University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2008 Application of the Western Hemisphere Health Index to Prehistoric Populations from Tennessee and the Semi-arid North of Chile: A Comparative Bioarchaeological Study of the Implications of Subsistence Choice Elizabeth A. DiGangi University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation DiGangi, Elizabeth A., "Application of the Western Hemisphere Health Index to Prehistoric Populations from Tennessee and the Semi-arid North of Chile: A Comparative Bioarchaeological Study of the Implications of Subsistence Choice. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2008. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/377 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Elizabeth A. DiGangi entitled "Application of the Western Hemisphere Health Index to Prehistoric Populations from Tennessee and the Semi- arid North of Chile: A Comparative Bioarchaeological Study of the Implications of Subsistence Choice." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Anthropology. Murray K. Marks, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Lyle W. Konigsberg, Lydia M. Pulsipher, Lynne P. Sullivan Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Elizabeth Ann DiGangi entitled “Application of the Western Hemisphere Health Index to Prehistoric Populations from Tennessee and the Semi-arid North of Chile: A Comparative Bioarchaeological Study of the Implications of Subsistence Choice.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Anthropology. _____________________________ Murray K. Marks, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: ______________________________ Lyle W. Konigsberg ______________________________ Lydia M. Pulsipher ______________________________ Lynne P. Sullivan Accepted for the Council: _____________________________ Carolyn R. Hodges, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) APPLICATION OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE HEALTH INDEX TO PREHISTORIC POPULATIONS FROM TENNESSEE AND THE SEMI-ARID NORTH OF CHILE: A COMPARATIVE BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF SUBSISTENCE CHOICE A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Elizabeth Ann DiGangi May 2008 Copyright © by Elizabeth A. DiGangi All rights reserved. ii Dedication This work is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Brown and Eulace Peacock and to all the individuals whose remains I handled for this research. May their stories not be forgotten. “For in the seemingly little and insignificant things that accumulate to create a lifetime, the essence of our existence is captured.” – James Deetz (1977) iii Acknowledgments Twelve years ago when I began my higher education journey I could never have imagined that it would end with a Ph.D. and a dissertation being the last paper I had to write to earn a degree. Within the past couple of years especially there were times when the task of writing this dissertation seemed insurmountable. It was only through the support, encouragement, and inspiration from numerous individuals throughout my college and graduate school career that this achievement has been made possible. I would like to acknowledge each person who was instrumental in my decision to embark upon this journey and thank them for the role they played in the completion of this endeavor. I have chosen the study and practice of anthropology to be my life’s work, in large part due to an intro class I took as an undergraduate with Dr. Phil Stevens, of the University at Buffalo. His enthusiasm for the discipline enticed me to the major, and the rest is history. I am grateful to my Master’s committee members at UB – namely, Drs. Joyce Sirianni, Christine Duggleby, and Ted Steegman. The strong foundation I received while working on my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees helped immensely when I began Ph.D. coursework at The University of Tennessee. Each of my doctoral committee members have been instrumental in my intellectual development and I thank each of them for their insightful comments iv and suggestions regarding this and other research I’ve worked on. My committee chair, Dr. Murray Marks, is an inspiration. The knowledgeable and “cool” forensic anthropologist he personifies is what I want to be when I grow up. He played a key role in securing a graduate assistantship for my first year at UT, without which I would have been unable to attend the program. The encouragement and constructive criticism of my work he has given me over the years have helped with my scholarly development, for which I am appreciative. Dr. Lyle Konigsberg was the first person I met when visiting UT during the summer of 2001. He generously accepted my unannounced visit and took the time to speak with me regarding the program. Throughout the course of my tenure as a graduate student at UT, he always had an open-door policy (just so long as the carpet boundary was not breached), which I took advantage of often. Now that he no longer resides in Tennessee, I miss being able to pop in and ask random questions. I remain awestruck by his scholarship and can only hope that my contribution will even come close to rivaling his. Dr. Lynne Sullivan has been so much more than a member of my committee – at overlapping times throughout my years in Knoxville, she has been my boss, landlord, and most importantly, friend and mentor. When I received her two-volume, 800+ page dissertation from interlibrary loan, I immediately thought, “I’m not worthy” and realized how fortunate I was to have such a prominent scholar serve as a member of my committee. Her editorial v suggestions vastly improved this document, and I am grateful for her support and the countless tidbits of advice she’s given me over the years. I am thankful to Dr. Lydia Pulsipher for her kindness and overall support. I’ve enjoyed the conversations we’ve had and have been guided by her insightful suggestions. As the outside committee member, she helped me see my writing from a non-anthropologist’s viewpoint, which was helpful in clarifying many of my thoughts. Furthermore, I appreciate her self-described role in encouraging me to publish parts of this research and her willingness to mentor me. I look forward to developing that relationship and am really looking forward to my graduation celebration at her house! In addition to my committee members, there are a number of professors to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. I cannot begin to express my appreciation for everything Dr. Maria Rosado has done for me professionally and personally. She served as my liaison with the Chilean museum authorities, and made sure I had everything I needed during my two trips to La Serena. Traveling abroad alone can be daunting, but knowing that I had Maria to rely on was reassuring. I enjoyed not only working in the lab together, but spending time with her family on numerous outings. I am grateful for being welcomed into both her professional and personal life, and I look forward to future collaboration and friendship. vi I accompanied Dr. Gerald Schroedl on three trips to St. Kitts to serve as his field assistant for the Brimstone Hill Fortress archaeological field school. The opportunity this afforded me to live abroad while learning archaeology from such a prominent archaeologist was an invaluable one. Regardless of the fact that he says I will never be a “real” archaeologist because I can’t handle the cockroaches that inevitably accompany a field-living situation, everything I know about field methods I’ve learned under his tutelage, and I am prepared to conduct excavations of my own in the future (albeit preferably roach-free). In addition, the following professors helped me with one particular aspect or another of this dissertation: Drs. Dave Anderson, Sue Frankenberg, Donald Ortner, Maria Smith, and Richard Steckel and I would like to acknowledge each of them for their contribution. Drs. Walter Klippel and Steve Symes served on my advanced exams committee, and I am grateful for their time, advice, and support. The staff at both museums I visited was instrumental in facilitating my dissertation research. At the Frank H. McClung Museum: Dr. Jefferson Chapman, Dr. Lynne Sullivan, and Bobby Braly all deserve my thanks. Bob Pennington always assisted me with anything I might need – be it a lightbulb change or with borrowing the camera. My data collection experience was much facilitated by his help and continuous good cheer. vii I am equally grateful to the employees of the Museo Arqueológico in La Serena. The director of the museum, Sr. Gabriel Cobo, welcomed me with open arms as did the entire museum staff. Gonzalo Ampuero provided me with much needed information and graciously gave me a tour of the archaeological sites. Much of my understanding of the archaeology of the semi-arid North is a result of the numerous conversations we’ve had.