Archaeological Anthropology Commons^™

An Evaluation Of The Performance Characteristics Of Olivine Temper In Pueblo Ii Virgin River Puebloan Ceramics, Sharlyn Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to examine the technological properties of the three dominant temper types - olivine, sand, and sherd - used by the Virgin Branch Puebloan during the Pueblo II era (AD 1000-1500) to explain the high proportion of Moapa Gray Ware traded to the Moapa Valley at that time. The research is guided by the hypothesis that olivine tempered pottery - or Moapa Gray Ware - possessed superior technological qualities than locally made wares, and that these qualities fueled the demand of Moapa Gray Ware ceramics.

This thesis evaluates one possibility for explaining the transportation of …

Fertility Symbols In Rock Art: Cupuls And Incised Grooves In The Lower Pecos, Texas, Cara D. Connolly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rock art at archaeological sites are often dismissed as a culturally symbolic representation that cannot be objectively or scientifically analyzed or interpreted adequately. Such dismissals are detrimental to understanding all aspects of a given culture. Although uninformed interpretations of rock art panels are counterproductive, systematic recording and the testing of different hypotheses is a valid way to begin to better understand the possible range of social functions of rock art. This research examines whether indigenous women's fertility is represented in rock art depictions, known as cupules and groove marks, in the archaeological record. Cupules are defined as a boulder or …

Exploratory Studies Into Possible Uses Of Calcareous Dolostone On The Shivwits Plateau, Jennifer Durk, Lauren Falvey, Karen G. Harry

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Excavations at pueblo habitation sites on the Shivwits Plateau suggest that calcareous dolostone was regularly procured and used by the inhabitants of the Mt. Dellenbaugh region. Calcareous dolostone, a soft, powdery calcium carbonate, is not local to these sites but was presumably procured from somewhere beneath the rim of the Grand Canyon. In this poster, we present the results of exploratory experiments into possible uses of this resource. Specifically, we evaluate the performance characteristics of powdered dolostone with reference to two activities: pigment production and ceramic manufacture.

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• One basic site steward class was held this quarter adding 17 steward volunteers.
• Site Monitor Reports indicate accelerating site impacts consistent with increased visitation. As reported in previous quarters, a by-product of off-road vehicle popularity is site degradation.

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• Updated Site Steward documentation
• Held recognition event at Lake Mead
• Program funding extended through 12/1/2013
• Cultural Site Stewardship Program (CSSP) began assigning stewards to the Desert Wildlife Refuge (DWR) and to other remote sites along the Nevada’s border southwest of Searchlight.
• A select team of ten stewards will continue documenting abandoned mines and neighboring cultural sites in mountains along the Colorado River.

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

The Cultural Site Stewardship Program is working with the Desert Wildlife Refuge (DWR) in accordance with a request by the Archaeologist for USFWS.

Several classes were offered to stewards, including map and compass orientation, site photography and lithics instructions.

Twenty-three newly trained stewards along with 12 existing stewards were assigned to the Desert Wildlife Research area, and will be introduced to sites during early fall. The Abandoned Mines Lands project operated by the National Park Service will continue with new objectives this fall.

Is There Evidence For The Observation And Use Of Astronomy At The Harris Site In The Mimbres Valley?, Denise Ruzicka

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis is an archaeoastronomical study of a Late Pithouse Period (A.D. 550-1000) Mimbres-Mogollon site in the American Southwest. It specifically examines whether there is an association between architecture and astronomy at the Harris Site in the upper Mimbres Valley in southwestern New Mexico. The hypothesis for the study is that Mimbres pithouse groups observed astronomical phenomena and used such phenomena to guide the construction of their structures and establish a calendar. The methods used in this investigation include evaluating whether the site placement, the orientation and alignment of structures/houses, and the presence of cultural features on surrounding ridge tops …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• Preserve America Steward awarded to Public Lands Institute and ICSST
• CSSP awarded Las Vegas annual “Historical Preservation Award”

Twenty new volunteers participated in site survey training and rock art recording classes. Additional classes are being prepared for early July 2010 in gps navigation and map and compass training for site steward coordinators who will assist with training to general stewards.

All newly accrued stewards have been introduced to sites in Clark County. Locations in the Gold Butte area have been successfully reinforced after a decrease of eight volunteers due to difficult economic conditions in Mesquite. Regional Coordinators have been instrumental …

Health Status Of Infants And Children From The Bronze Age Tomb At Tell Abraq, United Arab Emirates, Kathryn Mary Baustian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tell Abraq is significant because it is the largest prehistoric site on the southern coast of the Arabian Gulf. It was strategically important as an ancient port, regionally surrounded by large political centers. Commingled remains were located in a small tomb (6 m) used for a 200 year period (2200-2000 BC). The site was continually occupied from the 3rd millennium BC up to the 1st century AD. In the tomb were minimally 286 adults and 127 subadults. What is extraordinary is the number of pre-term (3rd trimester) infants (n=28, 22%), neonates (n=12, 9%), and infants under 2 years (n=46, 36%). …

