Archaeological Anthropology Commons^™

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 …

Trade And Transport In Late Roman Syria, Christopher Wade Fletcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the relative notoriety and miraculous level of preservation of the Dead Cities of Syria, fundamental questions of economic and subsistence viability remain unanswered. In the 1950s Georges Tchalenko theorized that these sites relied on intensive olive monoculture to mass export olive oil to urban centers. Later excavations discovered widespread cultivation of grains, fruit, and beans which directly contradicted Tchalenko’s assertion of sole reliance on oleoculture. However, innumerable olive presses in and around the Dead Cities still speak to a strong tradition of olive production. This thesis tests the logistical viability of olive oil transportation from the Dead Cities to …

Commingled Tombs And Arcgis: Analyzing The Mortuary Context And Taphonomy At Bronze Age Tell Abraq, Maryann Calleja

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The use of global positioning systems (GPS) and mapping software are commonplace in today’s archaeology. Artifacts and human remains can be plotted on maps and digitized immediately on sites allowing for instant analysis. Yet, the use of GPS in some locations may not be feasible due to natural or human-made terrain features such as canopy cover, densely built urban environments, caves, or other environments where satellite access may be limited. Additionally, prior to the widespread use of GPS, field archaeologists had to rely solely upon systematic, detailed notes and sketches. Such was the case at the Bronze Age tomb at …

Ceramic Analysis And Radiocarbon Dating, Savana Deems

Symposium of Student Scholars

Ceramic Analysis and Radiocarbon Dating

Savana Deems

Student Scholar Symposium Spring 2016

Radiocarbon dating is not always a fool proof method of dating an archaeological site. There are many factors that can skew the data, such as back fill for a cultural feature coming from an area where a forest fire occurred thousands of years before, or at the very least, this data may not give the entire narrative of the occupation of a site. Sometimes a project may not be able to afford the hundreds of dollars required per sample to analyze charcoal remains. Ceramics however, are free to …

Sablefish (Anoplopoma Fimbria) Scarcity And Zooarchaeological Data Quality In Northwest Coast Archaeological Sites, Reno Nims

Dissertations and Theses

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) is a scarcely represented species in Northwest Coast archaeology, but its remains are abundant at Tse-whit-zen, a large, Lower Elwha Klallam village in modern Port Angeles, WA that was occupied over the past 2,800 years. Because sablefish flesh has high nutritional value and it can be easily captured from nearshore waters in its juvenile form, sablefish should have been pursued where it was available. Therefore, the scarcity of sablefish in many Northwest Coast archaeological sites could indicate this species was not abundant in past fisheries. However, current zooarchaeological reports do not contain sufficient information on …

Integrative 3d Recording Methods Of Historic Architecture: Burg Hohenecken From Southwest Germany, Aaron C. Pattee

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This research explores the methodology and application of photogrammetric and laser-scanning recording methods to a castle ruin, with the primary purpose of digitally preserving the castle. Both methods generated interactive 3D models via the combination of still images (photogrammetry) and precise laser measurements (laser-scanning), which were then combined into a single model. The case study is the medieval castle ruin Burg Hohenecken located in the city of Kaiserslautern in southwest Germany. The castle was active from 1212-1689, as one of over fifty castles within the region of the Pfalz. The inhabitants included the noble von Hoheneck family and various …

The Hetzel-Hunter Quarry: A Case Study In The Use Of Photogrammetry To Reevaluate Previously Excavated Sites, Catherine G. Kinsley

Theses & Honors Papers

Archaeology is constantly evolving and as new technologies develop it becomes possible to examine sites in ways that were previously unknown. Photogrammetry, a still-developing technology, has the potential to become an invaluable tool that can provide new information when applied to sites that were excavated more than 50 years ago. The Hetzel-Hunter quarry in Clifton, Virginia is a prehistoric soapstone quarry that was originally excavated in 1894 by the Bureau for American Ethnography. By using photogrammetry to produce a 3D map of the site that details aspects ranging from the general shape of the quarry to the grooves in the …

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project: 2015 Field Season, John Cardinal, Erika Loveland

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Our current research design is oriented toward identifying evidence of eighteenth-century activities in the vicinity of Fort St. Joseph and collecting architectural data to understand the building styles and construction techniques at the site. Excavations have identified eighteenth-century artifacts throughout the Niles vicinity, although most of the archaeological materials contemporaneous with the fort have been found adjacent to a series of fireplaces uncovered since 2002.

