In 2013 structural assessments associated with ongoing renovations of the Red House, Trinidad and Tobago's Parliament building, revealed human remains buried beneath the foundation. Excavations and radiocarbon dating indicate the remains are pre-Columbian with 14C dates ranging between approximately AD 125 and AD 1395. Due to the small overall sample size and the inability to attribute all individuals to a specific Amerindian period, the skeletal sample was considered as an aggregate. A bioarchaeological assessment of excavated graves and associated human skeletal material was conducted to determine the demographic profile and the pathological conditions exhibited by the collective skeletal 'population.' Osteological analyses included determining the minimum number of individuals (MNI), assessing the biological profile (e.g. sex, age, ancestry and stature), evaluating pathological conditions, antemortem and perimortem trauma and describing the overall taphonomic modifications. In addition, dental wear patterns, artificial cranial modifications and musculoskeletal stress markers were noted. Finally, the mortuary treatment and context was compared to the limited information published on contemporary skeletal samples from islands in the Lesser Antilles and nearby coastal regions of South America. The sample consisted of an MNI of 60 individuals including 47 adults and 13 juveniles. The skeletal completeness of these individuals ranged from a single skeletal element to more than 90% complete. Sex assessment was possible for 23 individuals with 11 females (23%) and 17 males (35%). Multiple antemortem conditions indicate a total of 35 individuals (58%) who exhibited one or more pathological condition including dental pathology (e.g. LEHs, carious lesions, antemortem tooth loss, dental wear, abscesses and a possible apical cyst), healed antemortem trauma, non-specific generalized infections, osteoarthritis, spinal osteophystosis and Schmorl's nodes. Additional antemortem conditions include examples of artificial cranial modification in both sexes, and activity related humeral bilateral asymmetry. While not a representative population, the reconstruction of health, lifestyle and disease for these ancient peoples makes a significant contribution to the limited osteological research published on the Caribbean's pre-contact period.

Social organization influences individual well-being and overall community health, which may lead to health disparities that manifest in teeth. The research in this thesis explores social variability by analyzing patterns in dental disease at the archaeological site of Kuelap in Chachapoyas, Peru. The ancient Chachapoya (AD 900-1535) were a complex society but the nature of that complexity is not well understood based on traditional archaeological correlates. Since burials at Kuelap lack grave goods that are often used to discriminate variation in social status or identity, bioarchaeological dental proxies were tested. The dental remains of 106 individuals (7 subadults, 54 adult males, and 46 adult females) from five different types of mortuary contexts were analyzed using a two stage methodological approach. Three pathological indicators (caries, antemortem tooth loss, and calculus) were examined to explore cultural influences of diet and the external environment on human biology. While no significant differences exist in any of the conditions among individuals from five diverse mortuary contexts, there were statistically significant differences between males and females. These results indicate that there was a lack of explicit health disparities and hierarchical ranking (social inequality) at Kuelap. Instead, bioarchaeological analysis suggests that there is social variability with gendered differences in oral health. This thesis presents the first analysis of dental pathology from Kuelap and furthers knowledge of ancient dental health patterns and social variability in both the Chachapoya and larger Andean region. Overall, this research broadens anthropological understanding of the interconnectedness among health, social variability and complexity in ancient societies.

The archaeological complex of Túcume was once a regional center of political and religious importance on the north coast of Perú (ca. AD 1000-1532). Previous research into the identity of the individuals interred at the site has yielded conflicting results. Within this intrasite biodistance analysis, community identity as reflected in the cranial and dental nonmetric variation and burial patterns is examined. This research also addresses methodological issues in nonmetric biodistance studies by examining the utility of combining cranial and dental nonmetric datasets. The sample examined (n=161) includes male and female crania from five distinct burial locations within Túcume. Gower's coefficient was applied to the cranial and dental nonmetric data separately, then in tandem, and the results were compared using a tanglegram, often employed when comparing phylogenetic dendrograms. There were no major statistically significant differences between males and females, nor were there any clustering patterns associated with sex or burial location. In light of the previous research conducted at Túcume, the high degree of biological homogeneity within the site is perhaps a reflection of the broader Lambayeque region. The politico-religious importance of Túcume may have had a homogenizing effect on the population, drawing people from throughout the region to participate in both the quotidian and the ritual. This research highlights how large urban spaces of social importance may serve to expand and homogenize the notion of community identity. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of the cranial and dental nonmetric data suggests that there is perhaps no biologically justifiable reason to consider cranial and dental nonmetric data in an exclusive manner.

