DOCSLIB.ORG

Information to Users

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Information to Users INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type o f computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. (RE)DISCOVERING THE OLMEC: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY- SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPEDITIONS TO VERACRUZ/TABASCO, 1939-1946 by Rosemary Durkin Lyon submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Robert L. Humphrey, lean of the College of Arts and Sciences Date 1997 The American University Washington, D.C. 20016 SHE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1383903 Copyright 1997 by Lyon, Rosemary Durkin All rights reserved. UMI Microform 1383903 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. COPYRIGHT by ROSEMARY DURKIN LYON 1 9 9 7 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. When I resigned from the Council for International Exchange of Scholars to begin graduate studies in anthropology, my husband, John Lyon, my children, Philip and Julia Lyon, and my mother-in-law, Carolyn Bartel Lyon, were unanimous in their support for my decision. I dedicate this thesis to them in appreciation for the confidence they demonstrated in me and for their patience during the long months of my graduate program. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. (RE)DISCOVERING THE OLMECrNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY-SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION EXPEDITIONS TO VERACRUZ/TABASCO, 1 9 3 9 - 1 9 4 6 BY Rosemary Durkin Lyon ABSTRACT In this thesis, I examine from a comparative perspective eight National Geographic Society-Smithsonian Institution archaeological expeditions to Veracruz/Tabasco, Mexico, which took place between 1939 and 1946. The participating archaeologists-research leader Matthew Stirling, and assistants Clarence Weiant, Philip Drucker, and Waldo Wedel-carried out important fieldwork which produced the first significant body of information about Formative period Olmec civilization. Although the four archaeologists had in common an allegiance to the paradigm of culture history, they differed in their backgrounds, education, experience and objectives. I look at how such factors are reflected in the way the expeditions were constituted and carried out, demonstrating that the production of archaeological information is a complex, and sometimes fragmented, process which is affected by multiple factors, including the personal traits of investigators, individual and organizational agendas, the use of different methodologies, and the political and economic context of the excavations. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people provided suggestions and assistance as I worked on this thesis. I am greatly indebted to Professor Robert Humphrey of George Washington University, in whose seminar on Mesoamerican archaeology I first became interested in the Olmec, and to his wife, Johanna Humphrey of the National Museum of Natural History, who introduced me to the Olmec collection of the Smithsonian Institution. For an invaluable—and very pleasant-opportunity to learn about the National Geographic-Smithsonian Institution expeditions from one of the participants, I would like to thank Marion Stirling Pugh, who graciously gave me the benefit of her memories about the field seasons in Southern Mexico. Her input and helpfulness cannot be overstated. George Stuart, Vice President for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society, spoke with me about the expeditions and their significance for Mesoamerican archaeology. I very much appreciate his assistance, and that of Richard Diehl and Sue Scott of the University of Alabama, who shared their reminiscences with me. My professors at American University-Richard J. Dent and Charles McNett— deserve sincere thanks for their advice and support, as do Dr. Lesley Gill, who made helpful suggestions about my proposal, and Dr. Dolores Koenig, whose thesis/dissertation seminar prodded me to make progress. The research staff of the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian i i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Institution, and of the Smithsonian Institution Archives, were also very helpful. Last but not least, my family’s supportive attitude was a fundamental source of encouragement* To these individuals, and to others who helped in innumerable ways, I express my thanks. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.............................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................iii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................1 2. AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW................................................... 5 3. THE EXPEDITIONS TO SOUTHERN MEXICO......................... 10 4. EXPEDITION SUMMARIES ......................................................15 5. OBJECTIVES AND INFLUENCES ........................................... 29 6. METHODOLOGY.....................................................................52 7. PUBLICATIONS...................................................................... 92 8. INTERPRETATION...............................................................102 9. CONCLUSIONS..................................................................... 115 APPENDICES............................................................................................ 