ethnohistoric research are evaluated through material and spatial analysis of the Fort Congaree, 38LX30/319, site. This trading factory and garrison played a central part in the articulation of the government deerskin trade. Material correlates of hide production, procurement, and transportation activities contextualize …

An Analysis Of Lead Shot From Fort Motte, 2004-2012: Assessing Combat Behavior In Terms Of Agency, Stacey Renae Whitacre

Theses and Dissertations

The siege of Fort Motte took place between May 6 and 12, 1781. This battle was part of the American offensive against British posts in South Carolina during the American Revolution. During the siege, British troops were confined within the fort while American Continental forces as well as the South Carolina militia maintained a presence outside the walls. In addition to discussing the general history of the battle, I will specifically discuss the cultural variability of lead shot recovered from this site during archaeological excavation and systematic metal detection between 2004 and 2012. During the mid-eighteenth century, British troops were …

Ruminating On Ruminants: Goats And The People Who Raise Them In South Carolina, Brianna Dyan Farber

Theses and Dissertations

In South Carolina, many farmers and homesteaders have utilized goats as an adaptive and versatile resource and component of their diversified farming operations. This thesis addresses the experiences, motivations, difficulties, and successes of people raising goats in South Carolina, in the context of sustainable agricultural practice and landscapes. Goats cohabit insecure but promising ecological, political, economic, and sociocultural landscapes with humans and other nonhuman species. These relationships can undermine and support goats as belonging in South Carolina. My participants cannot simply raise goats as a purely economic choice because they create meaningful emotional relationships with their animals. Goats can become …

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

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

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

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

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

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 …

Health And Disease On Hiwassee Island: A Study Of Late-Mississippian Human Remains, Cassandra Pardo

Theses and Dissertations

The intensive agricultural subsistence strategy of late pre-Columbian populations of North America has long been associated with chronic nutritional and disease stress as a consequence of episodic or recurring agricultural shortfall and the compromised community health of aggregate village settlement. Social stratification, defined archaeologically by burial location and grave goods, is thought to be a primary force in shaping different health patterns within these communities.

This study is a bioarchaeological review of the Dallas phase (AD1300-1550) skeletal collection from Hiwassee Island in east Tennessee. The purpose is to gain an understanding of community health and to explore status-related differences in …

The Neoliberal Dream Of Segregation: Rethinking Gated Communities In Greater Cairo, A Case Study, Al-Rehab City Gated Community, Safaa Marafi

Theses and Dissertations

New suburbs such as New Cairo received strong support from President Mubarak, the government, elite businessmen, and a group of members of the National Democratic Party, who surrounded the president. I argue in this thesis that urban segregation has existed in Cairo for quite some time. However, since the last decade's adaptation of neoliberal polices by the government, the implementations of these polices have sharpened the dichotomy in the urban fabric, which is crystallized in the support given by the Egyptian government to local and foreign construction companies to build gated communities in the suburbs Cairo. Private security systems and …

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

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 …

Monkey Pots: Inferring Meaning Through Time And Space From Function, Decoration, And Context, Benjamin Jacob Skousen

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I interpret the meaning of “monkey pots,” a pottery vessel found throughout the Maya world. This study looks at three kinds of monkey pots recovered from the Mirador Basin. Carmelita Incised and Zacatal Polychrome monkey pots date to the Late Classic period (AD 680-800) and were manufactured in the Basin; Telchac Composite monkey pots date to the Terminal Classic period (AD 780-830) and were made in the Usumacinta River region. These monkey pots are described, followed by an analysis and comparison of the function, the monkey genus on the vessels, and the contexts from which the vessels …

Paleoindian Lifeways Of Paleoarchaic Peoples: A Faunal Analysis Of Early Occupations At North Creek Shelter, Utah, Bradley A. Newbold

Theses and Dissertations

Recent archaeological research within the American west, especially the Great Basin (e.g., Graf and Schmitt 2007), has perpetuated the notion of decreased residential mobility accompanied by increased diet breadth of hunter-gatherer groups during the Early Holocene. The earliest occupations at North Creek Shelter (NCS), a multicomponent site in south-central Utah, date to this time, specifically the Paleoarchaic (~10,000-9000 BP) and Early Archaic (~9000-7500 BP) periods. The zooarchaeological data from these levels were analyzed to determine whether Paleoarchaic occupations on the Colorado Plateau possessed greater residential mobility and narrower diet breadth than those of the Early Archaic, as they do in …

Distribution, Function, And Value Of Parowan Valley Projectile Points, Aaron R. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis primarily addresses the quantities and distributions of Fremont projectile points in the Parowan Valley. First, I review previous research performed in Parowan Valley and outline currently accepted projectile point analysis and typology methods. I also review ethnographic data surrounding the function and value of projectile points. Then, I provide the results of an analysis of all projectile points in the Parowan Valley Archaeological Project collection. I note the large amount of projectile points in this collection and compare it to projectile point counts from other large Fremont sites.I also note chronological patterns in Parowan Valley using projectile points …