The forensic anthropologist is often tasked with analyzing skeletal trauma and determining time since death. Differentiating between perimortem and postmortem fractures can be difficult when bone retains fresh characteristics in the postmortem interval. As a result, it is important to conduct research that investigates timing of injury in the postmortem period by observing fracture characteristics created at known postmortem intervals. Investigation into the timing of injury was undertaken in this study over a four month time period. By fracturing bones using a custom impact device, specific morphological characteristics that are typically used in trauma analysis were created for analysis. Long bones of pigs (Sus scrofa) (N=140) were placed in two separate outdoor environments: full sun and full shade. Five bones were collected from each environment weekly and subsequently fractured. A control group consisting of 5 fresh bones was fractured to simulate perimortem trauma. Analysis of fracture characteristics was completed using a standardized protocol that was modified from previous studies, evaluating the fracture angle, fracture surface, and fracture outline. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between and among these variables. The results of this study denote a discernable relationship between fracture characteristics and the postmortem interval, indicating a significant shift in the occurrence of these variables as the postmortem interval increases. As the postmortem interval increases, there is a trend toward primarily dry fracture characteristics. Additionally, statistical analysis indicates that the environment in which the bones are deposited has a significant effect on the fracture surface and outline as the postmortem interval increases. This study found that intrinsic dry fracture characteristics were observed as early as two weeks postmortem. These results suggest that it is possible to distinguish wet from dry fracture characteristics earlier in the Central Florida region than previously reported in the literature. These findings support the use of taphonomic models developed according to geographic region. Environmental factors are regionally specific, potentially complicating reconstruction of post-depositional history. The use of taphonomic models and standardized protocols for analysis provides increased accuracy in taphonomic analyses and estimation of the post-mortem interval in forensic casework.

Stable isotope analyses of multiple tissue types have been used to reconstruct life histories of individuals from past populations. This thesis presents the life history reconstructions of a unique population recovered from a 16th to 18th century cathedral crypt located in Vilnius, Lithuania. The sample consists of 23 individuals (21 males, one possible female, and one juvenile). Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses were performed on bone and dentin collagen, and on bone and enamel hydroxyapatite, resulting in eight isotope values per individual, providing both childhood and adult dietary and migration information. For bone collagen the average δ13C isotope ratio is -19.9‰ +/- 0.4 and for δ15N is 11.8‰ +/- 0.9. The average δ13C isotope ratio for collagen extracted from dentin is -19.5‰ +/- 0.4 and for δ15N is 11.4‰ +/- 0.9. The bone apatite average δ13C ratio is -14.2‰ +/- 0.9, and the average δ13C enamel ratio enamel is -13.5‰ +/- 1.5. These values indicate a diet in both early childhood and adulthood that was heavily reliant on C3 plants; a result supported by previous isotopic studies from Lithuania and surrounding countries. The average δ18OVSMOW bone apatite ratio is 26.1‰ +/- 1.0 and the average enamel δ18OVSMOW ratio is 24.9‰ +/- 1.5. The δ18O isotope values suggest that the majority of these individuals were born elsewhere and migrated to the city of Vilnius sometime after their childhood years. Stable isotope analyses, in combination with macroscopic examination, aids in the understanding of those who were buried in this unique location.

A large focus of Mississippian period archaeological research concerns itself with the role groups have played in the long distance social exchange networks prevalent across the Mississippian World. The Mill Cove Complex, a Mississippian period (A.D. 900-1250) village and dual sand mound burial complex situated on the periphery of the Mississippian World in Jacksonville, Florida is one such case. The St. Johns II people living at the Mill Cove Complex had connections deep into the Mississippian southeast reaching all the way to Cahokia. Understanding the role of these unique people within the large social networks requires an examination of all archaeological material recovered from the site. The lithic assemblage from modern excavations (1999 – present) is the final missing component in building this understanding. This lithic typology, based upon macroscopic and geochemical analysis, provides the final foundational set of data required for future research necessary to gain a more complete view of the St. Johns II people and their role in Mississippian long distance social exchange. It lends insight into local community practices as well, highlighting the importance of lithic raw material in ritual use, illustrating direct connections with Cahokia based upon the presence of projectile points from the American Bottom, and demonstrating the resourcefulness of a people who overcame a lack of raw material within their geographic area through the maintenance of social networks and conservative use and maximization of procured stone resources.