Six 1 x 2 meter units were opened this field season in locations where we expected to intercept walls in order to ascertain the size, orientation, construction methods, and contents of the buildings associated with …

The Archaeology Of Appetites, Molly S. Schonert

SEWSA 2016 Intersectionality in the New Millennium: An Assessment of Culture, Power, and Society

Through use of examining how food is produced, stored, distributed and consumed, one can take a glimpse into the past, present and even future of this planet–to better understand the complexity of human identity and the social practices or roles that define an individual, community or society. So this begins an exploration of the archaeology of food as a gendered commodity throughout our evolutionary past, emphasizing the infinite ways in which foodway practices exceeds the nutritional value of what our ancestors, family, friends and ourselves consume(d) on a daily basis. Foodways practices is an invaluable tool in any archaeologists’ tool …

Issue 68, Spring 2016, Society Of Bead Researchers

The Bead Forum: Newsletter of the Society of Bead Researchers

Beaded Breastplates from Scandinavia, by Alice Scherer. • Bead ID: With a Little Help From My Friends, by Karlis Karklins. • Course cum Workshop on History, Science, and Technology of Stone Beads in India, 2015, by Alok Kumar Kanungo, Mudit Trivedi, and S. Madan.

Fort St. Joseph Post - Spring 2016, Michael S. Nassaney

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

We hope you enjoy this issue of the Fort St. Joseph Post, filled with information about current activities that are being conducted under the auspices of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project, a partnership between the City of Niles and Western Michigan University. As you can see, students, staff, faculty, and volunteers are busy investigating, interpreting, and promoting the archaeology of Fort St. Joseph, one of the most important French colonial sites in the western Great Lakes region. We are regularly present at professional conferences, community events, and other venues sharing information about the fort and inviting the public to …

Archaeological Investigation Of The Drive Circle And West Hyphen At Gore Place Waltham, Massachusetts, Christa M. Beranek, Alexandra Crowder

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

In July of 2015, the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at UMass Boston conducted test excavations at Gore Place, the 1806 mansion house of Christopher and Rebecca Gore in Waltham, Massachusetts, to answer questions about changes in the landscape on the north side of the house. The excavations focused on areas of interest within the drive circle and against the west hyphen of the house. The project was carried out under State Archaeologist Permit #3559. The main results in the oval were the discovery of a Gore-period driveway under the grassy oval, indicating that the driveway was broader in front …

Usda-Unl Artifacts Roadshow: The Development Of A 2d Archive Of Great Plains Projectile Points, Maia Behrendt

UCARE: Research Products

The Archaeological Survey is primarily concentrated through Federal and State lands. Nebraska like much of the Great Plains is overwhelmingly privately owned. As a consequence less than 1% of the state has been subject to professional survey. Private land owners, however, know of many archaeological sites that have not been documented. Engagement with the public about sites and about collected artifacts thus has the potential to greatly increase knowledge of the past.

Over the past three years the University of Nebraska and the USDA Forest Service have conducted “Artifacts Roadshows” to talk with land owners about private artifact collections. These …

Past Meets Future: Combining Gis, 3d Technologies, And Legacy Data To Reanalyze Ceramics At Copan, Honduras, Stephanie Sterling, Heather Richards-Rissetto, René Viel

UCARE: Research Products

The archaeological site of Copán—a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Honduras—was a primary center for cultural and economic exchange in the Maya world from the fifth to ninth centuries. Our research investigates the sociopolitical climate of the city immediately preceding this collapse. This poster presents the results of a pilot study intended to evaluate the potential of using a combination of digital technologies and legacy data to reanalyze a subset of diagnostic ceramics from select sites outside of Copan’s urban core. Our methods involved:

(1) Applying photogrammetry to generate 3D models for approximately 30 potentially temporally-diagnostic ceramic types

(2) Digitizing, …

Incorporating Archaeology Into Local Government Historic Preservation And Planning: A Review Of Current Practice, Douglas Deur, Virginia L. Butler

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Problem, research strategy, and findings: The fate of archaeological sites in cities, towns, and county jurisdictions are greatly affected by the decisions of local governments and planning departments, which usually operate with little formal guidance regarding archaeological site stewardship. What strategies do local governments use to effectively manage archaeological sites in their jurisdictions? Which ones work best? To address these questions, we carried out an exploratory study of mechanisms used by local government planners for archaeological resource protection in 24 states between 2008 and 2015, obtaining information from 69 local governments. We use questionnaires and interviews with local government staff, …

Geochemical Investigation Of Late Pre-Contact Ceramic Production Patterns In Northwest Alaska, Shelby L. Anderson, Matthew T. Boulanger, Michael D. Glascock, R. Benjamin Perkins

