Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "Van Buren, Mary, committee member"

Browsing by Author "Van Buren, Mary, committee member"

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Open Access
A biocultural examination of trauma from the Colorado State Insane Asylum skeletal collection, 1879-1899
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Leavitt-Reynolds, Alissa Anne, author; Magennis, Ann L., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Fiege, Mark T., committee member
This thesis uses a biocultural approach to study skeletal trauma present in the Colorado State Insane Asylum (CSIA) Skeletal Collection from 1879 to 1899. The biocultural approach utilizes both the physical remains and historic documentary material present for this collection to connect the skeletal findings with the cultural environment in which the individuals lived and died. Of the 166 individuals present (both complete and incomplete), 69% in the collection show at least one instance of trauma, while 31% show no evidence of trauma. This trauma rate includes both fractures and dislocations, or acute trauma, in addition to chronic trauma (Schmorl's Nodes). Males have the highest traumatic injury rates, with 40% of the sample having one or more fractures or dislocations. Females show a rate of 29% for acute trauma, while indeterminate sex individuals have a rate of 38%. The trauma results were then compared with contemporary, mostly Euroamerican, skeletal collections from the Albany Almshouse and the Oneida Asylum in New York to reveal that while all three institutions show similar rates of chronic trauma, the CSIA Collection has much higher rates of acute trauma -- nearly double that of the other populations. Ultimately, the analysis of trauma as undertaken in this research provides yet another line of evidence to better understand and contextualize the health and health risks of individuals and populations from the nineteenth-century American West, and more specifically, those in institutionalized care during that time.
Open Access
A rock and a hard place: exploring Fremont territoriality through the pinnacle architecture of Douglas Creek, Rio Blanco County, Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Bauer, Joshua A., author; LaBelle, Jason M., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Orsi, Jared, committee member
Fremont occupations in northwestern Colorado's Douglas Creek have long captured the attention of travelers and archaeologists. Spanish explorers in the 18th century dubbed its canyon corridor "El Cañon Pintado", due to the impressive rock art peppered throughout. Researchers in the 20th century were captivated by the masonry architecture perched on pinnacle landforms in the area and some wagered that they may have served defensive purposes. This was a warranted premise, considering the known territorial tendencies of Fremont peoples in the Uinta Basin, and the social and environmental changes that occurred around the time of the pinnacle occupations from 1000–1550 CE. This thesis represents the first synthetic study of seven pinnacle structures in Douglas Creek and undertakes to determine whether they were indeed defensive in nature through three research themes. Examined first are the physical conditions associated with the pinnacle sites and finds that they are in naturally defensible settings, such as inconspicuous locations on the landscape and areas with steep slopes, dangerous cliffs, and protective blinds. Architectural components of the structures are then assessed to understand how much planning and effort went into their construction. The results show that the masonry construction attests to attention and care on behalf of the architects, although the structures are not always so meticulously built, perhaps signaling a lack of resources on their part. Finally, viewsheds of each pinnacle site are analyzed, and the results reveal that they provide commanding views of the canyon corridor, arable land, and some storage granaries (another form of masonry architecture attributed to the Fremont). These results suggest that the Douglas Creek Fremont were engaged in a mostly passive form of defensibility but retained the option to actively engage in conflicts. This thesis offers these foregoing insights about the territorial postures assumed by Douglas Creek Fremont during a time of socioeconomic stress stemming from drought, demographic shifts, and increased regional conflicts.
