No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A.)--Washington State University, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 6, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-84).

The parallel development of archaeology and Quaternary geology in several regions of the world is reviewed, and common problems in dating and correlating alluvial sequences are discussed. Buried archaeological remains and radiometric dates provide a chronological framework for the sequence of Late Quaternary alluvial deposits in the central Jordan Rift. While previous studies emphasized a simple, two-stage model of Late Quaternary alluvial deposition, regional comparisons of the geomorphological contexts of archaeological sites of different ages indicate complex, multiple depositional and erosional cycles. These cycles were influenced by tectonism, climatic changes, human land use, and natural geomorphic thresholds, sometimes in combination. The stratigraphy and chronology of early agricultural settlements in the valley are summarized, and investigations at a protohistoric agricultural town are described. Major regional shifts in prehistoric and protohistoric patterns of agriculture and settlement are interpreted in terms of the impacts of changes in alluvial regimes. These correlations have implications for models of agricultural origins, and the stability and resilience of sedentary settlements in dry lands.

No description available.

This study tested two hypotheses related to Woodland settlement trends and ritual development in East Central Indiana through the example of Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana. The first hypothesis was that earthwork enclosure complexes, such as at Anderson, were utilized as central places within a defined territory for the redistribution of resources. The second hypothesis was that a link existed between increasing social stratification in a mixed foraging and horticultural economy and a shift in the function of earthwork complexes resultant from a change in subsistence. It was determined that no conclusions could be made about the validity of these hypotheses due to incomplete data. Suggestions for obtaining relevant data and a theoretical model of earthwork function based on available data are presented. / Department of Anthropology