Archaeological Anthropology Commons^™

Fishing, Butchery And Smoking: Salmonids In Northeastern Iceland, Quinn Matthew Habedank

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the ethnoecology of Northern Iceland from 1880-1920 via the zooarchaeology of salmonid remains. Based on the identification of salmonid bones retrieved from Hofstaðir, the people living at the farm likely engaged in small-scale production of transportable fish products based on locally available wild resources.

Strike And Error: Assessing The Skill Level Of Crafters Using Lithic Blade Cores, Charles Roelant

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to ascertain whether or not the skill level of crafters can be assessed by the errors visible on the Hopewell cores used to make stone blades. This assessment was carried out using four points of focus; core shape, blade length, stepping mistakes and termination errors. This assessment was carried out on twenty-nine cores from the Crane site and nineteen cores from Mound house. Total error rates were used to assign cores to three different skill levels, experienced, intermediate, and novice. The assessment of these blade cores illustrates that skill can be observed, and that …

Tooth Ablation And The Jōmon - Yayoi Transition In Japan, Laura R. Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

The Jōmon – Yayoi period transition in Japan is marked by many migrants coming through the Korean Peninsula into Kyushu, sparking changes such as the introduction of wet-rice agriculture to the native hunter-gatherer-fisher Jōmon population and decreases in tooth ablation patterns and percentages. Ritual tooth ablation, or the removal of healthy front teeth, is typically seen as a coming-of-age practice, with the Jōmon having a diverse amount of ablation patterns. In this study, I explored how the rates and variation of tooth ablation changed throughout Japan after the arrival of Yayoi migrants from the continent. After calculating ablation rates per …

Searching For Enslavement In Viking Age Iceland: An Exploration Of Making The “Invisible” Visible, Caitlin Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Enslavement was almost certainly a reality in Viking Age Iceland. However, the fields of Norse Studies and archaeology have traditionally used different lines of evidence to explore enslavement, and for archaeologists, the phenomenon has been left underexplored, and sometimes considered "invisible." While Norse Studies relies primarily on written texts, such as sagas and poems, archaeology focuses more on material remains, including burials and shackles. In Iceland, the archaeological evidence is more subtle - houses with annexes or pit houses, as well as signs of intensive farming and weaving, for example. The presence of any one of these could be otherwise …

The Elemental Analysis Of Groundstone Celts From Noble-Wieting Using The Pxrf: A Provenance Study, Julian A. Marvel

Theses and Dissertations

Groundstone axes, or celts, were prehistoric stone tools used for chopping, cutting, or woodworking. Made from hard stone like basalt or granite, it was shaped by grinding and polishing rather than flaking, giving it a smooth, durable surface. Celts typically have a tapered edge and were often hafted onto wooden handles or used by hand. They were common in Neolithic cultures around the world and served both practical and sometimes ceremonial purposes. In this thesis, I analyze celts from Noble-Wieting (11ML24), a 14th-century Langford tradition village in McLean County, Illinois.

Specifically, my research addresses the following questions about these groundstone …

Envelope Of Ruin : Material And Spatial Responses Of New York City Homeless To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kyle C. Maxey

Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempts to understand human material responses to catastrophic urban collapse. Using Henri Lefebvre's theories of spatial production and the history of a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) this paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding the dynamics present in the creation of an urban ruin. Through the observation of homeless material responses, particularly the construction of encampments under the BQE, during the COVID-19 pandemic "lock-down" in New York City, this thesis illustrates how populations respond to urban ruin and social collapse. Moving forward, this paper hopes to serve as a synthesis of urban theory and archeological observation …

Archaeomalacological Studies In The North Atlantic Islands, Kelly A. Mclafferty

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis expands upon the archaeomalacological narrative of the North Atlantic islands (the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Orkney) from the mid-8^th through the 20^th century. The main objectives are to identify exploited mollusk populations and ecological zones; investigate the roles of mollusk exploitation; contribute to laboratory methods of marine shell.