122 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................... 128 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The Olmec were a pre-historic people who flourished between 1200 B.C. and 300 B.C. in what are now the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. Many scholars believe that the Olmec developed the first great civilization of Middle America. Although our current knowledge is very incomplete, present evidence leads some archaeologists to regard Olmec society as having been hierarchical in nature, with a ruling or priestly class ranked above social classes of lower standing. A hallmark of Olmec civilization was a distinctive and sophisticated art style, which found its strongest expression in sculpture- a style which can be observed in relatively small objects carved from jade and serpentine (such as masquettes, votive axes, and ear ornaments), as well as in giant sculptures carved from basalt. Although it sometimes contains representations of plants and animals, Olmec sculpture focused primarily on the human form (such as the colossal heads, which probably represented real individuals), or upon anthropomorphic beings (such as the “were-jaguar,” a creature with an amalgamation of human and feline characteristics). Much of Olmec sculpture is carved “in the round,” and is quite distinct from the sculptural styles of later Middle American cultures such as the Maya. In December 1995 and June 1996, major exhibits of Olmec art were mounted at the Princeton University Art Gallery and at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. The attention these exhibits received was remarkable, since the artistic expression of the people we call “Olmec” was virtually unknown,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Alfred Kidder II in the Development of American Archaeology: a Biographical and Contextual View Karen L
    Andean Past Volume 7 Article 14 2005 Alfred Kidder II in the Development of American Archaeology: A Biographical and Contextual View Karen L. Mohr Chavez deceased Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/andean_past Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Mohr Chavez, Karen L. (2005) "Alfred Kidder II in the Development of American Archaeology: A Biographical and Contextual View," Andean Past: Vol. 7 , Article 14. Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/andean_past/vol7/iss1/14 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Andean Past by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ALFRED KIDDER II IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY: A BIOGRAPHICAL AND CONTEXTUAL VIEW KAREN L. MOHR CHÁVEZ late of Central Michigan University (died August 25, 2001) Dedicated with love to my parents, Clifford F. L. Mohr and Grace R. Mohr, and to my mother-in-law, Martha Farfán de Chávez, and to the memory of my father-in-law, Manuel Chávez Ballón. INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY SERGIO J. CHÁVEZ1 corroborate crucial information with Karen’s notes and Kidder’s archive. Karen’s initial motivation to write this biography stemmed from the fact that she was one of Alfred INTRODUCTION Kidder II’s closest students at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as her main M.A. thesis This article is a biography of archaeologist Alfred and Ph.D. dissertation advisor and provided all Kidder II (1911-1984; Figure 1), a prominent necessary assistance, support, and guidance.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Irvine UC Irvine Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Irvine UC Irvine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Modern Monumentality: Art, Science, and the Making of Southern Mexico Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2fg292mm Author Kett, Robert John Publication Date 2015 Supplemental Material https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2fg292mm#supplemental Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Modern Monumentality: Art, Science, and the Making of Southern Mexico DISSERTATION submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Anthropology by Robert John Kett Dissertation Committee: Associate Professor Mei Zhan, Chair Professor George Marcus Professor Bill Maurer Associate Professor Rachel O’Toole 2015 Earlier version of Chapter 1 © 2014 California Academy of Sciences Earlier version of Chapter 5 © 2015 University of California Press All other material © 2015 Robert John Kett Dedication For Sue, Dwight, and Albert and in memory of Bob and Peggy. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv CURRICULUM VITAE v ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION vi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1 Ornithologists in Olman: Epistemological Ecologies in the Field and the Museum 20 CHAPTER 2 Pan-American Itineraries: Incorporating the Southern Mexican Frontier 44 CHAPTER 3 Modern Frictions: Plays for Territory at La Venta 74 CHAPTER 4 Monumentality as Method: Archaeology and Land Art in the Cold War 103 CHAPTER 5 Archiving Oil: The Practice and Politics of Information 142 BIBLIOGRAPHY 171 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation has benefitted from the kindness of many mentors, friends, family members, and collaborators. I would first like to thank my advisor, Mei Zhan, for being such a sympathetic guide during the conception and execution of this project.