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Study of northwest Alaskan ceramic production and distribution patterns has the potential to provide new evidence of coastal hunter-gatherer mobility and social interaction in the late pre-contact period. This research is directed at characterizing potential clay sources and linking ceramic groups to raw-material source areas through instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and modeling of possible clay and temper combinations. Results of INAA of 458 ceramic, 31 clay, and 28 possible temper specimens reinforces prior identification (Anderson et al., 2011) of three broad compositional groups. Though raw materials were collected over a large area, the clay specimens demonstrate remarkable geochemical homogeneity …

Chaco Landscapes: Data, Theory And Management, Ruth Van Dyke, Stephen Lekson, Carrie Heitman, Julian Thomas

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The Colorado Plateau is a land of long horizons punctuated by dramatic buttes, mesas, and mountain ranges. The rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of this region hold meaning for the millions of tourists who visit each year to experience this iconic landscape. Many of these same places on the Plateau are still considered central to indigenous religious practices, histories, and oral traditions of descendent communities in the region. This landscape is also defined by the complex connections and histories of diverse resident communities. Ancient communities of the Plateau are the focus of ongoing major anthropological investigations into such issues …

Airborne Lidar Acquisition, Post-Processing And Accuracy-Checking For A 3d Webgis Of Copan, Honduras, Jennifer Von Schwerin, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Fabio Remondino, Maria Grazia Spera, Michael Auer, Nicolas Billen, Lukas Loos, Laura Stelson, Markus Reindel

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Archaeological projects increasingly collect airborne LiDAR data to use as a remote sensing tool for survey and analysis. Publication possibilities for LiDAR datasets, however, are limited due to the large size and often proprietary nature of the data. Fortunately, web-based, geographic information systems (WebGIS) that can securely manage temporal and spatial data hold great promise as virtual research environments for working with and publishing LiDAR data. To test this and to obtain new data for archaeological research, in 2013, the MayaArch3D Project (www.mayaarch3d.org) collected LiDAR data for the archaeological site of Copan, Honduras. Results include: 1) more accurate archaeological maps, …

Connectivity: An Ecological Paradigm For The Study Of Bronze Age, Slobodan Mitrović

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Connectivity: an ecological paradigm for the study of Bronze Age” addresses the relationship between historic and prehistoric people, and the landscapes they inhabited, moved about, and continue to inhabit. It suggests alternative methodological approaches that have broader ramifications for the discipline of (Bronze Age) archaeology. By engaging the code and innovations stemming from ecology and digital technology, the research questions concern the interface – referred to as connectivity – between the archaeological sites, resources, networks of communication, and the conditions of archaeological knowledge acquisition. Drawing on published and new data, the aim of the project is to put forward a …

Isis And Philae, Eahr Joan

Re-Genesis Encyclopedia

Ancient Philae, temple site of black Isis (Ese) in Nubia, encompasses a rich and fascinating archaeomythological study. Although the temple fell into alien hands, goddess Isis’ power not only continued for over three millennia in Egypt, but also “her worship grew during the Hellenistic period (when she was conflated with the Great Mother of the Greeks, Demeter), then continued into the Roman Era, and finally was adapted to Christian needs.” (HLW: 13.) Reginald Eldred Witt notes that the “veneration (hyperdulia) of the Blessed Virgin Mary was certainly introduced at about the same time as Theodosius ordered the destruction of …

7: Public Archaeology At Fort St. Joseph, Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project practices community service learning.

Archeological Of The Proposed Fm 1626 Pass-Through Toll Project From Ranch-To-Market 967 To Farm-To-Market 2770 In Hays County, Texas, Matthew C. Stotts, Bradford M. Jones, Mason D. Miller, Samantha Walden Champion, Josh Haefner

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Hicks & Company archeologists conducted an intensive, 100-percent linear archeological survey of approximately 3.3 miles of proposed expansions to Farm-to-Market (FM) 1626 west of the city of Buda, Hays County, Texas. The survey was conducted between July 2008 and October 2016 for compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act on behalf of Hays County, the project engineer Klotz Associates, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the proposed project is composed of 54.3 acres of existing right of way and 8.08 acres of proposed …

Cultural Resources Monitoring For Brackenridge Park River Wall Replacement Project, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Stephen Smith, Paul Shawn Marceaux

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

From January through May 2016, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted archaeological monitoring of removal and repair of 30.5 m (100 ft.) of the historic river wall along a section of the San Antonio River within Brackenridge Park. The wall is a contributing resource to Brackenridge Park’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and its designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). The CAR’s archaeological monitoring was done under contract with Adams Environmental, Inc. Project Archaeologist Stephen Smith monitored contractor’s excavations at the site. Paul Shawn Marceaux served as …

Archaeological Survey Of The Proposed Tomball Tollway Project, Montgomery County, Texas, Matthew Helmer, Jacob Foreman, Steve Cummins

