Year: 2024, 2024
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Gobran, Adam Matthew, Thesis advisor (ths): Haines, Helen R., Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Fitzsimons, Rodney, Degree committee member (dgc): Graham, Elizabeth, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis presents the excavation and analysis of Structure D-6 at the Maya city of Ka'kabish in what is now North-Central Belize. Structure D-6, together with Structure D-7, comprise the site's only known ballcourt. Performance theory is used in tandem with the existing literature about the Mesoamerican ballcourt's crucial function within the legitimization strategies… more Year: 2024, 2024
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Molica-Lazzaro, Olivia Rosina Velma, Thesis advisor (ths): Newton, Jennifer, Thesis advisor (ths): Haines, Helen R., Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Mortuary archaeology presents a unique opportunity to compare cultural and biological factors within burial assemblages. This study expands upon the previous bioarchaeological research in the eastern portion of the Southern Maya Lowlands through a comparative mortuary analysis that highlights burial trends between the site of Ka'kabish, Belize, and surrounding settlements. Ka'… more Year: 2024, 2024
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Low-density urbanism is ubiquitous in the industrialized world, with suburbs and sprawling urban zones like the American Northeastern Seaboard being classified as such. Due to
outsized environmental impacts and perceived unsustainability, this settlement pattern is often
maligned. As one of the few prominent examples of agrarian-based low-density urbanism, the
ancient Maya can provide… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Scott, Marissa, Thesis advisor (ths): Morin, Eugene, Degree committee member (dgc): Spzak, Paul, Degree committee member (dgc): Connolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Blasco, Ruth, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis employs zooarchaeological, taphonomic, and spatial analysis to reconstruct subsistence behaviors of Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals using layer V of Abric del Pastor as a case study. Located in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain, Abric del Pastor is a cave shelter with occupation layers dated from MIS 5 through 3. The faunal assemblage is examined on two time scales: i) a longer time… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): González Gómez de Agüero, Adrián, Thesis advisor (ths): Szpak, Paul P, Degree committee member (dgc): Szpak, Paul P, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James J, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn J, Degree committee member (dgc): Santana-Sagredo, Francisca F, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of 571 archaeobotanical samples was performed to assess agricultural practices at Cerro de Oro in the Cañete Valley, Peru, during the transition between the Early Intermediate Period and the Middle Horizon. This thesis presents a comprehensive range of δ13C and δ15N values for the major C3 and C4 plant resources at the site. No differences were… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Burials at the Early Bronze Age IA (c. 3700-3400) cemetery of Fifa, Jordan included a variety of grave goods including beads. These were made of glazed steatite or carnelian. This thesis utilizes use-wear analysis, SEM-EDS, XRD, and a database of 5th and 4th millennium BCE beads in order to build life-histories for Fifa's beads. Beyond focusing on how the beads were manufactured,… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Howell, Devon Jean, Thesis advisor (ths): Newton, Jennifer, Thesis advisor (ths): Haines, Helen R, Degree committee member (dgc): Ullinger, Jaime, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Commingled teeth present a unique opportunity for a novel application of standard methodological approaches commonly utilized in dental anthropological studies. Unfortunately, little research has been conducted on loose or commingled dental assemblages to determine if they are suitable samples for reconstructing bioarchaeological narratives of ancient human populations. The lack of… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Kollaard, Jelissa, Thesis advisor (ths): Dubreuil, Laure, Degree committee member (dgc): Fitzsimons, Rodney, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Zaidner, Yossi, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>In the southern Levant, ground stone tools (GST) provide insight into early plant food exploitation, butchery, and cognition. Outside of these examples, GST evidence is scarce, particularly for the Middle Paleolithic. An extensive assemblage of GST recovered from Nesher Ramla, an open-air hunting camp in Israel, presents the unique opportunity to study the role of GST within Middle… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Tucker, Cory, Thesis advisor (ths): Iannone, Gyles GI, Degree committee member (dgc): Macrae, Scott SM, Degree committee member (dgc): Morin, Eugène EM, Degree committee member (dgc): Conrad, Cyler CC, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The aim of this thesis is to explore the human/animal relationship at the walled and moated shwe myo taw, or "royal golden city," at the ancient Burmese capital of Bagan, Myanmar, which flourished from the 11th – 14th centuries CE, in the ecological area known as Myanmar's Central Dry Zone. This thesis achieves its objectives by applying an ethnoarchaeological based… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This research presents stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data of camelid fiber (n=238) from the coast of Arica, the Lluta Valley, and Azapa Valley – all located in the hyper-arid core of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Samples included are attributed to the Formative (1000 BCE– 200 CE), Middle (200 CE – 1000CE), and Late Intermediate (1000 CE – 1450 CE) periods. The principal aim… more Year: 2023, 2023