Trade And Exchange In The Neolithic Near East: Implications Of Obsidian Remains From Ais Yiorkis, Cyprus, Megan M. Melson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lithic material has proven to be the most prevalent artifact to come out of the Ais Yiorkis strata, but there is also a plentitude of other artifacts, such as fauna, seeds, and the more elusive obsidian bladelets. There are currently about 42 obsidian artifacts (both fragmented and complete) in the Ais Yiorkis collection, and curiously enough, they are all in bladelet form, suggesting these artifacts were traded in from elsewhere due to the lack of obsidian debitage at the site. This obsidian has been sourced to the Chiftlik region in Anatolia (Turkey), which suggests some degree of trade within the …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• Two basic site steward classes were held this quarter adding 36 new cultural site steward volunteers

• CSSP awarded “Preserve America Steward Award”

• CSSP stewards were requested to document BLM sites

• Stewards completed two of four documentation projects for NPS

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• A total of 25 stewards initiate Abandoned Mines survey for NP
• CSSP stewards record Grapevine Canyon near Laughlin
• CSSP recognition event draws 103 participants

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• A total of 452 site stewards are trained and registered on the CSSP database.
• One training class was held this quarter adding 24 new volunteers.
• The stewardship program had an annual growth of 13.8% during the fiscal year 2009.
• Site Stewards reported 76 significant site impacts in 2008 compared with 83 during the same period last year.

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• A total of 428 stewards were trained and registered on database.
• Cultural Site Stewardship Program funding modified to extend program.

In a new program initiated to identify and plot mine locations along the Colorado River, the Lake Mead National Park Service (NPS) requested volunteers from CSSP. Of more than 75 respondents, 45 volunteers met the preliminary qualifications to participate.

The CSSP-originated database is highly effective and continues to produce information requested by federal agencies. Due to its success and in the absence of a state-wide system for stewards outside Clark County, the Nevada State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) requested CSSP …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• Two steward training classes were given this quarter training 41 new volunteers.

• Total trained stewards reach 428.

• The Cultural Site Stewardship brochure was approved and completed.

• Program sustainability issues were discussed at February SNAP meeting.

Archaeological Inventory, Site Assessment, And Data Management, Lake Mead National Recreation Area And Parashant National Monument: Final Report, Margaret N. Rees

Archaeology

University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) on October 1, 2006, with the term ending on February 17, 2009, as modified. The following information constitutes the final report for all of the major activities performed during this agreement. A brief summary of all work performed for each project in the agreement between October 1, 2006 and February 17, 2009 is presented. Other important tasks or activities associated with this agreement, but not identified under any specific project, are also summarized. Executive Summary

• More than 11,700 acres were inventories or monitored and 248 newly discovered archaeological sites were documented on LAME …

When Did The Ancestors Of Polynesia Begin To Migrate To Polynesia? The Mtdna Evidence, David Lesniewski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The timing and nature of the migration of the ancestors of the Polynesian people is debated by two competing theories. The "Express Train" and "Slow Boat" theories assert that the migration of the Proto-Polynesian people began around 6,000 years before present (BP) or around 10,000 years BP respectively. Through the use of haplogroups and specific genetic mutations a direct relationship between the Proto-Polynesians and modern Polynesians was attempted to test which of these theories was correct. The ancient skeletal remains from the island of Borneo currently housed at UNLV were used in this study as their dates fall within both …

New Yarmouth, Eastern Neck, Maryland: Resistance To Town Building From The Colonial Period To The Present, Brynn Torelli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The work presented in this thesis is an attempt to shed light on the early colonial development of Maryland's Eastern Shore and its possible relationship with current settlement patterns in the region, with particular interest in Kent County. Traditional interpretations of the lack of urban development on the Eastern Shore, both in the Colonial era and the present, have tended to focus on environmental and geographical factors. This research seeks to examine this trend toward rural living in newer and broader ways by incorporating human agency and investigating the possibility that the lack of town development during the Colonial era …

Analysis Of Flaked Stone Lithics From Virgin Anasazi Sites Near Mt. Trumbull, Arizona Strip, Cheryl Marie Martin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines flaked stone tools that were used by the Virgin Anasazi and the debitage resulting from their manufacture at six sites in the Mt. Trumbull region in order to infer past human behavior. The behaviors being examined include activities carried out at sites, the processing and use of raw stone materials, and patterns of regional exchange. I have applied obsidian sourcing technology and an analysis of flaked stone attributes. The research indicates a range of activities occurred at habitation sites at Mt. Trumbull, and toolmakers did not need to expend large amounts of time and energy on acquiring …

Puebloan Plain-Weave Pointed/Rounded-Toe Sandals, David Toy Yoder

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An assemblage of 226 Puebloan pointed/rounded-toe sandals from sites throughout the northern Southwest was examined to answer the following questions: how were these sandals constructed, when where they used, and where were they distributed. The answers to these questions were then used to investigate cultural boundaries, communities of practice, and interaction among the Anasazi. Methods of analysis included a technical analysis, soft X-ray radiography, microscopic fiber identification, spatial analysis, AMS radiocarbon dating, and experimental reconstruction.