    [Show full text]
  • Alfred Kroeber Died in Paris in His Eighty- O Fifth Year, Ending Six Decades of Continuous and Brilliant Pro- Ductivity
    NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES A L F R E D K ROE B ER 1876—1960 A Biographical Memoir by J U L I A N H . S TEWARD Any opinions expressed in this memoir are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences. Biographical Memoir COPYRIGHT 1962 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES WASHINGTON D.C. ALFRED LOUIS KROEBER June II, 1876-October 5, i960 BY JULIAN H. STEWARD THE LAST DAY N OCTOBER 5, i960, Alfred Kroeber died in Paris in his eighty- o fifth year, ending six decades of continuous and brilliant pro- ductivity. His professional reputation was second to none, and he was warmly respected by his colleagues as the dean of anthropology. Kroeber's insatiable curiosity had not been curtailed, his scientific writing had not slackened, and his zest for living was undiminished. His last illness, resulting from, a heart condition which had been in- curred during the Second World War, came less than an hour before his death. The fullness of Kroeber's life was manifest in many ways.1 He xFor much of the personal information, I have drawn upon several unpublished manuscripts written by Kroeber in 1958 and 1959 for the Bancroft Library: "Early Anthropology at Columbia," "Teaching Staff (at California)," and the typescript of an interview. Mrs. Kroeber has rilled me in on many details of his personal life, especially before 1925 when I first knew him, and Professor Robert Heizer has helped round out the picture in many ways. Important insights into Kroeber's childhood and youth are provided by the late Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Kubler's Sarcophagus
    Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/artm/article-pdf/4/1/3/720689/artm_a_00103.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 KuBler’S SarcophaguS cold War archaeologieS of The olmec periphery luis m. castaÑeda In the fall of 1959, as art historian George Kubler wrote The Art and Architecture of Ancient America (1962), he corresponded with scholars and curators to clarify the spotty provenance of the numerous objects his survey book would discuss. Many of these artifacts had enigmatic histories, few more so than La Venta Monument Six—a sarcophagus carved with zoomorphic imagery excavated at the site of La Venta, in the Mexican state of Tabasco, by American archaeologist Matthew Stirling. Since the late 1930s, Stirling had gained notoriety for rediscov- ering the art of the Olmecs, Mesoamerica’s oldest and then most mys- terious culture, fi rst studied in Mexico in the 1860s. Yet even decades after this rediscovery, most of the artifacts that Stirling examined were not well understood.1 For Kubler, the unique iconography of the sarcophagus excavated in the Olmec “heartland,” especially what he described as its “ideo- graphic notations,” seemed to connect it formally to the art of better- understood regions of Mesoamerica, such as the Maya region. Kubler suggested this despite the lack of conclusive archaeological evidence to 1 Matthew W. Stirling, “Discovering the New World’s Oldest Dated Work of Man,” National Geographic 76, no. 2 (August 1939): 183–218; and Stirling, “Great Stone Faces of the Mexican Jungle,” National Geographic 78, no. 3 (September 1940): 309–34. See also Stirling, Stone Monuments of Southern Mexico (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Offi ce, 1943).