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Jurasek, Emily, Thesis advisor (ths): Haines, Helen, Thesis advisor (ths): Newton, Jennifer, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree committee member (dgc): Wrobel, Gabriel, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The ancient Maya utilized aspects of their landscape within their religious rituals and ceremonies, including caves. The study of ritual cave use is known as Maya cave archaeology and archaeologists in this subfield suggest that all holes in the earth, be it natural or man-made were viewed as ritually significant spaces to the ancient Maya (Brady and Layco 2018). This thesis analyzes the… more Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Watson, Samantha L, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Janz, Lisa, Degree committee member (dgc): Peers, Laura, Degree committee member (dgc): Ferris, Neal, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis examines the history of Indigenous inclusion in the discipline of archaeology and how archaeologists can provide reconciliation when working with Indigenous peoples in their territory. This thesis focuses on the territory of the Williams Treaties with a particular focus on the location of Nogojiwanong (Peterborough). My data consists of in-depth interviews from ten informants… more Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Stevenson, Nicholas Donald, Thesis advisor (ths): Dubreuil, Laure, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Fitzsimons, Rodney, Degree committee member (dgc): Rodríguez, Amelia, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The onset of the Natufian sees the unfolding of a lasting dietary shift: the transition from foraging to farming. To understand this transition, we have to identify the exploited plants and explain why they were chosen. To that end, I used use-wear and residue analysis to isolate wear patterns distinctive of specific plants. I conducted a series of six grinding experiments on wheat,… more Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Tait, Victoria, Thesis advisor (ths): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree committee member (dgc): Szpak, Paul, Degree committee member (dgc): Haines, Helen, Degree committee member (dgc): Laffoon, Jason, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This research represents the first stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human bone collagen (n = 29) from the Escape Site (AD 300 - 1000), Saint Vincent. As a two-pronged investigation, this research had the following goals: (1) determining the ideal pretreatment for poorly preserved bones and (2) reconstructing the Escape Site sample population diet. By incorporating powdered… more Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): D'Angelo, Stephanie, Thesis advisor (ths): Fitzsimons, Rodney, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Buell, Matt, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This study explores different ways of interpreting mainland and Knossian burial customs and assessing the manner in which they were used to explore themes of political and social status. In order to complete this study, correspondence analysis was applied to 98 tombs from Bronze Age (1700-1360 BCE) Knossos, Pylos, and Mycenae. Through the use of CA 14 hidden clusters and two hypotheses… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Saule, Jolyane, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Thesis advisor (ths): Chapdelaine, Claude, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William A., Degree committee member (dgc): Morin, Eugene, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis established the variability of Late Paleoindian bifacial stone tool assemblage from the Kruger 2 site. Kruger 2 is a basecamp occupied during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Eastern Townships, Southern Quebec. The goal of this project is to quantify the variability observed in bifacial tools and to explain it. Geometrics Morphometrics and traditional attributed-… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Smith, Daniel Case, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William, Degree committee member (dgc): Szpak, Paul, Degree committee member (dgc): Birch , Jennifer, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The goal of the thesis is to establish the temporal patterning of the cultural complexes of the Middle to Late Woodland periods in Ontario. To do so I examine the statistical shape and phase boundaries of samples of radiocarbon dates associated with the Princess Point, Sandbanks, Glen Meyer, and Pickering archaeological complexes. The radiocarbon dates used for this thesis were collected… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Fatty acid analysis was performed on archaeological bone from various fauna from sites in the Canadian arctic to better understand the preservation of fatty acids and their potential applications to palaeoecological