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On behalf of Halff Associates, Inc., and the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority (MCTRA), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an investigation of the proposed Tomball Tollway project located in Montgomery County, Texas. The proposed project area follows the existing Tomball Tollway (State Highway [SH] 249) northward approximately 3.3 miles from Spring Creek to the FM 1774 junction in Pinehurst. The proposed project involves the widening of SH 249 between existing feeders, as well as the construction of on-ramps. The project also involves the construction of three detention basins totaling approximately 22 acres utilizing a combination of floodplain fill mitigation and …

Archeological Investigations 12.3 Acres Of The High Pointe Apartments Hud Development Project Tarrant County, Texas, Judy Hennessee Cooper

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

C Dimensions was contracted by Dougherty Mortgage, LLC to conduct an intensive archeological survey of a proposed property development with a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) component. Background research and archival investigations for the vicinity did not indicate the presence of previously recorded sites in or adjacent to the project area.

An intensive archeological survey including extensive surface examination and seven subsurface shovel tests resulted in no discoveries of historic cultural or archeological sites, materials, or deposits.

Structures adjacent to the project area are all modern school and baseball field structures and do not merit consideration as historic properties. No …

An Archeological Survey Of The City Of Arlington's Proposed Bowman Branch Hike-And-Bike Trail, Tarrant County, Texas, Jesse Todd

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The City of Arlington in Tarrant County, Texas proposes to construct the Bowman Branch Hike-and-Bike trail in southeastern Arlington. In addition, portions of the trail will be constructed within the floodplain of the Bowman Branch which falls under the purvey of the Fort Worth District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Since the City of Arlington is a political entity of the State of Texas and land controlled by an entity of the State of Texas is involved, a Texas Antiquities Permit is required. In addition, the Archeology Division of the Texas Historical Commission acts as the Section …

Cultural Resources Monitoring: Archaeological Montioring Of Hand Excavated Trenches San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, David M. Yelacic

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

To assist and support the installation of fiber-optic cable in the particularly sensitive and historic Downtown San Antonio, Texas, Terracon carried out archaeological monitoring of two small, hand-excavated trenches in City of San Antonio sidewalk easements. The undertaking is subject to compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas and oversight from the Texas Historical Commission. Archaeological monitoring was carried out by David Yelacic, Principal Investigator, under Texas Antiquities Permit Number 7203.

Through the course of monitored excavation, very few cultural materials were encountered, and these materials (i.e., clear glass fragment, brown bottle glass fragment, wood, and rusted metal) were not …

Archeological And Historical Investigations For The Proposed 323.0-Acre City Of Pflugerville Community Park And Athletic Complex, Pflugerville, Travis County, Texas, Jeffrey D. Owens, Kathryn St. Clair

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. (Horizon) was selected by Schrickel, Rollins and Associates, Inc. (SRA) on behalf of the City of Pflugerville to conduct an intensive cultural resources inventory and assessment of an approximately 130.7-hectare (323.0-acre) tract in Pflugerville, Travis County, Texas. This tract represents the proposed location of the City of Pflugerville Community Park and Athletic Complex, and it is located off the northeast side of Cameron Road approximately 1.9 miles (3.1 kilometers) southeast of its intersection with State Highway (SH) 130. For purposes of the cultural resources investigations, the project area was considered to consist of the entire 130.7-hectare …

Phase I Archaeological Survey Of The Proposed West Of The Pecos Solar Project, Reeves County, Texas, Damon Burden, Karl W. Kibler

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In November and December 2015, personnel with Prewitt and Associates, Inc., conducted a Phase I archeological survey of the proposed 716-acre West of the Pecos Solar Project area in northern Reeves County, Texas. The survey resulted in the identification of six previously unrecorded archeological sites. The four Native American sites are an open campsite (41RV87) and three open campsites and lithic procurement localities (41RV89, 41RV90, and 41RV91) characterized by stone hearth remnants and sparse scatters of chipped stone and occasional ground or battered stone artifacts. No temporally diagnostic artifacts were identified at these sites. The two twentieth-century historic sites are …

Archeological Survey For The Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (Crmwa) Ii Water Pipeline, Carson, Gray, Potter, And Roberts Counties, Texas, Karl W. Kibler, Amy E. Dase

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

An archeological survey was conducted between March 8 and June 17, 2016, for the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) II pipeline in Carson, Gray, Potter, and Roberts Counties, Texas. The proposed pipeline will transport water from wells located 27 km (17 miles) northeast of Pampa, Texas, to Amarillo, Texas. The total length of the pipeline, including a lateral line to the City of Pampa, is 108 km (68 miles). The pipeline will occupy a right of way that is 120 ft (36.6 m) wide, resulting in an Area of Potential Effects (APE) totaling 985 acres. The average depth of …