Anthropology

The objective of this thesis is to collect and analyse wild clay from the vicinity of previously identified and excavated archaeological sites near Pigeon and Rice Lakes, and comparing the characterized clay samples to archaeological pottery samples from the sites. The purpose of this research is to explore the resource exploitation in the landscapes around sites, and investigate the behaviours associated with resource exploitation and pottery manufacture. Through the application of X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), each sample from four clay sources was analysed for its chemical composition, and compared to the chemical composition of Middle and Late Woodland Period pottery to investigate the similarities or differences between sources and finished items. The results demonstrated overlap between a source east of Rice Lake and pottery excavated from Chiminis-1 and Jacob Island-2.

Author Keywords: Clay Sourcing, Ontario Archaeology, Pottery, Resource Exploitation, Woodland Period, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

This thesis employs zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analysis to reconstruct subsistence behaviors of Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals using layer V of Abric del Pastor as a case study. Located in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain, Abric del Pastor is a cave shelter with occupation layers dated from MIS 5 through 3. The faunal assemblage is examined on two time scales: i) a longer time frame focused on large scale human occupation and use and ii) another, shorter time frame in an attempt to distinguish possible shorter anthropogenic events. The layer V assemblage is comprised of at least two occupation events, Occupation A and Occupation B. These are two relatively well-preserved anthropogenic accumulations dominated by medium sized taxa. In these occupations, the carcasses were likely transported from a separate kill site to the cave shelter to be processed and consumed. The taxonomic and taphonomic patterns uncovered in these occupation events are similar suggesting consistent behavioral patterns throughout Layer V. Ultimately, the faunal assemblage is typical of other MIS 5-3 rock shelters in the Iberian Peninsula. By examining the subsistence practices of layer V, dated to MIS 4, this work aims to fill a gap in the MIS 4 Iberian Peninsula literature and add to the conversation on how early hominins adapted to the changing climate.

Author Keywords: Abric del Pastor, Iberian Peninsula, Middle Paleolithic, Palimpsest, Time Perspectivism, Zooarchaeology

The Holocene Climate Optimum turned the Gobi Desert from a mainly grassland habitat into a mosaic landscape composed of dune-fields, wetlands and high elevation forests (Janz 2012, 2016; Janz et al. 2017). The populations that inhabited the region at the time adapted by adopting new settlement patterns and tools, which might have allowed them to better exploit a new wide range of resources (Janz 2012, 2016; Janz et al. 2017). This thesis investigates the emergence of ground stone tool technology in the Gobi Desert and its connection with wild plant use by foragers at the time. Twenty-one implements were studied through experimental, use-wear and residue analysis. The results reveal that the tools were used to process several categories of wild plants. By conducting this investigation in legacy collections, this study also proved that archaeological micro-botanical evidence can be recovered from such materials and that their contamination can be assessed through specific protocols.

Author Keywords: Gobi Desert;, Ground Stone Tools;, Macro-lithics;, Mongolia;, Neolithic;, Northeast Asia;

Mortuary archaeology presents a unique opportunity to compare cultural and biological factors within burial assemblages. This study expands upon the previous bioarchaeological research in the eastern portion of the Southern Maya Lowlands through a comparative mortuary analysis that highlights burial trends between the site of Ka'kabish, Belize, and surrounding settlements. Ka'kabish spans from the Middle Formative through to the Postclassic periods (ca. 800 BC to AD 1500) and signifies a diverse social-strata with burials ranging from a variety of ritual and domestic complexes. Ka'kabish displays a preference for primary interments of non-extended positioning, greater chultun (subterranean chambers) use than displayed regionally, potential ancestor veneration, and demonstrates a transition from public, monumental burials, to private, domestic burials, from the Middle/Late Formative to the Postclassic periods. Inter-site comparisons demonstrate that Ka'kabish's mortuary patterns do not directly fit within a specific regional trend; rather, Ka'kabish displays a wide range of influences from many sites in the surrounding lowlands.

Author Keywords: Belize, Ka'kabish, Lowlands, Maya, Mortuary, Southern

Recent work at the site of Tamsagbulag, Mongolia, suggests it predates both agriculture and herding in the broader region by more than 2000 years. These excavations showed a more intensive use than expected, consistent with a hypothesis of year-round sedentism alongside a primary reliance on large game. This is noteworthy because, while sedentary hunter-gatherers are known, they are often heavily reliant on plant foods and/or small prey such as fish. Based on the evidence, this thesis concludes that the dwellings are most likely seasonally used rather than year-round settlements. Studying patterns in artifact distribution can inform our understanding of relative length of occupation through a study of accretion and depletion as they relate to habitation, abandonment, and post-abandonment processes. This research utilizes spatial analyses to visualize level-specific patterns in artifact distributions within each excavated dwelling and identify specific clusters of artifacts that may hold insight into potential waste management practices.