and palaeodietary studies. These data were complemented by analyses of modern bone and soft tissue samples from livestock and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus). Results… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Racine, Karl, Thesis advisor (ths): P. Moore, Jennifer J. P. M., Degree committee member (dgc): Elton, Hugh H. E., Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James J. C., Degree committee member (dgc): Stone, David D. S., Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The Africana IIA, an amphora subtype of the Africana II class, was produced in Africa Proconsularis (the present-day Tunisian Sahel) during the mid-Roman Imperial period (from the late 2nd c. A.D. to the middle decades of the 3rd c. A.D.), and was distributed around the western Mediterranean. Scholars have noted meaningful morphological variations on this subtype's rim but had… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The tools and techniques used by Ontario's Middle Woodland potters to create designs on vessels have often been assumed in the literature. Pottery typologies currently use these assumptions to classify ceramics found in the archaeological record. Assumed, or suggested, tools and techniques include cord impression, cord-wrapped stick, fabric impression, fabric-wrapped paddle, incised… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): LaPierre, Daniel Josef, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Morin, Eugene, Degree committee member (dgc): Janz, Lisa, Degree committee member (dgc): Hart, John P., Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This case study focuses on geospatial patterns of decorative variation in pottery assemblages from 234 Northern Iroquoian village communities, occupied between ca. 1350–1650 CE. Previous interpretations of these assemblages' ceramic decorative variability have been based on the assertion that potters from these communities used collar decorative motifs as communicative social… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis addresses the excavation and analysis of the Hingston Group, a small courtyard group just south of the ceremonial core of the Ancient Maya city of Ka'kabish in North-Central Belize. I use settlement and household archaeological theory to understand the functions, occupation history, and status of this residential group. I also rely on entanglement theory, along with the… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): England, Josh, Thesis advisor (ths): Elton, Hugh, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William, Degree committee member (dgc): Eastwood, Warren, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Olives have been grown in the Mediterranean region for millennia and have been a staple crop in many of its cultures. This was never more true than during the Hellenistic (323 – 133 BC) and Roman (133 BC – AD 450) periods in the Mediterranean. This thesis examines the territory of the Roman city of Sagalassos in the region of Pisidia, modern province of Burdur, and determines if olives… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Campsall, Olivia Devon Grace, Thesis advisor (ths): Fox, William, Thesis advisor (ths): Dubreuil, Laure, Degree committee member (dgc): Munson, Marit, Degree committee member (dgc): Hawkins, Alicia, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>On the North Shore of Lake Ontario near Port Hope, Ontario is a large archaeological site (BaGo-29) that has been visited and occupied multiple times over the millennia. First called the Beatty site was originally excavated by avocational archaeologist Mr. Ed. Austin between 1963 and 1972. In the subsequent decades, the Beatty site would be revisited, renamed the Gibbs site, and re-… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Barnett, Kendra Lynn, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Moore, Jennifer, Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Pihl, Robert, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The goal of this thesis is to develop an understanding of the history of Middle and Late Woodland settlement at Jacob Island, located in Pigeon Lake in the Trent River region, through analysis of ceramic artifacts recovered during the 2016 excavation program. Using both typological and attribute based analysis. The results indicate a form of seasonal occupation. The ceramic patterning on… more Year: 2021, 2021
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Garrett, Joshua Thomas, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Morin, Eugene, Degree committee member (dgc): Gates St-Pierre, Christian, Degree committee member (dgc): Haines, Helen, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis examines morphometric variability and decorative variability and complexityat the intervessel and intravessel levels in samples of complete and near-complete Middle
and Late Woodland vessels. The purpose of this study is to determine how a better
understanding of variability in Middle and LateWoodland period pottery can help interpret
