Although the study of Thule harpoon heads has produced important seriations, datings and technological reflections during the last century, a lack of fundamental knowledge about these weapons is still occurring. An attempt is made to document the different contexts surrounding the use of these artifacts. Technological, social and symbolic investigations are made on the occupants of the Skraeling Island site (High Arctic, Canada) and the Clachan site (Coronation Gulf, Canada) in order to build a complete understanding of the harpoon head morphological attributes. Using the hierarchical cluster analysis (SPSS), groupings have been statistically formed, underlying the meaningful dimensions of variation of the objects. It is then found that technological, social and symbolic mechanisms are systematically responsible for different aspects of Thule harpoon head morphology, and by comparing the two archaeological assemblages, we conclude that these mechanisms operate in the same direction, even if resulting in different harpoon head styles.

This thesis examines the use of archaeology in the development of national identity in Iraq from the period before the establishment of the Hashimite monarchy in 1921 to the present Ba'th regime and S&dotbelow;addam H&dotbelow;usayn. During King Faysal I's period (1921--1933), archaeology was used to highlight the 'Arabness' of the ancient Mesopotamians so as to keep the nation on a pan-Arabist course and steer away from developing a regional identity. Iraq's pre-Islamic heritage was approached with much reserve since the government feared alienating the majority Muslim population by glorifying the country's achievements before the advent of Islam. In contrast, 'Abd al-Karim Qasim's regime (1958--1963) focused unbridled attention to the Mesopotamian heritage in an effort to distance the newly established republic from the pan-Arabists' call to join with the United Arab Republic. Between the two poles of identifying the national identity with either the Arab or Mesopotamian character, the Ba'th regime embarked on a cultural campaign that used both identities in defining the modern Iraqi man and woman. While the campaign was relegated strictly to the cultural sphere of the nation, the intent was political in that the regime shifted to stressing the Muslim-Arab identity of Iraq when appealing to support from other Arab nations; and to the pre-Islamic Mesopotamian identity when dealing with the religious and ethnic cleavages in Iraqi society.

The majority of what is currently known about the Albee Phase comes from mortuary sites, the largest of which is the Commissary site (12-Hn-2), located in Henry County, Indiana. Excavation methods at Commissary left burial context in question and the materials could not be used for research on mortuary patterns. Examination of the skeletal material and supporting documentation led to a determination of the relationship between the two grids utilized during excavation, which clarified burial context and allowed for a more complete description of mortuary patterns at the site. Analysis reaffirmed previous conclusions regarding demography, clarified burial composition, and generated new data on burial orientation. Comparisons of the Commissary site with four other Albee Phase mortuary sites and an Oliver phase site indicate that the sites share a mixture of characteristics and that, due to its immense size, the Commissary site remains a unique example of Albee Phase mortuary patterns. / Department of Anthropology

The intent of this research is to identify through various statistical analyses any features, attributes, or characteristics of Madison points from Albee Phase context that could be used to distinguish them from Madison points made and used by other contemporaneous prehistoric groups. Descriptive statistics for an assemblage of Albee points will be generated to establish baseline data that theoretically characterizes a modal behavior for Albee Phase flint knappers. The Albee Phase data will be combined with comparable data for Yankeetown points and Angel Phase points. This combined data set will constitute the research universe, which will be subjected to discriminant function analysis. Discriminant function analysis is envisioned as a tool to: 1) Identify variables or a combination of variables that are unique to Albee Phase triangular points, 2) Produce a linear function to define an Albee Phase Madison point, and 3) Test that function by successfully allocating the points in the research universe to their appropriate, archaeologically defined cultural group. / Department of Anthropology

Archaeologists have often speculated about the role of soil in the selection of prehistoricarchaeological site locations. These locations may be temporary or permanent settlements as well as isolated finds resulting from transient activities such as hunting. As an ecological factor, it would seem evident that soil played some part in the decision-making process. A review of recent literature reveals limited studies in this area. Several different approaches to the problem have been attempted. Recent research in the Central Indiana Wabash and Maumee drainages has been used develop a predictive model for this selection process based on the location of 890 sites on specific soils. The model has been tested with additional sites from various counties throughout Southern Indiana.The predictive model is based on the percentage of the original 890 sites which were located on each soil and on the resulting probability of finding additional sites on similar soils. The percentage of sites on each soil drainage class from the very poor to the excessively drained classes creates a curve similar to a normal curve. The test sites from the southern part of Indiana create a similar curve. / Department of Anthropology

This thesis modifies and enlarges on a theory that a separate center of plant domestication existed in the Lower Ohio Valley prior to the introduction of the Mesoamerican maize, beans, and squash complex. A shift from food-collecting to cultivation occurred around seasonally sedentary foci located along the region's waterways. A model for the development of a pre-maize cultigen-based subsistence system is suggested.This subsistence system provided the basis for the development and evolution of the Scioto Tradition within the Ohio Valley. The thesis questions the applicability of the mud-flat hypothesis to the region under consideration.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Commissary Site mortuary population in terms of mechanical stress and then to assign possible cultural causes to explain this wear. This consisted of discussing basic anatomy in terms of bones and muscles, then in describing the osteological material excavated at the Commissary Site. Each joint was examined for wear and the entire bone for heavy build up of the cortex caused by the action of the muscles. This information was then interpreted with the aid of the associated artifacts and the burials themselves in terms of the grinding of food stuffs, the use of tump lines, hunting, handedness, and the preparation of hides.