The Llanos de Mojos of the Bolivian Amazon is a domesticated landscape with a long history of management by pre-Columbian communities. This project uses a landscape approach to interpret the settlement patterns of pre-Columbian raised field farmers in west central Mojos. The pre-Columbian landscape was reconstructed by mapping the distribution of three types of landscape features: forest islands, raised agricultural fields and water systems (rivers, streams & wetlands). Previous research has identified four types of patterned clustering or 'constellations' of these landscape features in west central Mojos. These constellations and the immediate area of the landscape that surrounds them afforded Mojos farmers a specific set of tasks or activities related to harnessing resources from the landscape. The mapping of landscape features and their associated tasks provides insight into the organization of the communities that constructed and managed them. It was found that the landscape of west central Mojos is organized into two distinct regional patterns. In the northern part of the region, evidence of large farming communities is dispersed along the banks of permanent rivers with networks of landscape features extending off into remote areas of the savanna. In the southern part of the region, evidence of large farming communities is clustered closer together in remote areas of the savanna with networks of landscape features extending back towards the permanent rivers. The two regions are melded together by a transitional zone that implies interaction between the regions rather than a distinct separation.

This research explores the diet and weaning patterns of non-adult individuals from an elite Meroitic (300 BCE – 350 CE) cemetery (8-B-52.B) at Sai Island, Sudan. This was accomplished by conducting stable isotopic analyses of carbon and nitrogen on a sample of 54 individuals. These analyses focused on differences in adult and non-adult diet, non-adult weaning patterns, and intra-elite differences between contemporaneous cemeteries at Sai Island in order to shed light on the patterns of non-adult diet and weaning and the mother-infant dynamic. The non-adult individuals range from 36 weeks gestational age to 16.5 years of age, and the adult individuals ranged from 18 to 60 years of age. The non-adult individuals were divided into five age categories based on physiological stages of childhood to explore life course changes. The isotopic values for each individual and age category were analyzed and compared to determine the diet and weaning patterns of this sample. The results suggest that the adults and non-adults were consuming a homogenous diet with the exception of breastfeeding children, who exhibited enriched d15N and d13C values compared to the other adults and non-adults in the sample. The isotopic data suggest that non-adults in this sample were likely weaned by 3 years of age as inferred from the assimilation of non-adult d15N values to those exhibited by adult females. Lastly, no statistically significant differences in non-adult diet and weaning existed between the contemporaneous sites 8-B-52.B and 8-B-5.A on Sai Island, suggesting homogenous patterns of diet and weaning between the religious and wealthy elite in this population. This study demonstrates the relationship between social status, age, and dietary patterns during the Meroitic period, but more significantly illustrates the patterns of early life feeding and weaning behaviors that influence the relationship between a mother and her infant.

Using Handheld XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence), this thesis explores how household economies at two Maya archaeological sites, Coba and Yaxuna, differed during a period of expansion and integration from the Early to Late Classic transition period (A.D. 500-750/800). Previous research suggests that during this time, Yaxuna was under the direction of Coba, however, due to the lack of household archaeology at both sites, how the bridging of these two centers impacted households and their domestic economies remains unknown. A compositional analysis of 1,186 obsidian artifacts recovered by the Proyecto de Interaccion Politica del Centro de Yucatan and the Proyecto Sacbe Yaxuna-Coba suggests household groups at Coba and Yaxuna had differential access to obsidian sources throughout the Classic period. While Coba and Yaxuna both exploited obsidian sources consistent with the overarching trend of obsidian consumption in the Classic period Maya lowlands, residents at Yaxuna exploited a greater diversity of obsidian sources. This variation is similar to that found at other Classic period centers of the northern lowlands. Yaxuna's greater access to obsidian sources may not only be related to its role in widespread trade networks from the Middle Formative into the Classic periods, but also to Coba's interest and incorporation of the site. This research is the first to explore household consumption of obsidian during the Early to Late Classic periods at Coba and Yaxuna, therefore contributing an essential bottom-up approach to understanding the socioeconomic relationship between these two centers during a period of expansion and integration.

The Llanos de Mojos of the southwestern Amazon region of Bolivia once supported large Pre-Columbian indigenous populations who were regarded as skilled farmers, and whose agricultural pursuits are still documented on the landscape through tens of thousands of raised fields. Nevertheless, the plants that were cultivated on these fields that contributed to a large part of the local cuisine are not well understood. Microbotanical analyses using starch grains and phytoliths of food residues were conducted on 55 archaeological ceramic fragments from four forest islands in Mojos where people resided recurrently from cal BCE 1200 to cal CE ~1430. The results of these analyses identified and described several economic plants known ethnohistorically as cultigens in Mojos and several potential cultigens not yet known. The results indicate the cuisine of peoples in Mojos may have been composed of a rich variety of plants that were likely cultivated on the raised fields. In addition, this study identified damage to starch grains related to food preparation and contributes to our understanding of cooking techniques. Linking plants, cuisine, and material culture in this way enhances our understanding of subsistence strategies in the past, and potentially supports sustainable agricultural strategies to mitigate food insecurity in vulnerable communities today.