Barley As A Human Companion Species - Exploring The Relationship Between Barley And North Atlantic Peoples: 4000 Bc – Ad 1200, Chloe Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an ancient cereal crop originating in the Fertile Crescent approximately 12,000 years ago and is presently one of the most important cereal crops globally. Barley has a long and complex history. This thesis aims to explore one dimension of this history through the lens of human companion species using archaeobotanical data collected from the islands of the North Atlantic from the Neolithic (4,000 BC) to the Norse period (AD 1200).

A Bioarchaeological Overview Of The Late Woodland Period Gooden Mound Group, Fulton County, Illinois, Aaron M. Durchholz

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research in paleopathology has documented adverse effects accompanying a shift in subsistence strategy from largely nomadic, hunting and gathering lifestyles to those of more sedentary, agrarian systems. Comparative assessment of the human skeletal remains of early foragers and later farmers recovered from archaeological sites around the world have consistently demonstrated a decrease in average age at death in the latter.

Across the pre-Columbian North American Midwest, the transitional period between the Late Woodland and Mississippian periods, sometimes referred to as the terminal or Mississippian Acculturated Late Woodland, portended establishment of semi-permanent to permanent hamlets, increasingly reliant upon the adoption …

The First Peoples Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas And Northern Mexico: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Defining The Paleoindian Period, Starr Elena Hein

Theses and Dissertations

The archaeological record of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and northern Mexico is poorly understood. There are few excavated sites at which Paleoindian cultural materials have been found, and in these cases the context is uncertain. In order to better understand the Paleoindian period, projectile points that reside in private collections are documented, and the time period they are assigned to, based on absolute dating from surrounding regions, is used to cross-date local materials. This is limited by the lack of named typology for Upper Paleolithic materials in the Americas. Clovis is well represented in the Lower Rio …

The Silent Grave: A Geophysical Investigation Of The Brush Arbor Cemetery In Starkville, Mississippi, Kathryn Cassidy Jean Rayburn

Theses and Dissertations

The Brush Arbor Cemetery is an early-to-late 19th century Black cemetery that was also the meeting place of one of the first Black church congregations in Starkville, Mississippi. The cemetery has suffered greatly from structural violence and degradation. Utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), this research has revealed important information about the Brush Arbor Cemetery. The results of the GPR survey suggest there are 54 potential unmarked burials in addition to 35 marked burials. The Viewshed analysis suggests that the likely meeting place of the church congregation is in complete view of the white Odd Fellows Cemetery directly across the street. …

Compromised Health: Examining Growth And Health In A Late Antique Roman Infant And Child Cemetery, Sierra Malis

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the relationship between growth, growth disruption, and skeletal indicators stress amongst juveniles (n=60) interred at the Late Antique infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano (PG) (ca. 5th century CE), associated with a rural agricultural community. Growth disruption – evidenced by decreased long bone length compared to dental age – and stress experience – evidenced by skeletal stress indicators – were compared to those within juveniles from two urban Roman-era cemeteries (n=66), Villa Rustica (VR) (0-400 CE) and Tragurium City Necropolis (TCN) (400-700 CE). Results indicate that the PG juveniles had significantly smaller femoral lengths-for-age than VR …

What Is A Child? The Conception Of Childhood Viewed Primarily Through The Funerary Culture From The Predynastic Era To The Middle Kingdom, Courtney Mcrae

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses an interdisciplinary analysis of the theories involving cultural ideas of childhood, as well as archaeological approaches to studying the funerary material culture related to children, in an attempt to determine the role of children in ancient Egypt. To achieve this, the author examines grave goods in relation to child burials from the Predynastic (5000-3200 BC) to the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC) to examine the correlation between funerary material cultures with different stages of childhood. The author used these time periods in order to properly conduct an in depth analysis of early Egyptian culture. The author also analyzes …

Accuracy, Precision, And Efficiency: Comparing Mapping Techniques In Nixtun-Ch’Ich’, Petén, Guatemala, Gabriela Zygadlo