Open Access
Archaeological investigations of the River Bluffs Open Space, Windsor, Colorado: a case study in cooperation between artifact collectors, the public, and archaeologists
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Anderson, Jessica E., author; LaBelle, Jason, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Manfredo, Michael, committee member
The River Bluffs Open Space, located in Windsor, Colorado has experienced changes to both its environment and its cultural resources throughout history. The Harvester site (5LR12641) and the Weinmeister site (5LR12174), located at the confluence of Fossil Creek and the Cache la Poudre River on the northern boundary of the Open Space, have been affected by agricultural practices from the 1950s until the early 1990s, as well as amateur artifact collecting for nearly the same amount of time. The land now belongs to Larimer County and has been developed as the River Bluffs Open Space and as an extension of the Poudre River Trail. The transition of the Open Space from private land to publicly owned recreation space allows archaeologists and education professionals an opportunity to engage the public in local archaeological education. However, this opportunity would have been impossible without the help and involvement of Garry Weinmeister, the owner of a large extant collection of Native American artifacts collected from the Open Space. The goal of this thesis is to highlight the importance of archaeologists and artifact collectors working collectively towards a better understanding of the past. Each party has specialized knowledge concerning the past, either through independent research and extensive local knowledge, or painstakingly connecting the local idiosyncrasies of the past into a larger methodological and theoretical framework. By combining archaeological survey work on the Harvester site with an extant artifact collection from the Harvester and Weinmeister sites, my thesis research presents a well-rounded archaeological interpretation of the Open Space, which would have been lost without the help of a private collector. To answer specific archaeological questions about the prehistoric uses of the River Bluffs Open Space property, this research addresses the mobility practices of Early Ceramic groups. Movement between two diverse environments, the mountains and the plains, is evident based upon the analysis of the raw materials of 120 projectile points from Weinmeister's private collection. In addition, the analysis of one of the largest assemblages of small, incised, tubular bone beads yet found in eastern Colorado addresses the connections of the River Bluffs Open Space with the Plains Woodland cultures from the Plains of Nebraska and Kansas. This research suggests that the River Bluffs Open Space was part of both eastern and western cultural traditions. Finally, the River Bluffs Open Space was developed for public recreation. Therefore, a chapter of this work is devoted to detailing the importance of archaeological site stewardship. This is completed through detailing the different groups of the public affected by this research, and the creation of an interpretive sign that imparts the archaeological story the River Bluffs Open Space.
Open Access
Architectural patterning in the Purepecha heartland: an intrasite settlement study at the urban center of Sacapu Angamuco, Michoacán, México
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Bush, Jason W., author; Fisher, Christopher, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Laituri, Melinda, committee member
The overall goal of this thesis is to examine the architectural patterns of Sacapu Angamuco (Angamuco), a recently discovered Early-Middle Postclassic (A.D. 900-1350) urban settlement in the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin (LPB), Michoacán, Mexico that is located on an ancient lava flow, or malpais, and was extensively modified by prehispanic inhabitants to construct thousands of structures such as platforms, mounds, plazas, passages, stairs, and temples. Central to this thesis is how prehispanic residents of Angamuco organized their buildings and social space. The study of architectural remains is one critical component of ancient urbanism which is fundamental to Mesoamerican societies. Angamuco provides a rich opportunity to understand urbanism in the LPB. Understanding the spatial context of buildings and how they are grouped in functionally discernable ways is crucial to interpreting the internal function(s) of the settlement, as well as contributing to regional settlement pattern analyses. This thesis incorporates intensive survey using GPS, GIS, and remote sensing to document architecture and analyze the spatial patterns of architecture at Angamuco using data from the 2010 field season. An overview of relevant definitions and approaches to Mesoamerican urban settlement studies and the study of spatial patterning and classification of architecture is presented. A description of the physical setting of the LPB and Angamuco, the cultural-historical background of the region, and background information on previous archaeological work addressing urbanism, settlement patterns, and architecture in the LPB region is discussed. The research methodology used to collect data on Angamuco's architecture and settlement patterns is reviewed. The core of this work concerns an analysis of Angamuco architecture, beginning with description of the form and function of individual architectural features and analysis of architectural group form and patterning in the study area. Finally, the analysis is synthesized with the questions guiding this research, as well as current knowledge about Postclassic urbanism in the LPB and beyond. Ultimately, it is hoped that work at Angamuco will improve understanding of Postclassic LPB architecture, settlement patterns, and the role of cities before and during the development of the Tarascan Empire.
