There are two principal models that purport to interpret the evidence for the origins of the Neolithic period in Thailand. Both stress the importance of rice cultivation and the domestication of a range of animals. One incorporates archaeological and linguistic evidence in identifying the origins as the result of the diffusion of farming communities into Southeast Asia and India from a source in the Yangtze River valley. The alternative stresses a local evolutionary pathway whereby indigenous hunter-gatherers began to cultivate rice within Thailand. This dissertation is centred on the results of the excavation of Ban Non Wat, in the Upper Mun Valley of Northeast Thailand. This has provided one of the largest, best dated and provenanced samples of occupation and mortuary remains of a Neolithic community so far available in Southeast Asia. Its principal objective is to define the motifs incised, impressed and painted onto the surface of ceramic mortuary vessels, in order to permit a comparison with other assemblages first in Thailand, then in Southeast Asia north into China. It is held that if there are close parallels over a wide geographic area, in these motifs, then it would support a model of diffusion. If there are not, then the alternative of local origins would need to be examined closely. It is argued that the similarity in motifs, particularly a stylised human figure, between Thai and Vietnamese sites lends support to a common origin for these groups. The motifs are not so obvious when examining the southern Chinese data, although the mode of decoration by painting, incising and impressing recur there. This, in conjunction with mortuary rituals, weaving technology, the domestic dog, and the linguistic evidence, sustains a model for demic diffusion. However, the presence of ceramic vessels also decorated with impressed/incised techniques in maritime hunter-gatherer contexts stresses that the actual Neolithic settlement may have been more complex.

During 1984 I carried out an Internship in Materials Conservation under the supervision of Mrs. Patricia Johnson, the Conservator of the Nicholson Museum of Antiquities, the University of Sydney. My area of specialization was in the conservation of artifacts. The majority of artifacts examined and treated during the Internship were from archaeological excavations in the Middle East, at the site of Pella, in Jordan. The site of Pella has produced artifacts from a wide chronological range ; Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic (Greek), Roman, and Arabic historical periods. A selection of these artifacts has been granted to the University of Sydney by the Jordanian government, and constitute the present Pella Collection. Most of the materials are inorganic, i.e. ceramics, metals, glass, and stone, although bone and ivory artifacts, as well as skeletal material, form a part of the collection. Upon an initial examination of the collection, conservation problems were identified and a program of conservation work for the collection was formulated. Priority treatment was given to the metals in the collection, particularly to the small bronzes which were found to be suffering from "bronze disease" (active corrosion), to ceramics needed for study and display, and to glass with unstable surfaces. Improvements in storage conditions for the Pella Collection, particularly in the packing of small finds and the storage of metals, were also given a high priority. Taken altogether, the Pella Collection has proved to be a wellbalanced collection, covering almost every period of Kiddle Eastern Archaeology, and containing artifacts representative of most types of materials and of ancient technology. Planned as a research and teaching collection for the students of the Department of Archaeology, the University of Sydney, it also proved to be an excellent teaching collection for a student of materials conservation. The following, therefore, is a report on my Internship in Archaeological Conservation, and includes a description of the institution which sponsored the Internship, a description of both the program of work and the program of instruction for the Internship, detailed descriptions of all conservation work and other activities which were undertaken as part of the: Internship, and a final evaluation of the Internship.

Thesis (M.A. in anthropology)--Washington State University, December 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 184-202).

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Anthropology, 2006. / "This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Adobe Acrobat"--ProQuest document view. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis describes the archaeological site content and integrity of the Copeland site (35BE90) in Corvallis, Oregon. The Copeland site is owned by the Benton County Historical Society and is the future home of the Benton County Historical Museum. In 2001, an Oregon State University archaeological field school was conducted to test for the presence of the residential houses and commercial businesses that once occupied the Copeland site. The archaeological excavation revealed the presence of both the residential and commercial usage that occurred at the Copeland site. Excavation also revealed that while the integrity of the site has been disturbed by commercial activities the integrity has not been completely destroyed. Finally, recommendations are made concerning further archaeological exploration of the site. / Graduation date: 2006

Site ORYA3, the Smith House, is located in Dayton, Oregon. The archaeological project originated because owners of this structure, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, applied for a demolition permit. The 1859 home, first occupied by two early Oregon pioneers, Andrew and Sarah Smith, was considered architecturally significant, an unique example of a territorial period home. In the years since 1859, the original building construction has not been significantly modified, nor have the grounds been looted or substantially altered. Dr. David Brauner and the Oregon State University Anthropology Department began an archaeological project at this location in anticipation of the destruction, the first time in Oregon that archaeologists have excavated the interior of a standing house. The longevity of occupation, site taphonomy, and episodes of floor repair over the years created a mixed context. The research direction for this thesis matches a statistical and descriptive analysis of a sample of the material culture with information gathered from published and unpublished archival data from the Smith house. The thesis examines cultural material found on this site and provides a basis for comparison with other similar archaeological sites. Dayton history is discussed, to provide a broad context within which to interpret the archaeological data. Occupancy background on the various residents is provided. This thesis provides a general analysis of the 10,609 artifacts and their associated provenience. This thesis is a cautionary tale for historic archaeologists working on domestic sites. Examination of material by room points out how little can really be said based only on artifact presence. On this site, oral and written histories often proved to be better sources of information than the artifacts on many subjects. / Graduation date: 1998 / Best scan available for figures. Original has a moray pattern.