fragmentary assemblages and supplement… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study uses stable isotope analysis on both the organic and inorganic fractions of ostrich eggshell obtained from archaeological excavations in Mongolia, northern China, and southern Siberia. By establishing the δ13Corg, δ15N, δ13Cinorg, δ18O isotopic compositions of the eggshell of the Asian ostrich (Struthio asiaticus), this study provides insight into the maximum northern range of… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Postclassic (AD 900-1500) Maya diet at Ka'kabish, Belize was examined using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human bone collagen, and stable carbon isotope analysis of bone structural carbonate. Isotope data were compared to skeletal and dental indicators of diet and disease, and dietary differences among burials excavated from chultuns (B-2, C-1, C-2, and C-3) at Ka… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The objective of this thesis is to develop and implement a heritage plan for the Nassau Mills Complex, a locally-significant Euro-Canadian historical site that operated on what is now Trent University's campus in Peterborough, Ontario. Within the framework of public archaeology and Cultural Heritage Management (CHM), emphasis is placed on the importance of protecting the site and… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Brooks, Jeremy, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Fitzsimons, Rodney, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This MA thesis discusses the applications of immersive virtual reality technologies as a tool for studying archaeological excavation processes. The excavation of a structure at the Nassau Mills, a twentieth century milling complex in Peterborough, Ontario, is used as the case study. Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is used to digitize each excavation day as 3D models. These… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study reconstructs the diet of pastoral populations from Bronze Age Southern Mongolia and Early Iron Age Central Mongolia using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen from 44 individuals. Spatial and temporal differences were investigated and interpreted in combination with paleoenvironmental, archaeological, genetic and other stable isotope data. The Southern… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Lopez, Gabriel Enrique, Thesis advisor (ths): Morin, Eugène EM, Degree committee member (dgc): Morin, Eugène EM, Degree committee member (dgc): Szpak, Paul PS, Degree committee member (dgc): Dubreuil, Laure LD, Degree committee member (dgc): Oetelaar, Gerald Anthony GAO, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Mount Mazama, a large volcano located in the Cascade Range of Oregon, eruptedsome 7,000 cal. years BP. Following the volcanic eruption, a large portion of the
northwestern region of the Great Plains of North America was covered by a thick layer of
volcanic ash. The present research project is concerned with the impact of this catastrophic
event on the subsistence patterns of the… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were performed on individuals from the Virú Valley, Peru to better understand the people and society in this region of early-state development. This analysis also sheds light on the lives of individuals from a ritual killing event at Huaca Santa Clara. Bone collagen stable isotope analysis revealed that all individuals had diets predominantly… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Upper Paleolithic sequence at Vale Boi, Portugal, represents an early example of resource intensification, for which evidence of both diet diversification and intensified utilization of faunal remains has been published. The current research project tests the hypothesis that bone grease rendering was occurring throughout the Upper Paleolithic sequence at Vale Boi. As there are… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis approaches the issue of Viewshed Analysis and how it can impact the understanding of a medieval environment. Centered on the High Medieval period of Cilicia, in what is today Southwestern Turkey, the precision of Viewsheds in a complex terrain is evaluated, and the role of the fortifications in the environment is expanded upon. The maps that were generated for this thesis… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Bagan, Myanmar's capital during the country's Classical period (c. 800-1400 CE), and its surrounding landscape was once home to at least four thousand monuments. These monuments were the result of the Buddhist pursuit of merit-making, the idea that individuals could increase their socio-spiritual status by performing pious acts for the Sangha (Buddhist Order). Amongst the most… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the temporal sensitivity of morphological variability in hafted bifaces in the Kawartha Lakes and Trent River drainage region. This provides a base of information that will enable future analyses that address the possible sources of this variability and to test the robustness of existing typological categories of hafted bifaces for relative… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Forward, Kathleen, Thesis advisor (ths): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Awe, Jaime, Degree committee member (dgc): Macrae, Scott, Degree committee member (dgc): Haines, Helen, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>The city-state of Minanha, located in west central Belize, reached its zenith and most culturally complex stage by the Late Classic period, 675-810 AD. Only a century later, its royal court "collapsed". The Contreras Valley is a small farming community located in a settlement zone south of Minanha. Decades of research at Minanha and the analysis of artifact frequencies from… more Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Talving-Loza, Talis Esteban, Thesis advisor (ths): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Stark, Miriam, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Moore, Jennifer, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis investigates the current composition of traditional settlements located in and around the remains of the ancient, walled and moated, regal-ritual epicenter of Bagan, Myanmar. This study also provides some suggestions as to strategies that may be employed by future settlement archaeology projects in the region. To achieve the aims of this study, an ethnoarchaeological approach… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Evoy, Angela Michelle, Thesis advisor (ths): Janz, Lisa, Thesis advisor (ths): Dubreuil, Laure, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William, Degree committee member (dgc): Liu, Li, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Stone axes and adzes first appeared in the eastern Gobi Desert at 8.0 cal BP and were incorporated into the technological package. At the same time, changes in local ecological conditions reflect a transition from continuous grass/shrub-steppe across the Mongolian Plateau to the development of dispersed patches of dune-field wetland oases and high-elevation forests. This thesis focuses… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis presents a palaeotopographic reconstruction of the Burleigh Bay region of Stony Lake (Kawartha Lakes Region, Ontario) from 12,600 cal BP to present. The paleotopographic reconstructions are used to model paleoshoreline locations and archaeological site potential for the Late Paleoindian and early Archaic periods. Isostatic rebound following the end of the last glacial period… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The goal of this thesis is to explore the role that civic (i.e. state-sponsored)</p><p>feasting and drinking played in early polis (pl. poleis), or city-state formation on Crete in</p><p>the Early Iron Age to Archaic transition, ca. 700-500 BCE. Using the two recently</p><p>excavated civic feasting structures at the site of Azoria as a model for both… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis investigates the similarities and differences between the tropical epicenters of South and Southeast Asia during the Charter State era, 800- 1400 CE. This study can inform scholars about the relationship between "people and place" by examining the ground plans, activities, and people associated with each epicenter. By using the comparative approach and entanglement… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The objective of this thesis is to create a foundation for a digital comparative collection of chert types found on archaeological sites in Ontario, both local and non-local varieties, and to evaluate the impact of a digital reference collection on the confidence and accuracy of the user in comparison to hard copy guides or hand samples that are more often traditionally used. Spatial and… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Goldberg, Sophie Clare Gabriella, Thesis advisor (ths): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree committee member (dgc): Keenleyside, Anne, Degree committee member (dgc): Elton, Hugh, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis examines the interrelationship of urban planning and population health at the site of Angkor (c. 802-1432 CE), the capital city of the Classical Khmer state, now found within modern-day Cambodia. The inhabitants of Angkor developed a settlement strategy that relied on the dispersal of water management features, rice fields, temples and residential areas, to best utilize the… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Kawartha Lakes region of south-central Ontario is dominated by water bodies and rivers, where humans are known to have lived since at least 10,500 years ago, only shortly after the retreat of glaciers from the region. Since this time, water levels within the region have changed dramatically as a result of various geophysical, climatological, and human-induced-phenomenon, leaving… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Chultuns are subterranean chambers that are found throughout the Maya area. The purpose of this thesis is to provide further insight into the function of chultuns, specifically within the area of the Southern Maya Lowlands. Within the Northern Lowlands, the Pre-Columbian Maya used chultuns for water storage, but this function does not appear to be as prevalent within the Southern… more Year: 2019, 2019
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis examines the symbolic meaning and significance that the elite attached to water in ancient Bagan. Through the use of ethnoarchaeological, epigraphic, archaeological, and iconographic data, this study examines the role of water as part of rituals performed by the royal court and the ways in which the royalty of Bagan, in particular King Kyansittha, negotiated, appropriated and… more Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Within the complex socio-ecological systems of South and Southeast Asia, ancient sacred natural sites were created by, and imbued with, cultural and ideological values. These landscapes are liminal spaces or threshold environments between cultivated areas and wilder spaces; the practice of creating and maintaining them persists from ancient to modern times. This thesis examines sacred… more Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study examines foraging strategies during the Middle Woodland Period's Sandbanks Phase (A.D. 700–1000) on Boyd Island, Pigeon Lake, Ontario. The faunal remains analyzed in this study were recovered from a site associated with