Dans ce mémoire, intitulé « Les dépotoirs dans le schème d’établissement iroquoien: exemple du site Mailhot-Curran», je m’attèle à définir les modes de rejets des déchets dans le contexte d’un schème d’établissement sédentaire semi-permanent au Sylvicole supérieur. Les dépotoirs des sites archéologiques ne semblent pas obtenir toute l’attention analytique qui leur est due et l’étude des modes de rejets a longtemps été négligée. Pourtant, les amas de déchets sont récurrents sur les sites du Nord-Est américain et ce depuis le Sylvicole moyen. L’étude approfondie de l’organisation d’un site iroquoien se doit de passer par la compréhension des modes d’élimination des déchets, puisque la gestion des rejets est généralement le reflet de la structure du site et du type de peuplement. Les dépotoirs peuvent fournir des informations précieuses sur les zones d’activité, la fonction du site ou encore la durée d’occupation. Le village de Mailhot-Curran témoigne de plusieurs concentrations d’objets. Je souhaite établir si ces concentrations de vestiges peuvent être qualifiées de dépotoirs et si oui, peut-on en distinguer différents types? D’autre part, je m’intéresse à l’aspect social qui encadre la mise en place de dépotoirs. Bien que les dépotoirs soient des indices associés aux premières traces de sédentarité saisonnière, leur présence est précisément liée au phénomène de sédentarisation annuelle. Il s’agit également de définir le geste culturel, l’assainissement d’un village étant un schéma culturel très répandu. De ce geste de rejet découle forcément le choix d’un emplacement, ainsi que le concept de «flux de déplacement» des déchets. Il s’agit de déterminer le lien entretenu entre les aires d’activités et les aires de dépôts primaires et secondaires. Pour ce faire, il est primordial d’évaluer la densité, l’hétérogénéité et le contenu des dépotoirs. Suite à la définition de l’ensemble de ces concepts appliqués au site Mailhot-Curran, je souhaite, à travers une étude comparative, répondre à la question suivante : Les dépotoirs peuvent-ils refléter une pratique culturelle commune aux villages iroquoiens de la région de Saint-Anicet? / The purpose of this thesis is to determine waste management strategies in the context of the semi-sedentary settlement of the Late Woodland period. The study of waste management strategies has long been neglected, with little attention given to middens in archaeological contexts being a by-product of this neglect. This is contrary to the importance of these features, as middens are present in Northeastern North America since the Middle Woodland period. The proper study of Iroquoian sites must include the analysis of waste management strategies, as these strategies generally mirror site structure and type of occupation. Middens can therefore provide information on activity areas, site function, and the duration of the site’s occupation. The Mailhot-Curran site presents multiple zones with high artifact densities. This study is aiming to determine whether these concentrations can be considered as middens and, if possible, distinguish different types of middens. The social aspects of the creation of middens will also be discussed. Although middens are present at the early stage of seasonal sedentary settlements, their presence is linked to the phenomenon leading to annual sedentarization. As centralising waste is a widely occurring cultural practice, this concept will be defined. The choice of midden location and the spatial flow of waste result from this practice. As such, the relations between activity areas, primary deposition areas, and secondary deposition areas will be examined. The artifactual density, contents, and variability between deposition areas are analysed to determine the relations between these areas. The waste management strategies of the Mailhot-Curran site are compared with other sites of the Saint-Anicet region to establish whether these strategies are a shared cultural practice.

