Date of Award

6-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Applied Archaeology

Department

Anthropology

First Reader/Committee Chair

Gusick, Amy

Abstract

In 1985 a settlement and subsistence model of seasonal round mobility was proposed by Statistical Research, Inc. This model proposed four travel routes used by the Late Prehistoric Serrano to access the higher elevation village site known as Rock Camp to gather acorns and pinyon nuts in the fall. This research investigates the proposed routes, as well as an additional route, for energy efficiency and archaeological evidence of use in prehistory. Data collection involved using experimental methods designed to gather controlled physiological data for evaluating the efficiency of traveling each route. Archaeological sites present on the travel routes and within the research area and were analyzed for elements indicative of prehistoric settlement characteristics. A combination of physiological evidence and archaeological evidence are the basis for determinations on which routes were most likely to have been used in prehistory. An analysis of the settlement model is also provided in order to provide future research with guidelines and context for evaluating sites within the region. Suggestions are provided for future studies to focus on chronology and expansion of the settlement model.

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