the procurement of aquatic and terrestrial taxa. Detailed taphonomic analyses have revealed that the Boyd Island faunal remains were affected by… more Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This research is an ethnographic investigation into the relationships between the Stélida Naxos Archaeological Project and the local population of Vivlos, the region where the team takes their seasonal residence during their annual archaeological field season. Fieldwork in Vivlos revealed the local peoples' interest in archaeology, local legends, and Greek history. The people's… more Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The goal of this thesis is to explore the production of ferrous (iron) armaments in the Middle Byzantine Empire, and more specifically the tenth century. Three cornerstones define the current research: (1) An exploration of the technology at use in the production of ferrous armaments. (2) A comprehensive look at the logistical and organizational structures which facilitated this industry… more Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis addresses the inclusion of women within Classic Maya works of art, consisting of, for this purpose, private-consumption ceramic vessels and large scale public monuments. Through the use of Feminist and Gender Theory, Performance Theory, and Iconographic Theory, the roles of women in iconographically depicted ceremonial performance is assessed. A Microsoft Access database was… more Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Archaeological faunal data, historic records and documents and recent biological data are used to construct a historical ecology for Pigeon Lake, Ontario, focusing on fish exploitation. The faunal collections of twelve archaeological sites in the Kawartha Lakes are reviewed to examine pre-contact Indigenous fishing trends and comment on the historic presence, abundance and range of a… more Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Huns are one of the most misunderstood and mythologized barbarian invaders encountered by the Roman Empire. They were described by their contemporaries as savage nomadic warriors with superior archery skills, and it is this image that has been written into the history of the fall of the Western Roman Empire and influenced studies of Late Antiquity through countless generations of… more Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Neolithic Period (c. 6200 – 4900 BC) in the Struma River Valley led to numerous episodes of cultural diversification. When compared with the neighbouring regions, the ecological characteristics of the Struma River Valley are particularly heterogeneous and the Neolithic populations must have adapted to this distinctive and localized ecological setting. It then becomes reasonable to… more Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>New archaeological material was discovered in 2006 by the Göksu Archaeological Project in an area of Southeastern Turkey known as Rough Cilicia. This thesis documents and explores the material remains from funerary contexts at the sites of Dağpazarı and Topkaya. Architectural analysis of the material from Dağpazarı demonstrates that the remains are of a monumental temple tomb dating to… more Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The Middle Formative Period (1000 – 400 B.C.) has increasing become recognized as a critical locus in the development of Lowland Maya socio-political complexity. This period witnessed the founding of numerous ceremonial centers, substantial material cultural innovation, and the advent of mortuary practices indicating developing social differentiation. Recent excavations at the site of Ka… more Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>From ca. 800-1400 CE, low-density agrarian states dominated Southeast Asia,</p><p>their authority emanating from their epicentres at places such as Angkor in Cambodia,</p><p>Bagan in Myanmar, and Sukhothai in Thailand. These epicentres were the setting for</p><p>numerous structures, activities, and stakeholders that became integral for the perpetuation… more Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis investigates the organization and development of water management systems in a sample of past tropical societies in Southeast Asia and Mesoamerica. A comparative approach is employed to show how water management affected the trajectories of the ancient states of Angkor, Cambodia, Bagan, Myanmar, Sukhothai, Thailand, Central and East Java, and Caracol, Belize. Differing types… more Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>A sample of faunal remains (n=129) from seven archaeological sites located on Pigeon and Rice Lakes, Ontario were sampled and analyzed for the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bone collagen. These samples date from the Archaic to Late Woodland and include 35 different animal species. The goal of this research was to investigate the isotope ecology of the Middle Trent… more Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis examines the spatial, temporal, and contextual distribution of copper bells in the Greater Southwest region and how they are situated in archaeological literature. To date, 672 copper bells have been found in at least 113 different Southwestern sites dating from ca. A.D. 900-1450, though there is no archaeological evidence for metallurgical activities in the area at this time… more Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis analyzes variability in a sample (n=302) of late Paleoindian Hi-Lo points from Ontario and New York. Biface variability is recorded using landmark geometric morphometrics. Raw material data is used to assess Hi-Lo toolstone usage patterns and the impact of raw material constraints on manufacture. Statistical analyses are used to assess patterning of variability in space.