Les variations multidécennales et saisonnières de la Mousson Ouest-Africaine (MOA) au cours des deux derniers millénaires dans la région sahélienne sont peu documentées en raison du manque d'archives paléoclimatiques. Pour cela, on se propose dans ce travail de thèse d'explorer une nouvelle archive paléoclimatique basée sur l'étude sclérochronologique des coquilles du mollusque bivalve Anadara senilis dans des amas coquilliers fossiles afin de reconstituer les variations hydrologiques multidécennales et saisonnières dans le Delta du Saloum au Sénégal de 460 à 1090 A.D. L'hydrologie de cet estuaire hypersalin est très sensible aux variations de la MOA. Les variations hydrologiques passées sont reconstituées à travers des analyses isotopiques (δ18O, δ13C) des coquilles modernes et des coquilles fossiles dans le delta. Le signal isotopique saisonnier de ces coquilles retrace fidèlement les variations hydrologiques liées au régime de la mousson. Nos résultats montrent que ces variations isotopiques, associées aux stries de croissance dont la périodicité est connue, permettent de reconstituer les durées des saisons avec une précision de 25 jours, une précision jamais atteinte dans les études paléoclimatiques antérieures dans la région sahélienne. Les variations hydrologiques multidécennales sont reconstituées à travers la composition isotopique des coquilles fossiles prélevées dans un amas coquillier massif (Dioron Boumak) dont le taux d'accumulation est très important. Les coquilles fossiles prélevées dans cet amas présentent des valeurs isotopiques moyennes en δ18O plus négatives de 1.4 ‰ par rapport à leurs analogues modernes. Ceci est une indication que les conditions hydrologiques étaient plus douces qu'aujourd'hui dans le Saloum qui n'était pas hypersalin à cette époque. Le bilan Précipitation-Evaporation était par conséquent plus positif en réponse à des pluies plus intenses et/ou plus étalées dans le temps de 460 à 1090 A.D. Il semblerait que les pluies hivernales et printanières, caractéristiques de la frange littorale sénégalo-mauritanienne, plutôt rares et insignifiantes de nos jours se produisaient plus fréquemment pendant cette période. La jonction entre ces pluies et les pluies de mousson aurait favorisé l'établissement de saisons des pluies beaucoup plus longues (~5 mois environ au lieu de 3 aujourd'hui) et une augmentation du bilan Précipitation-Evaporation. Cette étude met en lumière le potentiel considérable d'A. senilis comme archive paléoclimatique à haute résolution de la variabilité des précipitation dans la région sénégalaise. Elle montre également l'importance de la saisonnalité des précipitations dans les cycles hydrologiques passés dans cette région qui doit être prise en compte dans les études paléoclimatiques futures. / The multidecadal and seasonal variations of the West African Monsoon (WAM) in the last two millennia remain poorly documented in the Sahel region because paleoclimate archives are lacking. For this, we propose in this PhD thesis a sclerochronological study of the mollusk bivalve Anadara senilis from massive shell middens to reconstruct multidecadal and seasonal variations of hydrological conditions in the Saloum Delta (Senegal) between AD 460 and 1090. Hydrological conditions in this hypersaline estuary are highly sensitive to the WAM variations.Past hydrological variations are reconstructed by using isotopic composition (δ18O, δ13C) of modern and fossil shells in this Delta. The shells' seasonal isotopic signals reflect faithfully hydrological variations, linked to monsoonal regime. Our results show that the variations of these seasonal isotopic signals, associated to shell growth patterns with known periodicities allow the reconstruction of season durations with a precision of 25 days, a precision that has never been achieved in paleoclimate studies in the Sahel region.Multidecadal variations of hydrological conditions are reconstructed by using isotopic composition of fossil shells collected in the massive shell middens (Dioron Boumak), characterized by high accumulation rate. The averaged δ18O value of fossil shells was more negative by 1.4‰ compared to modern shells' isotopic signature. This result indicates fresher mean conditions in the Saloum Delta that was likely not hypersaline as it is today. The precipitation-evaporation budget was thus more positive in response to a more intense and/or longer rainfall season during from AD 460 to 1090. We propose that winter and early spring rainfall events, which are observed very occasionally today, were occurring frequently during this period. These rains restricted to the western Sahelian coast and followed by the monsoon would have increased the total duration of the rainy season (~ 5 months instead of 3 months today) and substantially increased the annual precipitation-evaporation budget.This study shed light on the high potential of A. senilis as a high resolution paleoclimate archive of rainfall variability in the Sahel region. It shows also the importance of rainfall seasonality in past hydrological cycles that should be taken into account in the future paleoclimate studies.