Theses and Dissertations

New archaeological survey technologies have transformed the way in which sites are mapped. Nixtun-Ch’ich’ in Petén, Guatemala has been surveyed in a variety of ways including a theodolite with an electronic distance measurement (EDM), total station (TS), laser imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR), and photogrammetry. This paper aims to compare various mapping techniques and their accuracy, precision, and efficiency when pertaining specifically to mapping in Nixtun-Ch’ich’, Petén, Guatemala. The goal is to evaluate which technique is most efficient when mapping in the site by considering the variables of cost, time, and environment of the site. The paper also considers the …

An Inventory And Analysis Of Human Remains From The Aklis Site (12vam1-42) Curated At Mississippi State University, Kaelyn Olson

Theses and Dissertations

This project was an inventory and analysis of human remains from the Aklis archaeological site (12VAm1-42), located in the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The human remains inventoried during this project were collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and MSU during surface collection and emergency salvage excavations at Aklis. The statistical analysis of the data focused on the minimum number of individuals (MNI) per square meter, the degree of long bone completion, skeletal element counts across excavated features, and the degree of weathering. Results indicate that the assemblage curated at MSU includes a …

The Ring Quarry Mining Complex: A Preliminary Archaeological Investigation Into Ancient Native American Sites In Northwestern New Jersey, Joseph D. Cusack

Theses and Dissertations

The Ring Quarry Mining Complex (RQMC) in northwestern New Jersey is an archaeological, Pre-Contact Native American mining and habitation complex. The RQMC was a primary source of tool stone in the Vernon Valley of New Jersey for thousands of years. Evidence of human occupation within the study area extends from the Paleoindian through the Contact Period. This study focuses on the ancient chert quarry and surrounding sites across a landscape making up a habitational complex.

(Re)Constructing Homescapes: “Archaeological Remote Sensing” And Ground-Truthing Of The Walker Place Homestead At Spirit Hill Farm, Tate County, Mississippi, Gabriel Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on an early nineteenth-century homestead known as the Walker Place homestead at Spirit Hill Farm in northern Mississippi. The goal of this thesis is to conduct a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and shovel test survey to explore how changing landscapes simultaneously (re)create and destroy senses of place or Homescapes. Homescapes have received little attention in the field of archaeology and have not been applied to Euro-American Homescapes. I apply this theoretical construct in a novel way as a venture to further develop an avenue in archaeology to be collaborative and understand the past in a way that accurately …

Health-Related Caretaking In An Institutionalized Setting: Applying The Index Of Care To Burial 1 From The Mid-19th To Early-20th Century Mississippi State Asylum, Jackson, Ms., Darcie Badon

Theses and Dissertations

This project employs a modified version of the Bioarchaeology of Care (BoC) in an analysis of Burial 1 from the Mississippi State Asylum, Jackson, MS. Burial 1 is a skeletal individual recovered from the historic MSA cemetery. Notably, Burial 1 exhibits recidivistic cranial trauma in the form of cranial depression fractures (CDFs) and significant entheseal changes in the upper extremities. However, because there is no identifying information associated with Burial 1, interpretations of the caretaking they may have received, both prior to and after institutionalization, include short- and long-term outcomes from their community and the MSA. Additionally, Burial 1’s CDFs …

Female Leaders: A Re-Evaluation Of Women During The Viking Age, Sorayda Santos

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will re-examine the roles of women in the Viking world. Did Viking women dominate the home or did they participate in activities that have traditionally been associated with men? This thesis will bring together historical data and archaeological excavation data to demonstrate that Viking women were leaders.

Hrísheimar: Fish Consumption Patterns, Wendi K. Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the fish remain patterns at Hrísheimar, which have provided archaeologists with further evidence that inland sites such as those in the Mývatnssveit Region utilized both local freshwater and marine fish from the coastal regions as a part of their subsistence pattern.

Climate Change And Threatened Heritage: Archaeology's Burden, Barry R. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and archaeology are currently intertwined, as more and more archaeologists around the world must deal with the effects it causes on the sites they work on. Threatened cultural resource sites are being swept away at alarming rates, and excavation projects are becoming more and more like salvage digs.