… more Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study examines the foraging strategies employed by Late Epigravettian occupants at Riparo Tagliente, Italy. The study sample is composed of highly fragmented macrofaunal remains recovered from a single stratigraphic layer (layer 617) located at the cave border in the southern portion of the site. Models derived from foraging theory, chiefly the Central Place Forager Prey Choice… more Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The principle aim of this thesis is to evaluate the applicability of the Goldstein/Kelly hypothesis, which proposes that hunter-gatherer cemeteries emerge as a product of resource competition, and function to confirm and maintain ancestral ties to critical resources. My evaluation centres on a case study of the earliest known cemeteries of the middle Trent Valley, Ontario. To determine… more Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The objective of this thesis is to document and characterize the raw material and technological organization of a Late Archaic assemblage from Jacob Island, 1B/1C area (collectively referred to as BcGo-17), Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario. The purpose of this research is to gain a greater understanding of the Late Archaic period in central Ontario; particularly information… more Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study investigates the use of dental calculus for paleodietary studies using stable isotope analysis of a skeletal sample from the Greek colonial site of Apollonia Pontica, Bulgaria (5th to 3rd century BC). A sample of 27 individuals was used to examine the δ13C and δ15N values of paired dental calculus and bone samples, and the dental calculus was analyzed as… more Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>In the Roman World, at least 80% and up to 95% of the population lived and</p><p>worked in a rural environment, driving the agronomic economy of the empire. During the Late Roman Empire (AD 300-600), there were a number of widespread political, social, and economic changes faced by the people who made up the empire. Through all these changes, the empire maintained its tax… more Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>When bioarchaeologists investigate ancient gender identity, they typically place skeletal remains into one of six sex assessment categories: male, female, possible/probable male, possible/probable female, ambiguous, and indeterminate. However, the study samples are often reduced to male and female reproducing a male/female gender and sex binary prevalent in the "Western"… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Schmidt, Jodi Lee, Thesis advisor (ths): Keenleyside, Anne, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Garvie-Lok, Sandra, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This study analyses deciduous dental pathology and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to investigate the relationship between dietary composition, feeding practices, and oral health in a subadult skeletal sample from the Greek colonial site of Apollonia Pontica, Bulgaria (5th to 3rd century BC). Stable isotope analysis of 74 bone collagen samples indicates that weaning began between the… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study uses the zooarchaeological record to examine the range of activities represented in Late Archaic period samples excavated from Jacob's Island -1B, in the Trent-Severn Waterway region in Ontario. Radiocarbon dates from sixteen features were used to establish a chronology of site use and occupation. The faunal remains analyzed in this study were recovered from seven dated… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Sutinen, Jessica, Thesis advisor (ths): Williams, Jocelyn S., Degree committee member (dgc): Keenleyside, Anne, Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Thornton, Erin, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Strontium isotope analysis has become an important tool in identifying non-local individuals at archaeological sites. For this study, tooth enamel samples were collected from 20 individuals from the ancient Maya centre of Minanha, Belize. These individuals date to periods spanning the formative occupation of the centre, as well as its fluorescence and protracted decline. The goal of this… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Barry, Jack, Thesis advisor (ths): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Haines, Helen, Degree committee member (dgc): Elton, Hugh, Degree committee member (dgc): Estrada-Belli, Francisco, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>It has long been hypothesized the location of the ancient Maya center of Minanha was a strategic one based on its ability to control the flow of communication and key resources between major geopolitical zones. Situated in the Vaca Plateau, at the nexus of the Belize River Valley, the Petén District of Guatemala, and the Maya Mountains, Minanha became a Late Classic polity capital that… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Beales, Eric John, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William, Degree committee member (dgc): MacDonald, Robert, Degree committee member (dgc): Fitzsimons, Rodney, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis centers on analyzing the spatial, temporal, and ecological patterns associated with the introduction of maize horticulture into Southern Ontario - contextualized against social and demographic models of agricultural transition. Two separate analyses are undertaken: a regional analysis of the spread of maize across the Northeast using linear regression of radiocarbon data and… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Cook, Philip, Thesis advisor (ths): Fitzsimons, Rodney D, Degree committee member (dgc): Ianonne, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Lohmann, Roger, Degree committee member (dgc): Devolder, Maud, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis examines the mobilization of labour required for fortification construction during the Late Helladic (LH) period of the Aegean Bronze Age. It adopts an "energetics" approach to architecture, as a framework for systematically calculating the labour costs of construction, and using such costs to infer relative differences in political power among groups and… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Boileau, Arianne, Thesis advisor (ths): Morin, Eugene, Degree committee member (dgc): Healy, Paul F, Degree committee member (dgc): Powis, Terry G, Degree committee member (dgc): Freiwald, Carolyn, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This study examines the foraging strategies of animal resource exploitation during the Middle Preclassic period (900-300 BC) at the ancient Maya site of Pacbitun, Belize. The faunal remains analyzed in this study were recovered from various domestic structures associated with the production of shell artifacts. Detailed taphonomic analyses have revealed that the Pacbitun faunal remains… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Savage, Daniel Jay, Thesis advisor (ths): Dubreuil, Laure, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Fitzsimons, Rodney D., Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Grooved stones first appear in the Southern Levant with the development of the Natufian culture (~15,000 - 12,000 BP). These tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes; however, they share in common the presence of an intentionally manufactured groove. This thesis focuses on a few types of grooved stones, specifically, those which are often considered to be straighteners for arrow-… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Falconer, Christa, Thesis advisor (ths): Fitzsimons, Rodney D., Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Williams, Jocelyn, Degree committee member (dgc): Smith, Robert A., Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Mortuary remains comprise a large part of the archaeological record for the Late Bronze Age in the Aegean. By the Palatial period, chamber tombs became the most common burial type on the Mycenaean Mainland, with their popularity continuing into the Postpalatial period. In addition, a single chamber tomb could be reused for as many as ten generations, resulting in large collections of… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Davidson, Jamie Lee, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): MacDonald, Robert I, Degree committee member (dgc): Munson, Marit, Degree committee member (dgc): Jamieson, Susan, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis seeks to understand the influences of environmental variables on site location selection during the Late Woodland period (ca. A.D. 1000-1650) in south-central Ontario, specifically variables considered to be favourable to maize agriculture. Four analyses were undertaken: a geographic information system (GIS) comparative analysis of Late Woodland sites compared to random… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Pond, Robin Simon, Thesis advisor (ths): Conolly, James, Degree committee member (dgc): Lohmann, Roger I, Degree committee member (dgc): Chan-Reynolds, Michael, Degree committee member (dgc): Fox, William, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Flaked stones tools are the oldest and longest persisting human cultural remains. Some of these tools were made by hominins who were not anatomically or cognitively modern. My thesis uses an eye-tracking device, developed by psychology, to study modern day novice and expert tool making. By comparing these two groups I was able to characterize the behaviours that lead to successful flake… more Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Least cost path analysis is considered by many scholars as being a good proxy for studying movement and interactions between sites in the landscape. Although it is widely used, there are many limitations and challenges yet to be overcome concerning the reliability of the results. The examples used from the Göksu Valley during the late Roman Imperial rule emphasize the need to clearly… more Year: 2013, 2013
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): CHEONG, KONG FAI, Thesis advisor (ths): Healy, Paul F, Degree committee member (dgc): Iannone, Gyles, Degree committee member (dgc): Powis, Terry G, Degree committee member (dgc): Houk, Brett, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis reports on the 2010 excavations of the North Group and Eastern Court at the ancient Lowland Maya site of Pacbitun. It provides a construction history of the architecture and an analysis of associated artifacts, burials, and caches. The archaeological investigations demonstrate that the seven structures (Strs. 34-40) of this restricted access plazuela group were built in the… more