    [Show full text]
  • PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT / Sheet 1 of 297
    PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT 7687 Lucero / PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT / sheet 1 of 297 UNCORRECTED PROOF Tseng 2006.6.21 09:30 Tseng 2006.6.21 09:30 7687 Lucero / PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT / sheet 2 of 297 UNCORRECTED PROOF PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT 7687 Lucero / PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT / sheet 3 of 297 Ideology, Ritual, and Power Lisa J. Lucero and Barbara W. Fash The University of Arizona Press Tucson UNCORRECTED PROOF Tseng 2006.6.21 09:30 7687 Lucero / PRECOLUMBIAN WATER MANAGEMENT / sheet 4 of 297 The University of Arizona Press © 2006 The Arizona Board of Regents All rights reserved This book is printed on acid-free, archival-quality paper. Manufactured in the United States of America 111009080706654321 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Precolumbian water management : ideology, ritual, and power / edited by Lisa J. Lucero and Barbara W. Fash. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-2314-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8165-2314-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Indians of Central America—Antiquities. 2. Indians of North America—Southwest, New—Antiquities. 3. Water-supply—Central America—Management—History. 4. Water-supply—Southwest, New—Management—History. 5. Water—Symbolic aspects—Central America. 6. Water—Symbolic aspects—Southwest, New. 7. Central America—Antiquities. 8. Southwest, New—Antiquities. I. Lucero, Lisa Joyce, 1962– II. Fash, Barbara W., 1955– F1434.2.W38P74 2006 333.91009720902—dc22 UNCORRECTED2006008686 PROOF Publication of this book is made possible in part by the proceeds of a permanent endowment created with the assistance of a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.
    [Show full text]
  • George Wilkins Kendall, Newsman, and a Party of Pleasure Seekers on the Prairie, 1851
    Nebraska History posts materials online for your personal use. Please remember that the contents of Nebraska History are copyrighted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (except for materials credited to other institutions). The NSHS retains its copyrights even to materials it posts on the web. For permission to re-use materials or for photo ordering information, please see: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine/permission.htm Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of Nebraska History and four issues of Nebraska History News annually. For membership information, see: http://nebraskahistory.org/admin/members/index.htm Article Title: George Wilkins Kendall, Newsman, and a Party of Pleasure Seekers on the Prairie, 1851 Full Citation: R Eli Paul, ed., “George Wilkins Kendall, Newsman, and a Party of Pleasure Seekers on the Prairie, 1851,” Nebraska History 64 (1983): 35-80 URL of article: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1983Kendall.pdf Date: 3/04/2014 Article Summary: Kendall was one of a group of travelers who had hoped to witness the signing of the Fort Laramie Treaty. Poor weather and bad luck forced them to cut their trip short. They did accompany a US Army detachment from Fort Kearny to the Pawnee Indian villages on the Platte. Cataloging Information: Names: George Wilkins Kendall, David Dawson Mitchell, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Henry W Wharton, Orson L Hyde, Perry E Brockus, Itz-cat-a-pa, F Jeffrey Deroine, Samuel Ellis [Allis], Harlow C Kingsbury, Malain, Shi-a-cha-rish, Double
    [Show full text]
  • Violencia Y Legitimación De La Dinámica Institucional En El Centro De Formación Juveni
    Los pigmentos naturales usados en Costa Rica: análisis preliminar de geomateriales y fragmentos cerámicos policromos de Guanacaste Matthieu Ménager1, 2*, Patricia Fernández1 y Silvia Salgado1 1Centro de Investigaciones Antropológicas (CIAN), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica 2Université d’Avignon, IMBE, UMR CNRS 6372 / IRD 237 / AMU, Avignon, Francia *Autor para contacto: [email protected] Resumen: En esta publicación, se aportan datos relacionados con la identificación de las principales fuentes de pigmentos publicadas en la literatura científica. Además, se presenta el análisis fisicoquímico de los geomateriales usados ahora en la zona de Guaitil (Costa Rica) y de seis tipos cerámicos procedentes de diferentes sitios arqueológicos (tipos Jicote Policromo, Jicote variedad felino, Birmania Policromo, Mora Policromo variedad Chircot, Altiplano Policromo, Mora Policromo variedad Guapote), por medio de las técnicas de análisis de fluorescencia de los rayos X (XRF), espectrometría infrarroja (FT-IR) y mi- croscopio electrónico de barrido (SEM-EDS). En el caso de los geomateriales usados por los alfareros de Guaitil como pigmento, (i) los rojos y blancos fueron caolinita con cuarzo y trazas de óxido de hierro, y (ii) el pigmento negro fue una mezcla de cuarzo, óxidos de manganeso, hematita y trazas de caolinita. En el caso de las cerámicas precolombinas, los engobes de Altiplano Policromo, Birmania Policromo y Mora Policromo variedad Chircot tuvieron una composición parecida con altos contenidos de meta-esmectita y cuarzo, aunque el engobe del fragmento de Mora Policromo variedad Guapote se compuso principalmente de meta-caolinita y cuarzo. Por un lado, los tiestos de Jicote tuvieron un engobe de composición diferente con la presencia de meta-emectita, cristobalita y hematita.