Thesis (M.A.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-163). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Experimental mechanical sieving methods are applied to samples of shellfish remains from three sites in southeast Queensland, Seven Mile Creek Mound, Sandstone Point and One-Tree, to test the efficacy of various recovery and quantification procedures commonly applied to shellfish assemblages in Australia. There has been considerable debate regarding the most appropriate sieve sizes and quantification methods that should be applied in the recovery of vertebrate faunal remains. Few studies, however, have addressed the impact of recovery and quantification methods on the interpretation of invertebrates, specifically shellfish remains. In this study, five shellfish taxa representing four bivalves (Anadara trapezia, Trichomya hirsutus, Saccostrea glomerata, Donax deltoides) and one gastropod (Pyrazus ebeninus) common in eastern Australian midden assemblages are sieved through 10mm, 6.3mm and 3.15mm mesh. Results are quantified using MNI, NISP and weight. Analyses indicate that different structural properties and pre- and postdepositional factors affect recovery rates. Fragile taxa (T. hirsutus) or those with foliated structure (S. glomerata) tend to be overrepresented by NISP measures in smaller sieve fractions, while more robust taxa (A. trapezia and P. ebeninus) tend to be overrepresented by weight measures. Results demonstrate that for all quantification methods tested a 3mm sieve should be used on all sites to allow for regional comparability and to effectively collect all available information about the shellfish remains.

Experimental mechanical sieving methods are applied to samples of shellfish remains from three sites in southeast Queensland, Seven Mile Creek Mound, Sandstone Point and One-Tree, to test the efficacy of various recovery and quantification procedures commonly applied to shellfish assemblages in Australia. There has been considerable debate regarding the most appropriate sieve sizes and quantification methods that should be applied in the recovery of vertebrate faunal remains. Few studies, however, have addressed the impact of recovery and quantification methods on the interpretation of invertebrates, specifically shellfish remains. In this study, five shellfish taxa representing four bivalves (Anadara trapezia, Trichomya hirsutus, Saccostrea glomerata, Donax deltoides) and one gastropod (Pyrazus ebeninus) common in eastern Australian midden assemblages are sieved through 10mm, 6.3mm and 3.15mm mesh. Results are quantified using MNI, NISP and weight. Analyses indicate that different structural properties and pre- and postdepositional factors affect recovery rates. Fragile taxa (T. hirsutus) or those with foliated structure (S. glomerata) tend to be overrepresented by NISP measures in smaller sieve fractions, while more robust taxa (A. trapezia and P. ebeninus) tend to be overrepresented by weight measures. Results demonstrate that for all quantification methods tested a 3mm sieve should be used on all sites to allow for regional comparability and to effectively collect all available information about the shellfish remains.

This research project analyzes 5 middens from the Lower Rio Verde valley sites of Río Viejo and Yugüe, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Terminal Formative period (150 BC to AD 250). The middens are analyzed to further our understanding of socio-political events in public spaces at both sites during this time. The study suggests a greater distinction in use of public spaces between the two sites than within Río Viejo. Frameworks established by Dietler and Hayden for the analysis of feasts do not seem to apply well to the middens analyzed here. Although I argue that evidence from Rio Viejo's middens does not dispute the viability of previous arguments regarding Terminal Formative Río Viejo ritual authorities', potentially elites, efforts to create regional-scale political affiliations, the level to which middens at Río Viejo are evidence of “scaled-up” versions of local practices at outlying sites is inconclusive. Though there is potential for larger feasts at Río Viejo, taken alone the Yugüe midden appears larger. The Río Viejo middens demonstrate greater likelihood for the diminished conspicuousness of status differentiation during the associated events.

