University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Teses, Dissertations, Professional Papers Graduate School 2015 Engendering the Past: An Archaeological Examination of the Precontact Lifeways of Women at Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park Cathy J. Beecher University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: htp://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Part of theArchaeological Anthropology Commons, and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons Recommended Citation Beecher, Cathy J., "Engendering the Past: An Archaeological Examination of the Precontact Lifeways of Women at Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park" (2015). Teses, Dissertations, Professional Papers. 4555. htp://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/4555 Tis Tesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Teses, Dissertations, Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Engendering the Past: An archaeological examination of the precontact lifeways of women at Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park By Cathy Jo Beecher B.A., Anthropology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 2011 Thesis Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Anthropology The University of Montana Missoula, MT Fall 2015 Approved By: Dr. J.B. Alexander Ross, Dean The Graduate School Dr. Douglas H. MacDonald, Chair Department of Anthropology Dr. John Douglas Department of Anthropology Dr. Dusten Hollist Department of Sociology Abstract Beecher, Cathy Jo, M.A., Winter 2015 Anthropology Engendering the Past: An archaeological examination of the lifeways of women in precontact Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Chairperson: Douglas H. MacDonald This thesis examines three lines of evidence within the precontact archaeological record around Yellowstone Lake, focusing on elucidating female-specific lifeways. This work is undertaken as a means to explore concepts of gender within precontact archaeological contexts. This aim is accomplished using statistical analysis of lithic tool distribution patterns, ethnohistoric information on plants found through archaeobotanical assays and the microspatial examination of cultural fire features. Variation in the use of obsidian and chert for unifacial tool manufacture indicates potential restrictions on the manufacture of gender specific tools as these stone resources become less available. In addition, a frame-of-reference is built by associating archaeobotanical remains with their ethnohistoric uses, including unique female-specific uses for pregnancy, menstruation and spiritual purposes. Finally, a microspatial analysis of cultural fire features reveals intentional creation of roasting and/or boiling pits, which indicates the processing of plant foods. Because these types of features require a greater investment of time and energy, and the processing of plants is typically a female-specific domain, the inference is that these were female-specific activity areas. The focus of this research is novel, in that it is the only work focused specifically on questions of gender and gender dynamics in precontact Yellowstone. Because gender is often overlooked or deemed too ephemeral to be gleaned from the archaeological record of hunter- gatherer societies, the implications of these findings are three-fold. First, there is a clear demonstration of the effective use of common methodological approaches in archaeology (statistical, ethnography, spatial analysis) in order to answer a question that is not commonly asked: “where are the women?” Second, the importance of understanding the lifeways of precontact people in the social context of group relations not only provides more nuanced understanding, but also breathes life into chronically depersonalized archaeological interpretations. Third, this work demonstrates the importance of utilizing previously collected archaeological data in order to build upon past research interpretations, which is in the interest of the sustainability of the archaeological enterprise. ii Table of Contents Engendering the Past: An archaeological examination of the precontact lifeways of women at Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park ............................................................................... i Abstract........................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. v List of Tables.............................................................................................................................. vi List of Photographs .................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Archaeological Research at Yellowstone Lake ............................................................. 6 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Culture History and Site Description .................................................................................... 9 2.3 Synthesis of Excavation Results ......................................................................................... 18 Artifacts ................................................................................................................................. 20 Archaeobotanical Remains .................................................................................................... 23 Cultural Features.................................................................................................................... 24 Cultural Affiliations with Yellowstone National Park/Greater Yellowstone Ecological Region.................................................................................................................................... 25 2.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 27 Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives & Literature Review ........................................................... 28 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 28 3.2 Gender as a concept............................................................................................................. 28 3.3 Implications for gender in archaeology ............................................................................... 29 3.4 Feminist Archaeology vs. Gender Archaeology ................................................................. 30 3.5 Theoretical Framework for Gender Studies at Yellowstone Lake ...................................... 33 Women and Tools .................................................................................................................. 35 Women and Flora .................................................................................................................. 38 Women and Space ................................................................................................................. 40 Chapter 4: Methods and Materials................................................................................................ 47 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 47 4.2 Materials.............................................................................................................................. 47 iii 4.3 Methods............................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 5: Lithic Analysis and Results ......................................................................................... 51 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 51 5.2 Methods............................................................................................................................... 57 5.3 Results ................................................................................................................................. 61 Tool types and the presence of cultural features ................................................................... 61 Tool and material type comparisons .......................................................................................... 67 Chapter 6: Analysis and Results of Archaeobotanical Remains ................................................... 74 6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 74 6.2 Analysis and Results: .......................................................................................................... 78 Archaeobotanical Remains and Cultural Features 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