    [Show full text]
  • New Deal Archaeology in the Southeast: Wpa, Tva, Nps, 1934-1942
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1982 New Deal Archaeology in the Southeast: Wpa, Tva, Nps, 1934-1942. Edwin Austin Lyon II Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Lyon, Edwin Austin II, "New Deal Archaeology in the Southeast: Wpa, Tva, Nps, 1934-1942." (1982). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3728. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3728 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques Is provided to help you understand markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure you of complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark It is an indication that the film inspector noticed either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, or duplicate copy.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Resource Assessment Survey Lakewood Ranch Boulevard Extension Sarasota County, Florida
    CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY LAKEWOOD RANCH BOULEVARD EXTENSION SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA Performed for: Kimley-Horn 1777 Main Street, Suite 200 Sarasota, Florida 34326 Prepared by: Florida’s First Choice in Cultural Resource Management Archaeological Consultants, Inc. 8110 Blaikie Court, Suite A Sarasota, Florida 34240 (941) 379-6206 Toll Free: 1-800-735-9906 June 2016 CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY LAKEWOOD RANCH BOULEVARD EXTENSION SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA Performed for: Kimley-Horn 1777 Main Street, Suite 200 Sarasota, Florida 34326 By: Archaeological Consultants, Inc. 8110 Blaikie Court, Suite A Sarasota, Florida 34240 Marion M. Almy - Project Manager Lee Hutchinson - Project Archaeologist Katie Baar - Archaeologist Thomas Wilson - Architectural Historian June 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A cultural resource assessment survey (CRAS) of the Lakewood Ranch Boulevard Extension, in Sarasota, Florida, was performed by Archaeological Consultants, Inc (ACI). The purpose of this survey was to locate and identify any cultural resources within the project area and to assess their significance in terms of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the Sarasota County Register of Historic Places (SCRHP). This report is in compliance with the Historic Preservation Chapter of Apoxsee and Article III, Chapter 66 (Sub-Section 66-73) of the Sarasota County Code, as well as with Chapters 267 and 373, Florida Statutes (FS), Florida’s Coastal Management Program, and implementing state regulations regarding possible impact to significant historical properties. The report also meets specifications set forth in Chapter 1A-46, Florida Administrative Code (FAC) (revised August 21, 2002). Background research, including a review of the Florida Master Site File (FMSF), and the NRHP indicated no prehistoric archaeological sites were recorded in the project area.
