Archaeological Anthropology Commons^™

Investigation Into The Suspected Late Holocene Decline In Obsidian Use At Sites On Edwards Air Force Base, Richard Gerard Bark

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Archaeological investigations at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) have been ongoing for more than 40 years. Yet the findings from the vast majority of those efforts are available only as grey literature that is known only to a relative few. The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate a late Holocene decline in obsidian frequency reported by researchers working in the Bissell Basin and Rosamond Dry Lake region of Edwards AFB near the turn of the 21^st century. A secondary purpose of this thesis was to shine a light on an area of the western Mojave Desert that …

The Impact Of The Medieval Climatic Anomaly On The Archaeology At Edwards Air Force Base, Jessica Amanda Porter-Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A series of severe and prolonged droughts occurred throughout the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 1150 BP to 600 BP. This phenomenon is referred to as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly and has been shown to have differentially impacted various regions of the world. Previous studies have suggested causal links between the Medieval Climatic Anomaly and observed culture change.

The goal of this study was to examine the Antelope Valley region of the Mojave Desert for evidence of impacts on human populations related to the Medieval Climatic Anomaly. To achieve this goal, a sample selection of archaeological sites was chosen from lands …

Characterizing Muscupiabit (Ca-Sbr-425/H) And Its Place In The Greater Serrano Settlement System, Robert D. Grenda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

First excavated in 1938, the site of Muscupiabit (CA-SBR-425/H) has long been a subject of archaeological research in the San Bernardino Mountains. Previous excavations at the site have either been unpublished or limited in scope. A primary goal was to obtain a radiocarbon date for the site, giving a definitive age to the site. Other goals included determining the population size of Muscupiabit as well as the function of the site and its place in the Serrano settlement system.

To obtain dateable material, an excavation was conducted in hopes of locating a thermal feature. An intact thermal feature was found …

Talking With The Dead From Southern Mexico: Tracing Bioarchaeological Foundations And New Perspectives In Oaxaca, Ricardo Higelin Ponce De León, Guy David Hepp

Anthropology Faculty Publications

In recent years, bioarchaeological research has emerged as one of the principal tools for studying diverse aspects of ancient society through the analysis of human remains. Oaxaca, Mexico is a culturally diverse region of Mesoamerica that today boasts at least sixteen discrete ethnolinguistic groups. Bioarchaeology in Oaxaca has traditionally focused on the Late Formative and Classic period (500 BCE–800 CE) Zapotec city of Monte Albán, and on its hinterland. Largely descriptive, these studies provided basic discussions of health, nutrition, and funerary offerings. Beyond the Valley of Oaxaca, much less comprehensive bioarchaeological research has been undertaken to date. Never before have …

Communing With Nature, The Ancestors And The Neighbors: Ancient Ceramic Musical Instruments From Coastal Oaxaca, Mexico, Guy David Hepp, Sarah B. Barber, Arthur A. Joyce

Anthropology Faculty Publications

The Mesoamerican Formative period (1600 BCE–CE 250) saw the establishment of sedentism, dietary transformations and the development of ceramic technologies for subsistence, artistic representation and the region’s earliest preserved musical instruments. These instruments include aerophones such as whistles, ocarinas and flutes. In this paper, we describe sixty-three ceramic aerophones from mostly Formative period contexts in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico. We situate our analysis in the broader contexts of research on music and iconography in Mesoamerican archaeology, as well as of the anthropology of sensory perception. Through a consideration of archaeological context, artifact form and technical properties, we conclude that music was …

The Pueblo In The Mojave Sink: An Archaeological Myth, Barbara Ann Loren-Webb

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis looks at the pueblo theory as it was presented: whether there is anything supporting Rogers' theory, whether a pueblo could have existed in the area, and why the claim has been generally accepted by the archaeological community.

A Structural History Of The Old Stone Hotel In Daggett Utilizing Archaeological And Documentary Evidence, Catherine Mary Courser Banker

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Preliminary Qualitative Investigation Of Volatile Organics In The Mya Arenaria Shell For The Possible Determination Of Subsistence Processing History, Dane Robert Chance

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Targeting Early Man Sites In The Western United States: An Assessment Of The Manix Type Section, Central Mojave Desert, California, Fred Emil Budinger

Theses Digitization Project

Geoarchaeology -- Pre-Clovis archaeology -- Site search strategies.