Open Access
Basura del mundo, La: cambio social, distopía y consumo en las novelas futuristas Waslala y Zombie
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Losada-Carballares, María, author; Esch, Sophie, advisor; Purdy, Andrea, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member
The yearning to find utopia is a feeling shared by humanity for centuries. Science fiction and futuristic novels –such as Waslala, memorial del futuro by Gioconda Belli and Zombie by Mike Wilson- have been some of the most prominent literary genres to portray that longing. However, most of the novels focus their narrative on dystopias. Both Waslala and Zombie use dystopian elements to portray the present –or past- with the goal of making dystopias disappear in the future. In this essay, the intent is to analyze the representation of dystopia in these futuristic novels, as well as to show how some characters have the ability to build micro-utopias in unfavorable surroundings. Firstly, I will explain why I do not consider Waslala and Zombie to be science fiction novels –a genre in which science and technology are the main elements that maintain the narrative- and are futuristic novels instead. I will also explore the motivation of finding a utopia. In Waslala it starts with the construction of a Latin American identity, as well as with the elimination of impositions from the North and from local dictatorships. In Zombie, on the other hand, some characters are able to build their own utopias thanks to the perception of what surrounds them. However, the depiction of dystopias is what characterizes both novels, especially through the imposition of northern capitalism on the Global South. Consumerism stands out among those capitalist impositions; Wilson criticizes it through the figure of the zombie and Belli denounces it through the representation of Engracia's landfill, for consumerism produces large amounts of garbage, which is sent to the Global South to secure the North's comfort. The authors are therefore providing a social critique, and also appeal to the readers to change their current situation and behavior.
Open Access
Bringing it all back home: Early Ceramic period residential occupation at the Kinney Spring Site (5LR144c), Larimer County, Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Perlmutter, Benjamin, author; LaBelle, Jason M., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Fish Kashay, Jennifer, committee member
The Kinney Spring site (5LR144c) was excavated by the Colorado State University archaeological field school during the summers of 1983 through 1985. Rich cultural deposits were recovered which indicated reoccupation of the site from the Middle Archaic period through the Early Ceramic period, however the densest concentrations of artifacts were associated with Early Ceramic occupations (A.D. 150-1150). This research focuses on the Early Ceramic period at the site. The first part of this thesis aims to define the Late Prehistoric period chronology for the site by first defining where the Late Prehistoric component begins in the stratigraphic column. Analysis determined that there is sparse evidence for Middle Ceramic and possibly Protohistoric period occupation of the site based on diagnostic artifacts, although this is not sufficient to define any Middle Ceramic or Protohistoric components. The second part of this thesis explores the Early Ceramic component in greater detail. Artifact accumulations and radiocarbon dates suggest that Kinney Spring was reoccupied multiple times during the Early Ceramic period, suggesting that the site was an important part of the regional Early Ceramic era settlement system. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that occupational intensity increased here during the Early Ceramic, likely in response to increasing regional population pressure.
Open Access
Communal hunting in the Colorado high country: archaeological investigations of three game drive sites near Rollins Pass, Grand County, Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Whittenburg, Aaron M., author; LaBelle, Jason M., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Boone, Randall, committee member
The pioneering efforts of James Benedict and Byron Olson demonstrated the importance of alpine communal game drives in the lives of prehistoric Native American populations living in northern Colorado. Their research resulted in numerous books and journal publications on alpine and sub-alpine sites from Rocky Mountain National Park southward to the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Unfortunately, their meticulous work on the spectacular sites at Rollins Pass remained unpublished. This thesis presents their data and additional data collected by the author, Jason LaBelle, and the Center for Mountain and Plains Archaeology at Colorado State University. This thesis is an archaeological investigation of three alpine game drive sites (5GA35, 5GA36, and 5GA37) and a nearby lithic scatter (5GA4268). As of September 2015, 80 hunting blinds, 1,935 meters of walls, and 15 cairns and two additional cairn lines have been recorded between the three game drives. Diagnostic projectile points demonstrate Late Archaic through Late Prehistoric use. The chipped stone debitage assemblage is representative of late-stage production or maintenance of stone tools and only a limited amount of initial reduction occurred on-site. Raw material types for the artifact assemblage are dominated by Middle Park sources, namely Troublesome Formation chert, indicating groups moved into the alpine zone from the intermountain basins from the west. Spatial analysis of blind morphology and density show that groups were constructing game drives in such a way as to maximize the number of hunters near areas of wall convergence in the kill zone, the most critical location of the game drive. The relationship between features and artifacts suggests that artifacts found within 20 meters of blinds are directly related to the hunt itself while artifacts found outside this range may relate to pre-hunt or post-hunt activities. Protein residue analysis suggests that elk and/or deer may have been a target species at these sites. Spatial analyses of the relationship of artifacts to features indicate a limited amount of post-hunt processing occurred in the kill zone, while blinds served critical roles throughout all phases of the hunt. 5GA4268 is interpreted as a specialized processing site associated with 5GA35. Use wear analysis indicates that scraping hide was the dominant activity at 5GA4268. This thesis illustrates the merit of applying spatial analyses to feature and artifact attributes to gain a more holistic interpretation of human behaviors associated with alpine communal hunting sites.