The present thesis analyzes the Byzantine mosaic pavements of Phoenicia and Northern Palcatine from a socio-economic perspective, primarily by examining the laying of pavements including technical aspects and bedding, the quality of decoration, the distribution of pavements in time and space, as well as inscriptions which provide names of donors and artists as well as dates. The approach adopted represents a novel alternative and complement to typical interpretations of mosaic floor decoration which overwhelmingly focus on the development and diffusion of style, or provide an exegesis of figurative iconography. Key aspects discussed include the extent to which chronological patterns of mosaic floor laying may be used to gauge economic conditions; the factors which determined the quality and distribution of technique and decoration in different building types; as well as the social mechanisms of patronage. Close scrutiny of the regional mosaic Corpus (which includes the total number of pavements) suggests that mosaic pavements provide a reasonable indication of economic conditions, especially in association with other media (coins, pottery, inscriptions). Together these media paint a historical picture of the economy of the period. Having graded according to four Levels of Complexity all the geometric designs in the Corpus after their codification following the rules devised by the Association Internationale pour l'Etude de la Mosaïque Antique (AIEMA), and with the support of the written ancient sources, it is demonstrated that quality and distribution of technique and style were governed by a combination of factors, notably function, financial expenditure, social use and various socio-economic categories of patrons, liturgy and liturgical level of participation. By building on the methodologies followed and the conclusions reached by other mosaic scholars, this innovative approach has attempted to reintroduce the human element into a discipline focused since the late 1960s on codification and descriptive precision. Revealing the hidden costs underlying the laying of mosaic pavements has presented a new insight into mosaic pavements as tri-dimensional products of team work. Likewise, stripping the literary language of dedicatory formulas down to essential information has challenged the misinterpreting of epigraphic evidence regarding donations and donors. In-depth analysis of Christian mosaic inscriptions has strengthened the pattern of changes plotted by historians of the Early Byzantine period and suggested that Christian patronage of mosaic art is to be equated with the local initiatives of the Church, ecclesiatics and wealthy laymen (or women) as private donors, and more rarely entire village communities. By contrast, scrutiny of the Jewish and Samaritan mosaic inscriptions has highlighted the fact that benefaction emanated from rich and poor alike, and was far more family and community oriented.

The study considers archaeological evidence for burials and other mortuary practices from the Late Chalcolithic period in north-east Bulgaria. The Late Chalcolithic is defined (circa 4500-4000 B.C.) and around 900 burials are attributed to two cultural groups within the region in this period. It is argued that previous studies of the evidence can be rejected for assuming a straightforward equivalence between burial forms and social structures. An alternative model of social organization is proposed based on the 'structuration' and 'habitus' models of Giddens and Bourdieu which emphasize the role of the individual in the reproduction of social institutions. This framework is used to examine the importance of (mortuary) rituals and the symbolic use of material culture in strategies intended to maintain or alter the distribution of power and resources. The data is examined using quantitative measures of spatial and temporal variability and statistical measures of association between variables. It is argued that two basic patterns can be discerned and which correspond to the defined cultures. The inland cultural pattern is further divided into two 'types' based on the location and forms of burials. Burial forms and grave goods are also examined qualitatively and the values attributed to artefacts, materials and the processes of burial are addressed. From this it is argued that meanings are fundamentally mediated through processes of reciprocation between kinship groups and with ancestors. Social structures based on gender and age, the settlement community and residence are proposed. 'Codes' of the use of material culture within mortuary rituals are described and evaluated through a consideration of assemblages and performance. Changes within and between cemeteries over time are used to reconstruct patterns of competition and emulation. The interpretations of social interaction in burial practices are related to other forms of evidence from the Late Chalcolithic in north-east Bulgaria and suggestions made for a new understanding of social organization in both cultures. The conclusions are placed in a wider spatial and temporal perspective and conclusions presented relating to both the data studied and the theoretical models adopted.

This thesis focuses on the Mid/Upper Palaeolithic Transition in the Iberian Peninsula, and questions whether this process took place as hitherto widely claimed, by testing the validity of the traditional characteristics said to portray this event throughout Europe. Research was carried out at different levels: old archaeological collections from two transitional sites (Abric Romani and Reclau Viver), previously unstudied, were systematically analysed and specific organic components (perforated shells) were radiocarbon dated. A thorough bibliographic database including information on these and all other Iberian sites was complied, in order to extend the study. The theoretical perspective of the topic was also investigated, to assess epistemological factors which are so often overlooked in this field of study. The socio-political events that have marked Spain and Portugal's contemporary histories, were also studied, since they played a crucial role in shaping Palaeolithic Research in both countries. The so-called '40,000 BP Crisis', specifically located in northern Iberia, was revisited by studying not only the traditional sites which have produced chronometric readings around that date, but also others in the same region whose transitional layers have yielded much younger dates, to see if that phenomenon really existed or has been created by generalisations that have masked vital - but ultimately uncomfortable - information. The study of this event is also placed into the peninsular and the wider European contexts, an exercise that has disclosed the vast complexity of the Transition, in terms of both the actual archaeological record and the theoretical interpretations that have been presented so far. Ultimately, this research calls for a revision of some of the theoretical perspectives of Palaeolithic archaeologists, as well as far more careful site and regional-level research, in order to redress the abundant misconceptions that distort our understanding of the Transition process.