The prehistory of Central Oregon is explored through the examination of six archaeological sites and two isolated finds from the Upper Deschutes River Basin. Inquiry focuses on the land use, mobility, technological organization, and raw material procurement of the aboriginal inhabitants of the area. Archaeological data presented here are augmented with ethnographic accounts to inform interpretations. Eight stone tool assemblages and three debitage assemblages are analyzed in order to characterize technological organization. Diagnostic projectile points recovered from the study sites indicate the area was seasonally utilized prior to the eruption of ancient Mt. Mazama (>6,845 BP), and continuing until the Historic period (c. 1850). While there is evidence of human occupation at the study sites dating to between >7,000-150 B.P., the range of activities and intensity of occupation varied. Source characterization analysis indicates that eight different Central Oregon obsidian sources are represented at the sites. Results of the lithic analysis are presented in light of past environmental and social phenomena including volcanic eruptions, climate change, and human population movements. Chapter One introduces the key questions that directed the inquiry and defines the theoretical perspective used. Chapter Two describes the modem and ancient environmental context of study area. Topics of discussion include physiography, fauna, vegetation, geology, and climate. Chapter Three introduces the aboriginal inhabitants of the Upper Deschutes River Basin and summarizes past archeological investigations in the area. Hunter-gatherer land use and lithic technology are discussed in Chapter Four. The methods used to collect and analyze the data used in this study are presented in Chapter Five. Chapter Six summarizes the results of the technological lithic analysis and geochemical sourcing. The final chapter, Discussion and Conclusions, interprets the results with respect to cultural chronology, site function and distribution, land use and mobility, lithic technology, and raw material procurement. / Graduation date: 2003

The purpose of this research was to see if there were technological differences in ground stone manufacturing and use from a single site that had been occupied for over 600 years, A.D. 550-A.D. 1150, and had multiple occupations that evolved over time (Late Pithouse Phases, Georgetown, San Francisco, and Three Circle through the Classic Mimbres Period). An assessment of the ground stone assemblage was made based on a technological approach to analyzing ground stone. A general artifact code system listing attributes common in ground stone artifacts was created to use as a guide during the analysis phase. The information gathered from the examination of the ground stone assemblage was placed into a database for analysis. The site had been heavily vandalized prior to excavation and the data showed that 30.4 percent of the recovered ground stone artifacts came from this disturbed fill. Due to the disturbed context, there was not enough data recovered from undisturbed fill in the Late Pithouse units to make any substantial statements about technological change. However, an examination of the tool types within the different occupations indicates that tool types were similar from the earliest occupations, Georgetown (A.D. 550-650) to the latest, Classic Mimbres Pueblo (A.D. 1000-1150). / Graduation date: 2003

Excavations performed at the historic Smith House (ORYA3) located in Dayton, Yamhill County, Oregon, recovered a large collection of artifacts. Categories of artifacts previously analyzed include flat glass, nails, glass containers, ceramic hollowware and flatware, brick, bone, metal containers, illumination devices, currency, footwear, tobacco, and lead balls, shot, and cartridge casings. A category not analyzed was children's toys. This thesis addresses this category of artifact. The thesis discusses the historical context of the Smith House, and examines children, play and toys. The theoretical construct of symbolic anthropology is used to provide a model for the process of enculturation. Detailed analysis of glass and clay marbles and of ceramic doll and doll-related artifacts is performed. Proveniences and associations of these artifacts are undertaken. Appendices provide for a chronology of doll manufacturing and for a detailed description of artifacts. Conclusions drawn from the analysis of the toys at the Smith House suggest that a larger collection of toys and better provenience of collected materials are necessary in order to apply the symbolic approach to toys as tools of enculturation. Recommendations for future avenues of research are given. It is suggested that this analysis provides a basis for future comparison with other historical archaeological sites. / Graduation date: 2002

The archaeological resources contained in Corvallis Riverfront Commemorative Park (RCP) have a great potential to add to the historical record of the warehouse district of the original town of Marysville (Corvallis). The City of Corvallis' proposed Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project and proposed changes to Riverfront Commemorative Park threaten to destroy archaeological resources within the research area. The purpose of this research was to assess the archaeological potential of the research area between VanBuren and Jefferson Avenues along the Willamette River. The assessment was based on an archaeological survey and historical documents. Historical records and maps were used to create a chronology of the developments which occurred within the research area. By knowing who occupied the riverfront and when, archaeologists can design a plan for the excavation of these resources. The archaeological survey was conducted to locate remains that may be related to structures that once occupied the riverfront. Maps of the City's proposed construction were used to determine the potential resources that will be impacted. The historical record indicated that there is a great potential for the research area to yield archaeological remains which can add to our knowledge about the formation of Marysville (Corvallis). These archaeological remains if properly excavated could be used for public interpretation and as a common theme within Riverfront Commemorative Park. An assessment of construction project maps for the CSO project and proposed changes to Riverfront Commemorative Park indicate that a majority of the archaeological resources contained within the research area will be destroyed. Based on these assessments it is recommended that the City of Corvallis conduct subsurface archaeological testing to recover as much information related to the settlement of the research area as possible. / Graduation date: 1998