Open Access
Cooking with rock: an investigation of prehistoric hearth morphology in northern Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Troyer, Michael D., author; LaBelle, Jason M., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Denning, Scott M., committee member; Flather, Curtis H., committee member
Hearths are a focal point for the organization of prehistoric hunter-gatherer activities, and can reveal a wealth of information regarding subsistence, settlement, chronology, and technology. However, despite the direct association with human behavior and the breadth of information these features offer the archaeologist, hearth morphology and the distribution of different feature types through time and space has largely been ignored. With this in mind, this research will address three main questions: are there temporal and spatial patterns to hearth morphology; are there spatial and temporal patterns in the material recovered from hearth features; and do changes in hearth morphology through time coincide with documented changes in paleoclimate, and other systemic changes in prehistoric culture? This study is focused on Boulder, Grand, Jackson, Larimer, and Weld counties of northern Colorado, and utilizes 190 radiocarbon dated hearth features, representing 72 individual archaeological sites. The features used in this study range in age from Paleoindian to Protohistoric, and are distributed across plains, foothills, montane, and subalpine/alpine environments. Collectively, this research seeks to better understand specific adaptive changes in past human culture, their causes and correlations, and how these changes in prehistoric culture are manifest in the distribution and morphology of hearth features in northern Colorado.
Open Access
Crazy bones: evidence of insanity in the skeletal collection of the Colorado State Insane Asylum
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) McGloin, Cashel A., author; Magennis, Ann, advisor; Ore, Janet, committee member; Van Buren, Mary, committee member
Excavations of a forgotten cemetery of the Colorado Insane Asylum yielded the skeletons of approximately 155 individuals buried between 1879 and 1899. The collection exhibited a number of abnormalities that could be related to pathological conditions that may have been the cause of insanity for those present. The skeletons were examined for abnormalities, especially to the crania, and these abnormalities were compared to conditions that may have afflicted Victorian populations and resulted in insanity. In particular, several crania, while normal in appearance, were extremely heavy. Radiographs were taken of these crania to see if any pathological conditions known to be associated with both heavy crania and insanity could be found. Forty of the skeletons were tested for the presence of heavy metals, specifically focusing on the individuals who had signs of syphilis. It was hoped that, as mercury was the most common treatment for syphilis at the time, the presence of mercury might be useful in distinguishing syphilitic infection from other pathologies of the bone. Arsenic, copper, lead, manganese and zinc levels were also examined, as all were metals common in the period of the asylum, and all are associated with mental disruptions in high enough doses. Although it is not possible to definitely link skeletal remains to specific mental conditions, some abnormalities that seem to be linked to insanity were found.
Open Access
Exploring the use and life of Mantle's Cave (5MF1) through spatial analysis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Brooks, Erika Thiel, author; LaBelle, Jason M., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Payne, Sarah, committee member
Rediscovered in the early 1900s, the captivating artifacts from Mantle's Cave (5MF1) caught the attention of enthusiasts and archaeologists alike. Nestled above the banks of the Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument, the alcove cave was used by the Fremont (A.D. 1-1350) peoples. The site's primary excavation was completed by Charles R. Scoggin and Edison P. Lohr from 1939-1940 who were employed by the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. Their work generated the primary interpretation of the site as a storage facility and has been supported by subsequent research. This thesis works with the collection and archives related to the work of the University of Colorado to reconstruct how Mantle's Cave was used. Using literature on the markers of habitation, storage, and ritual behavior, this project evaluated how and where these elements were present at the site. This project found several markers of activity beyond storage was present at the site. An assessment of temporal data from the site was another component of this project. The results of this project suggest that Mantle's Cave was a place that Fremont people and some earlier people frequented to store items and complete a variety of everyday tasks.