The Roscoe Perry House Site: A Long-Term Prehistoric Occupation In The Hudson Valley, Dylan C. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

This report analyzes the stored collection of artifacts excavated from a historic house overlooking the Rondout Creek and the Hudson River. This is a multicomponent site. It contains fifteen archaeological phases ranging from the Early Archaic to the Contact Period.

Forget-Me-Not: American Consumerism And Its Impact On Philadelphia Gravestones, 1800-1930, Melissa A. Elgendy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the relationship between the growing consumer ideology brought about by the American Industrial Revolution and changing gravestone characteristics in Philadelphia, PA between 1800-1930. Examining their connection uncovers how consumerism impacted individual’s sense of self and viewed their place in society, which are then reflected in material culture.

Enslaved Labor In The Gang And Task Systems: A Case Study In Comparative Bioarchaeology Of Commingled Remains, William D. Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

This study designs and tests an approach intended to confront one of the major problems faced within biological anthropology, the commingling or mixing of human skeletal remains. The first goal of the study is to implement an approach to sorting mixed human remains in order that they can be made amenable to comparative study. Bioarchaeologists depend on an array of measures, preserved in the human skeleton, to assess the lifestyles and identity of past human groups. As many of these measures are preserved within the morphology of different bones, it is imperative that the association and context of remains are …

Archaeological Potential Of The Rio Grande Valley: A Look At Brazos Island With A Historical Focus On The Civil War, Robin L. Galloso

Theses and Dissertations

The history of the Rio Grande Valley and the role it played in the Civil War is a developing field for both history and archaeology. This work helps to fill the existing gap that is present in academia and shows the archaeological and historical potential of this unique coastal area. The Brazos Island was heavily used during the Civil War by both the Confederacy and the Union. This thesis shows the rich history of Brazos Island and its archaeological potential through a multi-interdisciplinary lens, although rooted in the field of history. It covers a brief overview of the road to …

The Future Of Arabic Music: No Sound Without Silence, Nesma Magdy Khodier Vcuq

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, Arabic music has been intrinsically linked to Arab culture and by extension bonded to the environmental landscape of the region, reflecting their emotions, moods, and behaviors. Numerous technological advancements in the latter half of the twentieth century, have greatly affected the rich legacy of Arabic music, significantly impacting the natural progression of traditional Arabic musical genres, scales, and instrumentation.

This thesis serves as an introduction to generative methods of music production, specifically music generated through gestures. Through generative music, and its unique ability to map gestures to different musical parameters, music can be produced using computer algorithms.

The …

Amethyst, Aprotropala, And The Eye Of Re, Laurel Hackley

Theses and Dissertations

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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 …

An Archaeological Survey Of North Cottonwood Canyon, San Juan County, Southeastern Utah, Larry D. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The results of an archaeological survey of North Cottonwood Canyon, San Juan County, southeastern Utah, are herein reported.

The purpose and background leading up to the survey are followed by a physical description of the canyon and a description of the 36 archaeological sites recorded. The cultural material collected and/or observed at the sites, including architecture, ceramics, and other miscellaneous artifacts, is described and discussed. This is followed by a distributional analysis between sites. This includes altitude, slope, water resources, and vegetation. Cultural materials in North Cottonwood Canyon are then compared with materials from related areas, including Montezuma Canyon, Beef …

Archaeological Excavations At The Chauncey Webb Site (127-4) Nauvoo, Illinois, 1970, Richard L. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

The results of archaeological excavation and laboratory analysis of artifacts from the Chauncey G. Webb House Site, Nauvoo, Illinois, are herein reported. The purpose of the report and the history of archaeological investigations at the site are explained. Next is given a brief history of the city of Nauvoo, Chauncey G. Webb and the site using historical records and the pre-Mormon, Mormon, and post-Mormon periods are discussed. This is followed by a description of the site before excavation. The method of excavation is then described, The results of the field work are given in the form of a description and …