Steward's southern Great Basin research validated through obsidian artifact sources

Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis of obsidian artifacts collected from ethnohistoric sites in southern Nevada revealed patterns consistent with Julian Steward's documentation of Western Shoshone socioeconomics. Specific obsidian sources were predicted to be present in artifact samples collected from six sites in the study area. Predictions were based on Steward's documentation of Lida Vicinity, Kawich Mountains, and Beatty/Belted Mountains Shoshone subsistence travels and inter-district festival relationships. Using Steward's data, criteria were established for field identification of Shoshone winter camps. Data review and field reconnaissance resulted in identifying six camps. Samples of obsidian tool manufacturing/maintenance debris collected from the sites were submitted for geochemical analysis. Results indicate that Shoshone people of the study area mostly procured obsidians during subsistence travels, but some were acquired during inter-district subsistence activities and fall festival events.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

2002

Author dc:creator

• Haarklau, Lynn Ellen

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alan Simmons

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/1424

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-2423