Open Access
Greek colonial expansion: impacts on Illyrian physical activities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Wright, Jennifer, author; Magennis, Ann, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Lacy, Michael, committee member
As countries conquer and colonize new territories, their level of exploitation tends to coincide with how indigenous populations are used. However, this level of exploitation is wholly dependent upon local technology and colonial policies. Colonial research in the Americas indicates that after the colonial conquest, native inhabitants' lives were impacted negatively due to changes in health and diet (Klaus et al., 2009; Larsen, 1987; 1994; Larsen et al., 2001). I hypothesize that a similar situation may have taken place during the Hellenistic expansion into Illyria (modern Albania). This research will test the null hypothesis that physical activity levels, as evidenced by osteoarthritis in human skeletons, remained constant at Epidamnus, and Apollonia, Albania during Greek colonial expansion (620 BCE-229 BCE). To test this hypothesis, I examined skeletal remains for severity and prevalence of osteoarthritis among ancient Illyrians and their Corinthian colonizers. In an effort to test these differences between pre- and post-colonial populations a comparison is made between males and females. In addition, adults were differentiated from one another by age groups consisting of Young adults (18-34), Middle-age adults (35-49), and Older adults (50+). These skeletal remains come from precolonial sites that include Lofkënd, Corinth, and Apollonia, along with the postcolonial sites of Corinth, Apollonian, and Epidamnus.
Open Access
Historias del Kronen: análisis de las diferencias argumentales entre la novela y la adaptación cinematográfica, y su impacto en la recepción
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Mena Molina, Sofía Margarita, author; Pedrós-Gascón, Antonio F., advisor; López-Cabrales, María del Mar, committee member; Van Buren, Mary, committee member
This research paper has the purpose to analyze the literary work of Stories from the Kronen (1994) from José Ángel Mañas, as well as to create a more in-depth search of the topic using the film adaptation by director Montxo Armendáriz (1995) in which Mañas participates in the creation of the plot. This collaboration generates changes in the final product, some of such changes caused the novel to be far apart from the film, and some others reinforce the novel in a strategic way. In order to succeed in the analysis, it is necessary to establish a historical, sociological, political, and psychological frame. And to this end, it will be discussed the phenomenon of the Transition, the Disenchantment, the "pasotismo", the Spanish "Movida", the Generation X, the racism, the migration, and the misogyny of the Spain represented in Stories from the Kronen.
Open Access
Imaginario y silencios en la literatura sobre tres paramilitares líderes de las "Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia" (la autobiografía de Carlos Castaño, la biografía de Salvatore Mancuso y la novela sobre Rodrigo Tovar Pupo)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Jiménez Alfonso, Camilo Alberto, author; Leal, Francisco, advisor; López, Maria del Mar, committee member; Van Buren, Mary, committee member
In this paper I analyze three books an autobiography, Mi confesión: Carlos Castaño revela sus secretos; a biography, Salvatore Mancuso su vida; and a novel, Líbranos del bien. Each one of them tells the life of one of the bosses of the Self-Defenses Forces of Colombia, an organization that coordinated many paramilitary groups in Colombia. The questions of this investigation are: What images do these books create about the figure of the paramilitary whose life is narrated? And what image do those books create about the paramilitary group as a phenomenon? The main claim of this work is that the three books present an indulgent image of both the character and the phenomenon. On one hand, the three books justify in one way or another the existence of the paramilitary groups; on the other hand, all of them emphasize the human aspect of the characters and reduce their crimes. Two of these books are directly related with a political discussion that was born around the demobilization process of the paramilitary groups related with the Self-Defenses Forces of Colombia between 2002 and 2006. One of the main points of this discussion was to establish if the Self-Defenses Forces of Colombia was an armed criminal organization or a political organization, and for this reason this thesis should be framed in a wider context, with the use of literature as an ideological vehicle.
Open Access
Methods of dating glass beads from protohistoric sites in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) von Wedell, Christopher R., author; LaBelle, Jason M., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Zahran, Sammy J., committee member
Morphological characteristics and chemical trace elements counts acquired using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry analyses were documented for glass trade beads from 24 protohistoric archaeological assemblages in the South Platte River Basin. The resulting database was used to provide quantitative descriptions of each recorded assemblage and to characterize the types of glass beads currently reported in the region. Statistical analyses were then conducted to determine if and to what extent morphological and chemical traits change through time. Characteristics of beads in dated contexts were then used to develop a linear regression model in an attempt to determine if it is possible to estimate the age of beads from undated contexts. It is concluded that morphological and chemical characteristics of glass beads in dated contexts can be used to estimate the age of glass beads in undated contexts using linear regression. The results of this thesis demonstrate that morphological characteristics are currently more accurate and precise than chemistry although both methods hold potential for revision and improvement as more dated sites become available to supplement the statistical models.