Author Keywords: House floor assemblages, Neolithic, Seasonality, Sedentism, Site formation processes, Spatial analysis

This study examines the foraging strategies of Mesolithic foragers in the Central Balkans, particularly those employed by the occupants of Crvena Stijena, Montenegro. The Prey Choice Model, Patch Choice Model, and Marginal Value Theorem are used to interpret subsistence patterns. The data from the Crvena Stijena assemblages are compared to those from other Mesolithic sites in the region, along with an Upper Paleolithic assemblage at Crvena Stijena, to assess patterns of animal resource use throughout the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene in the region. Red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and brown hare (Lepus europaeus) are the most commonly identified taxa in the assemblages. The analysis suggests that Mesolithic foragers at Crvena Stijena, and at many sites throughout the region, were primarily exploiting high-ranked prey types. There is evidence that Mesolithic foragers engaged in more intensive subsistence strategies than those of Upper Paleolithic foragers.

Author Keywords: Central Balkans, Early Holocene, Human Behavioral Ecology, Late Pleistocene, Mesolithic, Zooarchaeology

Low-density urbanism is ubiquitous in the industrialized world, with suburbs and sprawling urban zones like the American Northeastern Seaboard being classified as such. Due to outsized environmental impacts and perceived unsustainability, this settlement pattern is often maligned. As one of the few prominent examples of agrarian-based low-density urbanism, the ancient Maya can provide a much-needed case study on the sustainability of low-density urbanism. Therefore, a thorough assessment of the universality of low-density urbanism among the ancient Maya is warranted. Maps of 11 Maya sites were collected from published sources, digitized, and used to calculate household group densities. No significant difference was observed between Classic and Postclassic sites, but sites in the northern Lowlands were significantly denser than those in the southern Lowlands. Additionally, no significant inverse correlation was found between site density and area, which would be expected if low-density urbanism was universal among the ancient Maya.

Author Keywords: Household Archaeology, Low-Density Urbanism, Maya, Settlement Archaeology

The ancient Maya utilized aspects of their landscape within their religious rituals and ceremonies, including caves. The study of ritual cave use is known as Maya cave archaeology and archaeologists in this subfield suggest that all holes in the earth, be it natural or man-made were viewed as ritually significant spaces to the ancient Maya (Brady and Layco 2018). This thesis analyzes the mortuary pattern of a chultun in relation to natural cave rituals and/or burials to determine if both types of subterranean spaces functioned in ritually similar ways. Through excavation of a dual-chambered chultun at the site of Ka'kabish, this research established a parallel pattern between burials found in natural caves and the burials within a chultun/artificial cave. In so doing, this thesis provides much needed data in support of applying Maya cave archaeology theories and practices in the excavation and study of ancient Maya chultuns.

Author Keywords: Belize, cave burials, chultuns, Maya archaeology, Maya cave archaeology, mortuary archaeology

Understanding tissue turnover rate is crucial for isotopic analysis. Collagen, a main component of bone, is often studied in archaeology and paleontology, yet bone collagen turnover rates across various skeletal elements, remain underexplored. This study addresses this by assessing collagen turnover rates in multiple human skeletal elements using the bomb carbon dating method. Seven donors, aged 54 to 78, from the REST[ES] facility in Québec, were sampled. Turnover rates varied significantly among skeletal elements, ranked from slowest to fastest as follows: ulna, humerus, femur, rib, pelvis, and vertebra. It was shown that turnover rates are not consistent throughout life and are not averaged over a turnover period. For studies aiming to reconstruct temporal variation in life history, vertebrae and ulnae should be used due to their distinct turnover rates. This research provides the most comprehensive list of bone collagen turnover rates for various human skeletal elements.

Author Keywords: Bomb carbon dating, Bone collagen, Human physiology, Radiocarbon, Stable isotope analysis, Turnover rate

This thesis presents the excavation and analysis of Structure D-6 at the Maya city of Ka'kabish in what is now North-Central Belize. Structure D-6, together with Structure D-7, comprise the site's only known ballcourt. Performance theory is used in tandem with the existing literature about the Mesoamerican ballcourt's crucial function within the legitimization strategies of Maya elites to understand Ka'kabish's position in its political landscape. Comparisons are also made between Ka'kabish and Lamanai's markers of elite activity to judge the plausibility of various degrees of political integration between the two sites. This study is significant as North-Central Belize is traditionally overlooked by scholars of the ancient Maya in favor of the more extensively analyzed Central Petén and Yucatan Peninsula, leading to simplified, static constructions of the region's political history. The findings of this study suggest a more dynamic, complex past for these cities and this area than previously thought.

Author Keywords: Ballcourts, Belize, Classic Maya, Monumental Architecture, Performance Theory, Sociopolitical Organization