Residential Mobility Of Paleoarchaic And Early Archaic Occupants At North Creek Shelter (42ga5863): An Analysis Of Chipped Stone Artifacts, Mark L. Bodily

Theses and Dissertations

Early human activity in the arid west has been of interest for many researchers over the last century. However, relatively little is known about Paleoarchaic occupants of the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin because stratified Paleoarchaic sites in these regions are rare. Linked with the climatic Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene transition, the Paleoarchaic to Early Archaic transition has also captured interest in the central Great Basin with recent data coming out of Bonneville Estates Rockshelter—a site containing Pre-Archaic and Early Archaic components in eastern Nevada. These new data provide a model for testing differences in the chipped stone assemblage inferring changes …

Fremont Site Distribution In The Upper Escalante River Drainage, Deborah C. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

A Fremont site distribution model for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument during the period A.D. 500—1050/1100 posits that the Fremont subsistence strategy (seasonal mobility with dependence on both agriculture and hunting/foraging) is reflected by a site pattern of low-investment, seasonal or short-term habitation sites and isolated storage facilities at "lowland" elevations, and high-investment, long-term residence sites at "upland" elevations (McFadden 1998, 2000). This research assesses the model to evaluate its general precision, looking particularly at its success in modeling site locations for long-term residential versus seasonal/short-term habitation sites. A database including more than 400 Fremont sites was created to evaluate …

Parentage Statements And Paired Stelae: Signs Of Dynastic Succession For The Classic Maya, Daniel Moroni Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and document parentage statements and paired stela found on Maya monuments or portable objects. While the existence of parentage statements, within the Maya text, has been known since the late 1970s, no thesis or major research project has ever been published pertaining to this class of glyphs within the Maya script. In 1977 Christopher Jones is credited with the discovery of parentage statements in Maya hieroglyphic texts (Jones 1977). His discovery was followed by a detailed analysis of parentage statements by Floyd Lounsbury, Peter Mathews, and Linda Schele (1977). They introduced most …

Parowan Valley Gaming Pieces And Insights Into Fremont Social Organization, Molly Allison Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis primarily addresses the implications of Fremont gaming pieces in the Parowan Valley. First, I review ethnographic gaming pieces and compare them to the Fremont worked bone pieces in order to support the idea that they were used by the Fremont in games similar to the ones recorded ethnographically. Then, I analyze a collection of Fremont gaming pieces from excavations at three Parowan Valley sites. I note drastic differences in the characteristics found on pieces inside the Parowan Valley and those form outside the Parowan Valley. It is also clear that gaming pieces are being produced in the Parowan …

Late Homestead Period Householding At Benmore And Tintic Junction: Comparing Rural And Sub-Rural Communities In Tooele And Juab Counties, Utah, Jennifer Aurora Beard

Theses and Dissertations

Historical archaeologists are turning more and more attention to the study of capitalism in post-Industrialist nations. Rhoda Halperin's concept of householding considers networks of families or other groups that operate outside of the mainstream capitalist economy. The concept is most often applied in anthropological contexts, but may be a useful tool in the study of homesteading in the American West. At Benmore, a small homesteading community in southern Rush Valley, Tooele County, Utah, 20 families sought to survive by dry farming in a marginal environment. The enthusiasm of such residents as Israel Bennion, whose journal provides deep insight into the …

Hidden Village (42sa2112): A Basket Maker Iii Community In Montezuma Canyon, Utah, Donald G. Montoya

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT This thesis focuses on the Basketmaker III period of the Ancestral Puebloan culture commonly known as the Anasazi, which means ‘ancient stranger’ or ‘ancient enemy’ in the Navajo language, or as preferred by the Hopi; "Hisatsinom" for "The Ones Who Came Before." I use the terms Anasazi and Ancestral Puebloan interchangeably in this study. My particular focus concentrates on a Basketmaker III settlement (42Sa2112 – Hidden Village) in Montezuma Canyon in southeastern Utah. My thesis presents data and an interpretive hypothesis that village formation and complex social organization emerged earlier than most standard texts (Plog 1997) assume. Analysis of …

Cultic Niches In The Nabataean Landscape: A Study In The Orientation, Facade Ornamentation, Sanctuary Organization, And Function Of Nabataean Cultic Niches, Holly A. Raymond

Theses and Dissertations

Niches are common features in the Nabataean landscape (Healey 2001; Starcky 1966: cols. 1008-10; Patrich 1990:50-113). From their frequent appearance in the archeological record, it is evident that the Nabataeans placed great importance on these cultic features. However, very little is known about them. The purpose of this study was to find and record Nabataean cultic niches in a field survey and then to interpret these niches as part of a research design that proposed purposes of niche variation in construction, orientation, and placement of niches on the landscape. My research addresses several neglected issues in the study of cultic …