Open Access
Peter Village and the delineation of space: new research at an unusual enclosure in central Kentucky
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) DeSanto, Carly M., author; Henry, Edward R., advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Choi, Jane, committee member; Carman, Scott, committee member
After over a century of research, archaeologists still identify one of the most important characteristics of the Early and Middle Woodland Period in the Middle Ohio Valley region as the construction, maintenance, and use of small geometric ditch-and-embankment earthen enclosures. However, the Peter Village site (15Fa166), located in Fayette County, Kentucky, is a ditch-and-embankment earthen enclosure that is both non-geometric and unusually large. Past archaeological summaries of Peter Village have classified it as an example of a non-mortuary site in the region, though its exact purpose remains unknown. Recent archaeological research I conducted on this atypical enclosure includes analyses of LiDAR-derived topographic visualizations, subsurface geophysical surveys, soil cores, and the construction of a new radiocarbon chronology that employs Bayesian statistical modeling. The result of my work provides new insights into the delineation of space at Peter Village. My data indicate that a second, previously undefined, embankment likely exists exterior to the ditch. There is also evidence from my geophysical imagery that shows the enclosure's entrance and associated linear features in the southern, interior portion of the site. Finally, new radiocarbon data suggests that Peter Village is potentially one of the earliest examples of a ditch-and-embankment enclosure in the Middle Ohio Valley region. Using these new diverse datasets collected via multiple geoarchaeological methods, I argue that enclosure features like those present at Peter Village require us to reconsider their early monumental nature. Moreover, the identification of multiple embankments forces us to reconsider changes in the delineation of space at the site. Peter Village serves as an important example of how a multi-scalar archaeological investigation can expand upon previous archaeological research.
Open Access
Power inequity and the repatriation right in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Green, Christopher, author; Pickering, Kathleen, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Rollin, Bernard, committee member
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 sought to empower Native communities to reattain their ancestral human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. Issues both in theory and in practice have arisen in regard to the law and have made implementation difficult and controversial. This paper seeks to analyze the power provided by the legislation and how it applied in the practice of compliance. This power dynamic is then reconciled within the repatriation ethic of the United States as well as internationally. As the scope broadens, an international repatriation ethic emerges that establishes repatriation of culturally affiliatable human remains and sacred objects as a basic human right for indigenous peoples.
Open Access
Prehistoric land use, site placement and an archaeological legacy along the foothills of the Colorado Northern Front Range
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Holland, Caitlin A., author; LaBelle, Jason, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Orsi, Jared, committee member
This research takes place in the Colorado Front Range foothills in Northern Colorado. Previous artifact collections were recovered in past decades from sixty-six prehistoric sites and isolated finds within a bounded geographical area that includes the Dakota and Lyons hogbacks west of the city of Loveland in Larimer county. The first part of this thesis presents the artifact collections used in this analysis of Edison Lohr (1947), Lauri Travis (1986; 1988), Calvin Jennings (1988), and the work of the Center for Mountain and Plains Archaeology (2015-2017). The second part of this thesis explores the cultural chronology of the region and that of the study area. The study area reflects mostly the ephemeral behavior of indigenous groups along with small diverse activity sites that date between the Folsom period and Protohistoric era, with most sites dating between the Early Archaic and the Early Ceramic periods. Environmental variables that could have played a role in indigenous settlement and mobility patterns are evaluated, such as desirable raw material used for grinding tools. Only eight sites illustrate long-term intensive reoccupation of the foothills. The data shows that this landscape is a temporary exploitation space for indigenous groups passing through to access the Southern Rocky Mountains to the west or the Great Plains to the east.