Based on these analyses it appears that pointed/rounded-toe sandals were used as early as A.D. 631 to as late as A.D. 1178. Spatially, this sandal …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• The Cultural Site Stewardship Program reports the first decrease in reported cultural site impacts since program inception.

• Total cultural site stewards trained is 382 for 2008 calendar-year-end.

• Two new Regional Coordinators assigned to Sloan and Eldorado Valley.

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• The Cultural Site Stewardship Program has now enrolled 376 site stewards

• One training class was held this quarter that adding 12 new volunteers.

• The stewardship had an annual growth of 17.5% during the fiscal year 2008.

• Site Stewards reported 83 significant site impacts in 2008 compared with 63 during the same period last year.

Archaeological Inventory, Site Assessment, And Data Management, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lame) And Parashant National Monument (Para), Annual Report For 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Archaeology

This cooperative task agreement was awarded to the Public Lands Institute (PLI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on October 1, 2006, with the term ending on February 17, 2009, as modified. The following information constitutes an annual report for all of the major activities performed during the second year of this agreement. In addition, a brief summary of all work performed for each project in the agreement between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008 is presented. Other important tasks or activities associated with this agreement, but not identified under any specific project, are also summarized.

Executive …

Archaeological Inventory, Site Assessment, And Data Management, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lmnra) And Parashant National Monument (Para): Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Archaeology

• Completed modifications to original task agreement, extending the agreement through February 17, 2009

• Completed all field and laboratory work associated with the Saint Thomas Project (Project 1A)

• Completed over 2,000 acres of inventory and found over 90 archaeological sites for fuels-related projects on PARA (Project 3B)

• Conducted subsurface test excavations at two Virgin Anasazi Pueblos and collected pollen/soil samples from three prehistoric agricultural fields on PARA (Project 4A)

• Completed draft technical reports for all three inventories associated with Phase 2 of the Capital Improvement Project (Project 5)

• Conducted geophysical surveys on three sites at …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• The Cultural Site Stewardship Program has now enrolled 369 site stewards

• Three training classes were held adding 49 new volunteer stewards, an increase of 15% during the fiscal year 2008.

• Site Stewards reported 72 site impacts 2008 YTD compared with 50 during the same period last year.

Relational Database Construction Cultural Site Stewardship Program: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Of January 2, 2008, Through April 2, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

The Clark County stewardship database is the only one of its kind among all Nevada counties. Funding for this database from Clark County is vital to maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of Clark County cultural resources.

Two programmers were hired to design and implement a relational database for the CSSP. During this quarter, a system was designed in ACCESS and has accomplished the following:

• Store personnel information and required documentation on volunteer site stewards. Names of all 3 52 stewards were inputted and fully populate the database. Ethics Statements and Volunteer Agreements unique to each steward are recorded.

• …

Archaeological Inventory, Site Assessment, And Data Management, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lmnra) And Parashant National Monument (Para): Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Archaeology

• Completed field work at the historic town site of Saint Thomas; monitored 151 features, recorded 5 new features, scale drawings made for 27 features.
• Completed archaeological inventory on 730 acres associated with the Capital Improvement Project and completed documentation on 2 archaeological sites.
• Completed archaeological inventory on 465 acres associated with the Lost City Project and completed documentation for 13 archaeological sites.
• Completed a total of 29 condition assessments, with more to be completed on PARA by the end of the reporting period.

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• The Cultural Site Stewardship Program has enrolled 352 site stewards, an increase of 30% over March 31, 2007.

• Two classes were held in 2008 adding 29 new volunteer stewards.

• Site stewards reported 38 significant site impacts 2008 YTD compared to 31 during the same period in 2007.

Re-Evaluation Of The Main Ridge Site And Adjacent Areas: Final Report, October 1, 2006 - February 14, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Archaeology

• Completed an Annotated Bibliography and Finder’s Guide detailing the documentation that was found associated with the 1924-1941 work at Lost City.

• Completed maps and condition assessments for all existing Houses at the Main Ridge locality.

• Conducted test excavations at the Main Ridge locality, and analyzed chipped stone, ceramic, macrobotanical, and pollen remains recovered from those excavations.

• Completed a report on the results of the field excavations, titled Main Ridge 2006 Research Project: Condition Assessments, Test Excavations, and Data Analyses for the UNLV Fall 2006 Field School.

• Completed skeletal analyses for 37 sets of human remains …

Archaeological Inventory, Site Assessment, And Data Management, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lmnra) And Parashant National Monument (Para): Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Archaeology

• Completed subsurface test excavations at Site 26Ck4943. Field work included the excavation of 11 test units and 10 shovel probes, and the recovery of 52 artifacts and 6.0 gallons of feature fill.

• Inventoried 435 acres, documented 13 new sites and conducted condition assessments on 12 other sites.

• Completed a review of all 1,932 ASMIS site records, of which 857 are sites located within LMNRA or PARA, while 1,075 are “Local Resource Types.”

• Gave five presentations on Task Agreement projects at the Three Corners Conference at UNLV.