    [Show full text]
  • Interregional “Landscapes of Movement” and the La Unión Archaeological District of Northeastern Costa Rica
    INTERREGIONAL “LANDSCAPES OF MOVEMENT” AND THE LA UNIÓN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISTRICT OF NORTHEASTERN COSTA RICA By Copyright 2012 Adam Kevin Benfer Submitted to the graduate degree program in the Department of Anthropology and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master’s of Arts. ______________________________ Dr. John W. Hoopes, Chairperson ______________________________ Dr. Peter H. Herlihy ______________________________ Dr. Frederic Sellet Date Defended: 4/12/2012 The Thesis Committee for Adam Kevin Benfer certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: INTERREGIONAL “LANDSCAPES OF MOVEMENT” AND THE LA UNIÓN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISTRICT OF NORTHEASTERN COSTA RICA ______________________________ Dr. John W. Hoopes, Chairperson Date approved: 4/18/2012 ii ABSTRACT In Costa Rica and the Circum-Caribbean, identifying the locations, functions, and evolution of past networks of human movement contributes to understanding pre-Hispanic interregional interactions and exchanges. I hypothesize the existence of Period VI (A.D. 1000 – 1550) routes of interdistrict movement between the northeastern Caribbean Lowlands and the Central Highlands of Costa Rica. To test this hypothesis, I use a multiple-method approach: archival research of historic roads and paths, archaeological reconnaissance of late pre-Hispanic features, and geographic information systems (GIS) least cost path (LCP) and least cost corridor (LCC) analyses. I discuss the possible functions and evaluate the roles of these routes among other interconnected networks. While archaeologists have documented some pre-Hispanic roads and paths in Costa Rica, few pre-Hispanic interregional routes of human movement have been identified. During the Colonial Period, the Spanish utilized these same landscapes of movement and waterscapes of movement for their own transportation and communication.
    [Show full text]
  • Fred H Sterns: a Pioneer in the Pursuit of Plains Prehistory
    Nebraska History posts materials online for your personal use. Please remember that the contents of Nebraska History are copyrighted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (except for materials credited to other institutions). The NSHS retains its copyrights even to materials it posts on the web. For permission to re-use materials or for photo ordering information, please see: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine/permission.htm Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of Nebraska History and four issues of Nebraska History News annually. For membership information, see: http://nebraskahistory.org/admin/members/index.htm Article Title: Fred H Sterns: A Pioneer in the Pursuit of Plains Prehistory Full Citation: David M Gradwohl, “Fred H Sterns: A Pioneer in the Pursuit of Plains Prehistory,” Nebraska History 59 (1978): 180-209. URL of article: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1978FredSterns.pdf Date: 10/6/2014 Article Summary: Frederick Henderson Sterns (1887-1951) was a pioneer in the study of Plains prehistory, in many ways ahead of his time in developing the scientifically-oriented archeology we take for granted today. He is noteworthy for his general problem-oriented research strategy, his method of interpreting the structural form of earth lodges, his use of stratigraphic data in individual site analyses, as well as the reconstruction of regional culture-history, and for his interest in settlement patterns and their possible social interactional correlates. Cataloging Information:
    [Show full text]
  • African Presence in the Americas Before Columbus
    African Presence in the Americas before Columbus “Africans not only came here (before the Vikings or any other Old World group) but they left an impact upon America’s first major civilization.” – Ivan Van Sertima Did African people come to the Americas (North, South, and Central America) before Columbus’s arrival in 1492? If so, what primary source of evidence do we have of their coming? The Olmec civilization is the oldest known civilization in the Americas (North America, South America, Central America, and the islands of the Caribbean). In fact, the Olmec high culture is considered the mother culture of America. The Olmec homeland was in what is today Mexico. The Olmec were known as the “jaguar people,” and they produced a very artistic, religious, and scientific culture. One of the important ceremonial centers for the Olmec was in La Venta, Mexico. The first evidence of African people interacting with the Olmec civilization comes from a team of archaeologists led by Matthew Stirling, which rediscovered a huge stone head in 1938. The massive head stood eight feet tall, weighed ten tons, and was first uncovered by peasants in Tres Zapotes, Mexico. It was a bodiless head that had on it a peculiar helmet. Stirling wrote in his description of it, “The features are bold and amazingly Negroid in character.” Later excavations at La Venta, right next to the oldest pyramid in America, would turn up even more colossal stone heads, with similar helmets and bearing resemblance to African people. How did these artifacts amount to evidence of an African presence and influence? Let’s examine the numerous facts below: The leading historian in this area, Ivan Van Sertima found that similar colossal, bodiless heads had been found in only one other location in the ancient world: Tanis, the main harbor for seagoing ships of ancient Egypt.
    [Show full text]