Open Access
Primer tercio del siglo XIX en las novelas de Arturo Pérez-Reverte, El: guerra, historia e ideología
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) López Ramírez, María del Carmen, author; Pedrós-Gascón, Antonio F., advisor; López-Cabrales, María del Mar, committee member; Van Buren, Mary, committee member
The work of the Spanish novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte has had a considerable critical reception, but most of these critics focus on the analysis of narrative resources used by the author and avoid inquiring into the ideology that underlies its novel output. In the present study we analyze the ideology inherent in the historical novels of Pérez-Reverte that focus on the first third of the nineteenth century --the period that runs from the end of the reign of Charles IV, the Spanish War of Independence and the liberal and absolutist periods of the second decade of the century--. This is done by examining the development of various concepts of vital importance in the narrative of Pérez-Reverte: war, history and ideology. These concepts will be studied in the novels El húsar, La sombra del águila, Territorio comanche, Cabo Trafalgar, Un día de cólera and El asedio. In this study, these novels are divided into two groups according to the evolution that the author experienced during his career novel, which begins under the influence of a liberal trend and ends with an ideological vision closer to nationalism and traditionalism. This research aims to demonstrate how Pérez-Reverte does a critical examination of the past so that the reader can connect it with the present and recover "some" collective memory and a "lost" national identity constructed through the narration of certain episodes of national history.
Open Access
The Claude C. and A. Lynn Coffin Lindenmeier collection: an innovative method for analysis of privately held artifact collections and new information on a Folsom campsite in northern Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2002) Gantt, Erik M., author; Todd, Larry, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; Albright, John, 1937-, committee member
The Claude C. and A. Lynn Coffin Lindenmeier collection contains 1,125 pieces, 1,122 of which are chipped stone artifacts, collected from the Lindenmeier Folsom campsite between 1924 and the mid 1950s. A. Lynn Coffin, Judge Claude C. Coffin, and C. K. Collins are credited with discovering Lindenmeier adding historical significance to this collection. Furthermore, the size of the Coffin family assemblage from Lindenmeier is significant in comparison to the other known artifacts from the site curated by the Smithsonian and the Fort Collins Museum. The Coffin family assemblage from Lindenmeier more than three times as large as that held by the Fort Collins Museum (n=333) (Ambler 1999), more than four times that collected by the Denver Museum of Natural History (n=278) (Cotter 1978), and a significant portion of the number of diagnostic artifacts held by the Smithsonian (Wilmsen and Roberts 1978). Included with the collection is the 'Folsom Man' scrapbook compiled by Judge Claude C. Coffin. This scrapbook contains a wealth of unpublished information on the history of the initiation of professional investigations at the site. The scrapbook is summarized and many of the letter[s] and photographs contained within are presented here. Access to the Claude C. and A. Lynn Coffin materials is highly controlled, because of the stewardship concern for preserving the integrity of the artifacts, and has necessitated a new recording methodology to record basic information about the collection. In response to this need, an image based computer measurement method using the SigmaScan Pro 5.0 image analysis program was developed. This is presented here along with an assessment of the validity and comparability of the methodology. It is shown that the image and computer based method, which allows rapid initial photographic data collection, is valid and comparable to that of a caliper based measurement method. The results from the computer based method are also shown to have a high degree of internal consistency and to be comparable with measurements from analyses on other collections from the site. The results from the documentation of this important assemblage are then compared to and combined with the data from the Major Roy G. Coffin collection, housed at the Fort Collins Museum, and the Smithsonian collection from the site. General trends of donation behavior on the part of the Coffin family are discussed, and comparisons are drawn between relative frequencies of artifact types represented in the Coffin family collection and the Smithsonian collections. Information on post-Folsom occupations at the site is amended based on artifact types.
Open Access
The cultural significance of modern human morphology
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Kruse, Andy, author; Glantz, Mica, advisor; Van Buren, Mary, committee member; LaBelle, Jason, committee member; Fiege, Mark, committee member
The dominant opinion in paleoanthropology maintains that 'modern' behavior resulted from innovations made by anatomically modern humans without the development of this behavior in archaic hominin groups. To a large degree, the archaeological record supports this dogma since much of the evidence for 'modern' behavior is found associated with anatomically modern human fossils. However, other evidence is surfacing that suggests 'modern' behaviors to be associated with other hominin groups independently of modern humans. Through a comparative analysis of 15 Pleistocene Neanderthal and modern human sites from Africa, the Levant, and Eurasia, I test this longstanding assumption. While my results reveal that anatomically modern humans do in fact appear to be the dominant producers of 'modern' behavior, evidence for this behavior is also conclusively present in Neanderthals. Therefore we can declare that 'modern' behavior does not match modern morphology in the archaeological record and thus reject the dogma that anatomically modern humans were the sole producers of 'modern' behavior. Additionally I find that the evolution of these behaviors was not a straightforward progression, but a mosaic of developments that varied across region, period, and species.