O estudo de oito sambaquis do litoral sul do Estado de Santa Catarina e de um concheiro da Terra do Fogo permitiu entender a dinâmica dos processos de formação de diferentes tipos de concheiros. No caso dos sambaquis catarinenses, o objetivo principal foi compreender os processos de formação culturais(atividades humanas) e naturais (tafonômicos) e suas mudanças ao longo do tempo, a partir da análise estratigráfica de sítios cuja cronologia envolve todo o período de ocupação humana pré-histórica da região (c. 7400-1000 anos AP). No caso fueguino, realizou-se o estudo micro-estratigráfico de um concheiro etno-histórico, para servir como modelo interpretativo na formulação de hipóteses sobre a formação dos concheiros. Os métodos utilizadospara caracterização dos sedimentos arqueológicos incluíram: granulometria, zooarqueologia, isotopia de C e N ( \'? POT.13\'C e \'? POT.15\' N), micromorfologia e microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Utilizou-se também a analogia experimental com fogueiras acesas em diversos contextos conhecidos e queima controlada de moluscos. Três tipos de sambaquis foram analisados: quatro de padrão estratigráfico conchífero; dois de núcleo arenoso; e dois em montículo ictiológico. A formação do primeiro e terceiro tipos seguiu um padrão recorrente e contínuo que envolve retrabalhamento de elementos depositados e queimados em localdiferente do final. Estes elementos incluem resíduos alimentares, como conchas, restos de peixe (ossos e tecidos) e material vegetais (carvões e plantas de ciclo fotossintético \'C IND.3\'), assim como componentes terrígenos relacionados com o substrato sedimentar nos arredores do sambaqui e com sedimentos provenientes dos bancos de moluscos explorados. Os sambaquis de núcleo arenoso representam ocupações efêmeras, mas planejadas. A sua formação envolveu levantamento de montículos de areia e/ou aproveitamento de dunas eólicas, com posterior deposição de moluscos e resíduos de fogueiras. Desta análise, extraem-se duas implicações substanciais: 1) o hábito de retrabalhamento de resíduos pode ter incluído a destruição dos locais de moradia, nunca achados até o momento, associados aos grandes sambaquis; 2) a correspondência entre o processo de formação identificado nos montículos ictiológicos e nos sambaquis conchíferos sugere continuidade na atividade deposicional, apesar da mudança dematéria prima (substituição das conchas por restos de peixe) e da adoção da tecnologia cerâmica em tempos recentes. O concheiro etno-histórico analisado paracomparação geo-etnoarqueológica foi formado a partir de ocupações domésticas, recorrentes durante pelo menos um século. A análise do anel de conchas periférico possibilitou caracterizar micromorfologicamente os episódios de deposição massiva de conchas, pisoteamentoe abandono do sítio. A análise das fogueiras localizadas na área central do concheiro permitiuidentificar estruturas de combustão de temperatura alta e moderada (superior e inferior a 500° C, respectivamente). A comparação das microfácies do concheiro fueguino com as microfácies identificadas nos sambaquis catarinenses mostra diferentes trajetórias pré-deposicionais, relacionadas, no primeiro caso, com a deposição imediata e secundária de detritos de alimentação nos arredores do local de moradia, e, no caso dos sambaquis, com a sucessão intrincada de ações de deposição, queima e transporte, associada à formação de depósitos terciários. Estas observações corroboram a maior complexidade no processo de formação dos sambaquis. / To understand site formation processes in shell sites, eight sambaquis(shell mounds) from the southern coast of Santa Catarina and one shell midden (conchero) from Tierra del Fuego were studied. For the sambaquis of Santa Catarina, the aim was to understand the cultural and natural formation processes (human activities and taphonomy) and the way they changed through time through the whole period of prehistoric human occupation in the region (c. 7400-1000 years BP). In Tierra del Fuego, the micro-stratgraphic study of an ethnohistoric shell midden was done to serve as model for hypothesis on formation processes of shell sites. The methods used for characterization of archaeological sediments included: grain-size analyses, zooarchaeology, C and N isotopy (\'? POT.13\'C e \'? POT.15\' N), micromorphology and scanning electron microscopy. Experimental archaeology was done using different hearths lit on known contexts and by controlled burning of mollusk shell. Three types of sambaquis were analyzed: four shell mounds; two sand mounds; and two fish mounds. Formation of the first and third group followed a