Fremont Finery: Exchange And Distribution Of Turquoise And Olivella Ornaments In The Parowan Valley And Beyond, Cady Brooke Jardine

Theses and Dissertations

The Fremont tradition developed on the northern Colorado Plateau and eastern Great Basin between A.D. 1 and A.D. 1350 (Talbot 2000a). Research on exotics in the Fremont area, specifically turquoise and Olivella shell, has been sporadic until recently (Hughes and Bennyhoff 1986; McDonald 1994; Janetski 2002). In this thesis, I present new data on Olivella and turquoise artifacts found throughout the Fremont region, including the Parowan Valley sites, Nephi Mounds, and Kay's Cabin, as well as a spatial distribution of Olivella and turquoise in the Fremont area. I performed microprobe analysis on blue-green artifacts from Kay's Cabin and found most …

The Chipped Stone Tool Industries Of Blackman Eddy, Belize, Matthew Patrick Yacubic

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant finds at the site of Blackman Eddy, Belize, is a series of superimposed structures that date between 1200 B.C.-A.D. 600 (calibrated). Because it was continuously occupied for over 1800 years, this site provides a unique opportunity to examine long-term socio-economic changes in the eastern Maya lowlands. This thesis is a diachronic study of the chipped stone tool artifacts of Blackman Eddy using technological, attribute, and use-wear analysis. The data collected for this study were examined to see what types of raw materials were used in tool production, what types of tools were produced, how they …

The Acropolis At Kaminaljuyu: A Study Of Late Classic Occupation, Kelleigh Waimarie Cole

Theses and Dissertations

The Late Classic Period at Kaminaljuyú is one of the most poorly understood periods of occupation, possibly because the artifacts and architecture lack the ornate decoration found in earlier periods. One of the largest and best preserved areas of the site is located in the Parque Arqueológico de Kaminaljuyú in Zone 7 of Guatemala City. A major focal point of architecture atKaminaljuyú is the Acropolis, which has been the focus of various excavations, particularly the work of Gustavo Espinoza from 1958 to 1962. Despite this research, much of the important documentation and artifacts recovered from these excavations have been lost. …

Parowan Pottery And Fremont Complexity: Late Formative Ceramic Production And Exchange, Christopher N. Watkins

Theses and Dissertations

The Fremont, a Formative culture located in the Eastern Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, have been primarily studied from an ecological perspective. This research addresses issues that are not ecological, the organization of production and exchange of ceramic vessels. Following criteria suggested by Brown et al. (1990), I argue that the following need to be addressed prior to a useful discussion of intergroup trade: the source of the raw materials of the exchanged objects, the associated pattern of distribution, the relative value of the objects, and their context of manufacture, use, and consumption. I specifically address three of these issues …

Fremont Storage And Mobility: Changing Forms Through Time, David T. Yoder

Theses and Dissertations

Groups of agriculturalist/hunter-gatherers known as the Fremont inhabited the eastern Great Basin and Colorado Plateau from roughly A.D. 1-A.D. 1350 (Madsen 1989). Fremont groups used differing storage strategies through time and across space. Storage strategies included on-site and off-site storage facilities which were constructed above and/or below-ground. These forms of storage occurred at different frequencies and times throughout the Fremont's 1350 year time span. Researchers (Binford 1980, 1990; Keeley 1988; Soffer 1989; Testart 1982; Wills 1992; Young 1996) using examples from various parts of the world have noted a correlation between the degree of residential mobility and the use of …

Murals And The Development Of Merchant Activity At Chichen Itza, De Luna Lucha Aztzin Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The militaristic interpretations of the art of Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico, fails to sufficiently describe its entire decorative program. Absent from discussions of the art tradition is the apparent focus on merchant activity in the city. The influence and power of merchants strengthened during the transition from the Classic to Postclassic in Mesoamerica. With an increase in demand of foreign goods, new exchange relationships developed between centers in Central Mexico, the Gulf, and Maya region. As a result, several cultural regions participated in a vast economic network that created political alliances and syncretic art styles. Focusing on the mural tradition …

Mayan Metate Ethnoarchaeology, Michael T. Searcy

Theses and Dissertations

Manos and metates are ubiquitous at archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. Unfortunately, grinding stones are understudied, and thus, not much is understood about them. Understanding that archaeology is based on the use of analogy to infer past life-ways, little work has been done to create analogies specifically for manos and metates. The purpose of this thesis is to study modern grinding stones used by Mayans living in Guatemala to better understand manos and metates used by ancient peoples. I worked for two field seasons in Guatemala recording the life histories of manos and metates used by the Q'eqchi' and K'iche', two …