Thesis (Dr.-Ing.)--Universität Stuttgart zur Erlangung der Würde, 2003. / "September 2004"--P. [2] of cover. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-101). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-125). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (doctoral)--Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 2003. / "Dezember 2003"--P. [2] of cover. Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-139). Also available via the World Wide Web.

The dynamic environmental history and relative sea level (RSL) changes experienced on the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America during the early post-glacial period and the early Holocene resulted in significant visibility challenges for prospection of early coastal archaeological sites. Archaeological visibility is the degree to which cultural material survives post-depositional processes and is detectable on the landscape today. It is influenced by environmental factors such as localized differences in relative sea level change, the rainforest canopy and dynamic post-glacial activity. This study offers an integrated methodological approach for locating palaeo-coastal sites by combining: i) geomorphic interpretation of landscape attributes captured by LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping, ii) GIS-based archaeological site potential mapping, and iii) local RSL history. The RSL history for the study site (Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada) shows notable regression over the past 14 500 years from a highstand of at least 195 m resulting from post-glacial isostatic rebound. Late Pleistocene and early Holocene palaeo-shorelines are found inland from, and elevated above, modern sea level and represent key areas for archaeological prospecting. Bare-earth Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) derived from the LIDAR dataset were interpreted to identify palaeo-shorelines at 10 m and 30 m above modern mean sea level. A GIS-derived map was created to identify regions of high archaeological potential using a decision tree method with variables including distance to palaeo-shoreline, low slope and a coastal complexity parameter. Select geoarchaeological sites were examined in terms of sedimentology, stratigraphy, microfossil content and geochronology as site-specific examples of sea level regression stillstands. Field validation results suggest that this integrated methodology provides a promising approach for archaeological prospection that could be applied to other post-glacial coastal settings. / Graduate