recurrent and continuous pattern of reworking of items, accumulated and burnt in a different location than the final. These items included food refuse, like shell, fish remains (bone and tissue) and plant material (charcoal and residues of \'C IND.3\' plants), as well as terrigenous components from the sedimentary substrate of the surroundings of the site and from the exploredshell beds. Sand mounds are ephemeral but planned occupations. Their formation involved rising of a sand mound and/or occupation over sand dunes, with deposition of shells and plant remains on top. Two substantial implications are extracted from this analyses: 1) the reworking of food residues may be destructing the remains of daily occupations associated with the large sambaquis, that have never been found to this moment; 2) the correspondence of formation process in shell mounds and fish mounds suggests continuity in the depositional activities, besides the change in material (substitution of shell by fish remains) and adoption of ceramic technology in recent times. The ethnohistorical site analyzed for geo-ethnoarchaeological comparison was formed by recurrent domestic occupations that lasted for a century. Analyses of the peripheral shell ring allowed the micromorphological characterization of episodes of massive shell deposition, trampling and site abandonment. Analyses of hearths located in the central habitation area showed micromorphological indicators of high temperature and moderate temperature combustion structures (over and under 500° C, respectivley). Comparison of microfacies from the fueguian shell midden and microfacies from the sambaquis shows different pre-depositional trajectories. In the first case, deposition is related with the immediate and secondary discard of food refuse around the living space. In the second case, formation is related with an intricate succession of deposition, burning and transport of items that resulted in a tertiary deposit. These observations corroborate the great complexity in the formation processes of sambaquis.

Em meio aos manguezais de Cananéia (extremo sul do litoral de SP), foram identificados, no âmbito do Programa Arqueológico do Baixo Vale do Ribeira, oito sambaquis que apresentam vestígios arqueológicos submersos. Com o objetivo de compreender a ocorrência desses sambaquis e de contextualizá-los espaço-temporalmente em meio às flutuações holocênicas do nível do mar, esta dissertação fundamentou-se em uma adaptação da técnica do Vibracoring, em métodos e técnicas da Arqueologia Subaquática, na abordagem geoarqueológica proposta por Waters (1992) e no estudo dos Processos de Formação adotados por Stein (1992). Dessa maneira, o presente trabalho pode identificar que o potencial de preservação e a distribuição dos sambaquis nessa região apresentam uma forte correlação com as oscilações do Nível Relativo do Mar, que ocorreram após o último máximo regressivo holocênico. Essas evidências indicaram também, que além de existirem chances reais de sambaquis totalmente submersos terem se preservado, nem sempre sítios relativos a um antigo nível marinho acabaram sendo destruídos ou ficando submersos. Em alguns casos, sambaquis que deveriam ter sido destruídos ou estarem submersos, encontram-se em terra, recobertos por sedimentos costeiros mais recentes ou protegidas por alguma formação geológica. Além de sua contribuição para o desenvolvimento e amadurecimento de uma Arqueologia Subaquática científica e para o estudo das curvas de Variação do Nível Relativo do Mar, esta pesquisa identificou algumas evidências importantes para a compreensão do fenômeno dos sambaquis, como por exemplo, a ocorrência de seqüências estratigráficas que atribuem diferenças funcionais e uma intencionalidade à construção de alguns sítios, assim como, datações que remetem a ocupação sambaquieira de Cananéia a uma antiguidade de quase 8.000 anos. / Among the Cananéia mangrove swamp (extreme south of São Paulo’s coastline), it was identified within the Archeological Programme of the Lower Ribeira Valley, eight shell middens within which could be found archeological submerged traces. Aiming at the understanding of these shell middens occurrence and the contextualisation in space and time in relation to the holocenic variations of the sea level, this monograph was based on an adaptation of the Vibracoring technique, underwater archeological methods and techniques, on the geoarcheological interpretation of Waters (1992), and on the studies of Formation Process adopted by Stein (1992). Thus, the shell middens preserving potential and distribution in this area shows a strong correlation with the sea