Ceramic material culture recovered from archaeological sites has more to offer the researcher than placing the site or strata into a cultural historic timeline. By examining the characteristics of ceramics manufactured during the Woodland Period in southern Kentucky, this thesis answers questions related to the behavior of the potters who lived and worked there. Using the theoretical basis of ceramic ecology and technological choice, this thesis examines the choices made by the potters of two sites, the Long (15Ru17) and Rowena (15Ru10) sites, located along the Cumberland River in Russell County, Kentucky. The two sites are also compared to one another and similar assemblages in the Upper Cumberland River Valley, in terms of temporal occupation and utilization of tempering resources. Ultimately, the potters who occupied the Long and Rowena sites during the Woodland Period used locally available materials to temper their clay, even as they emulated other ceramic types. In terms of the two sites themselves, it appears that while they were not occupied by the same population of potters, they did employ similar tempering agents and stylistic types. Examining the behavior of potters who occupied these two sites informs the researcher about the behavior of the larger region of the Upper Cumberland Valley.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Nov. 5, 2009). Thesis advisor: Thomas J. Near. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract: A model is presented for real-time, river-reservoir operation systems. It epitomizes forward-thinking and efficient approaches to reservoir operations during flooding events. The optimization/simulation includes five major components. The components are a mix of hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, short-term rainfall forecasting, and optimization and reservoir operation models. The optimization/simulation model is designed for ultimate accessibility and efficiency. The optimization model uses the meta-heuristic approach, which has the capability to simultaneously search for multiple optimal solutions. The dynamics of the river are simulated by applying an unsteady flow-routing method. The rainfall-runoff simulation uses the National Weather Service NexRad gridded rainfall data, since it provides critical information regarding real storm events. The short-term rainfall-forecasting model utilizes a stochastic method. The reservoir-operation is simulated by a mass-balance approach. The optimization/simulation model offers more possible optimal solutions by using the Genetic Algorithm approach as opposed to traditional gradient methods that can only compute one optimal solution at a time. The optimization/simulation was developed for the 2010 flood event that occurred in the Cumberland River basin in Nashville, Tennessee. It revealed that the reservoir upstream of Nashville was more contained and that an optimal gate release schedule could have significantly decreased the floodwater levels in downtown Nashville. The model is for demonstrative purposes only but is perfectly suitable for real-world application. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Civil Engineering 2015

A terrain analysis of the Shiloh Battlefield is presented in conjunction with a meteorological assessment of the conditions prevalent during the battle. The intent of the analysis was to ascertain the effect that conditions might have played upon the strategic and tactical actions prior to, and during the Battle of Shiloh, 1862. The significance of this study was to determine the influence of meteorological and geographical factors upon the two armies. Values for temperature and precipitation were estimated using the PDSI and data from NOAA. According to the model it was a very wet year. Weather and geography clearly played a role in how and when the Battle of Shiloh was fought. Due to the high number of casualties, however, the Battle of Shiloh would change how warfare would be conducted in the United States.