related level changes, that occurred after the last holocenic regressive maximum. These evidences also indicated that not only were there real chances that completely submerged shell midden were preserved but also that it is not always that sites related to an ancient sea level ended up into being destroyed or kept submerged. In some cases, some that should have been destroyed or kept submerged, are seen in land covered by recent coast sediments or protected by any geological feature. Besides contributing to the development and maturation of the scientific underwater archeology and for the studies of the curves of the sea related level changes the research also identified some important evidences to the understanding of the shell middens phenomenon such as the occurrence of stratigraphic sequences that attach functional differences and an intention in building some sites, such as the one dated back to almost 8.000 years ago when Cananéia was first inhabited by the people of the shell middens

The portion of the Oregon coast extending from Cape Blanco south into California has long been recognized as a distinct physiographic region, with probable ramifications for prehistoric subsistence and settlement patterns. Several researchers have proposed models outlining a greater reliance upon marine/littoral resources among groups within this region, while more northerly groups exhibited a higher reliance upon estuarine resources. Current knowledge about regional prehistoric subsistence practices, based upon the archaeological record and ethnographic sources, was correlated with the distribution and relative abundance of exploited and potentially exploitable marine species. These data suggest that the abundant coastal rocks and islands found along this section of the Oregon coast serve to concentrate diverse and abundant animal resources within a confined area, allowing for ease of exploitation. Therefore, the rocks and islands were of potential economic importance to aboriginal groups. To support this hypothesis archaeological subsurface testing was undertaken on the only previously recorded offshore island site, and an archaeological sample survey was conducted on additional rocks and islands along this section of coastline to determine their utilization by native peoples. Two additional prehistoric sites were recorded. The results of these investigations are herein presented, and directions for future research are discussed. / Graduation date: 1991

abstract: This work investigates the effects of non-random sampling on our understanding of species distributions and their niches. In its most general form, bias is systematic error that can obscure interpretation of analytical results by skewing samples away from the average condition of the system they represent. Here I use species distribution modelling (SDM), virtual species, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to explore how sampling bias can alter our perception of broad patterns of biodiversity by distorting spatial predictions of habitat, a key characteristic in biogeographic studies. I use three separate case studies to explore: 1) How methods to account for sampling bias in species distribution modeling may alter estimates of species distributions and species-environment relationships, 2) How accounting for sampling bias in fossil data may change our understanding of paleo-distributions and interpretation of niche stability through time (i.e. niche conservation), and 3) How a novel use of MGWR can account for environmental sampling bias to reveal landscape patterns of local niche differences among proximal, but non-overlapping sister taxa. Broadly, my work shows that sampling bias present in commonly used federated global biodiversity observations is more than enough to degrade model performance of spatial predictions and niche characteristics. Measures commonly used to account for this bias can negate much loss, but only in certain conditions, and did not improve the ability to correctly identify explanatory variables or recreate species-environment relationships. Paleo-distributions calibrated on biased fossil records were improved with the use of a novel method to directly estimate the biased sampling distribution, which can be generalized to finer time slices for further paleontological studies. Finally, I show how a novel coupling of SDM and MGWR can illuminate local differences in niche separation that more closely match landscape genotypic variability in the two North American desert tortoise species than does their current taxonomic delineation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geography 2018