Doctoral Dissertation Research: Boundaries, Style and Cultural Interaction in the U.S. Southwest

在芭芭拉·罗斯博士的指导下，大卫·约德将分析美国各地博物馆收藏的史前普韦布洛人尖头凉鞋。大部分被分析的藏品都是在50到100年前挖掘出来的，但关于普韦布洛人的尖头凉鞋是如何制作的，以及何时制作的，我们知之甚少。人们普遍认为，这些文物大约在公元700年至1100年间被使用，是所有北部普韦布洛人制造的，具有独特的四经纱构造方法。然而，很少有经验证据支持这些说法，在某些情况下直接与传统智慧相矛盾。在人工制品被用于研究人类行为之前，对其基本时间和地理性质的理解是必不可少的。该项目将通过物理和放射学分析以及放射性碳定年法对多个标本进行检查，从而对尖头普韦布洛凉鞋提供基本的了解。物理分析将侧重于基本测量、原材料和建筑风格。射线分析将利用软x射线射线照相技术（首次在重大考古研究项目中）来检查凉鞋隐藏的内部结构特征。10到15双凉鞋也将进行放射性碳测定。综合起来，这些数据将告诉考古学家普韦布洛人是如何、何时、在哪里制造和使用尖头凉鞋的。这项研究的最后，也是最重要的一个方面，就是利用这些信息来识别可能表明史前文化界限的鞋子的特定风格。是否存在这样的边界，边界的渗透程度，以及它们是否随着时间的推移而改变，可以增加我们对史前人类如何看待种族和身份的认识。这个项目在极大地造福考古学家的同时，也将为众多博物馆和广大公众提供必要的信息和帮助。大多数博物馆都没有关于他们所持有的凉鞋组合的描述或技术信息。为了改善这一状况，在项目完成后，所有参与的博物馆都将收到其藏品中文物的个别分析结果。还将提供帮助，协助博物馆创建展示史前普韦布洛人凉鞋的展览；帮助公众了解这些令人惊叹的史前遗迹。这个项目也将是第一个在重大考古研究项目中使用软x射线摄影技术的项目。这种方法允许不太密集的工件（例如易腐烂的物品）进行x射线照射，并且仍然产生高质量的可读图像。从本质上讲，它允许研究人员“看到”低密度人工制品的内部，揭示原本隐藏的建筑细节。软射线照相因其对易腐物品的适用性、非破坏性和低成本而非常有用。这个项目将开拓这项技术的应用，它的方法论，以及它在易腐研究中的实用性。

Under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Roth, David Yoder will analyze prehistoric Puebloan pointed-toed sandals from museum collections throughout the United States. Most of the collections to be analyzed were excavated 50 to 100 years ago, yet very little is known about how or when Puebloan pointed-toed sandals were made. General belief is that these artifacts were in use from approximately A.D. 700 - 1100, were made by all northern Puebloan groups, and had a distinctive four warp construction method. However, very little empirical proof backs these claims, and in some cases directly contradicts the conventional wisdom. An understanding of the basic temporal and geographic nature of an artifact is essential before it can be used to investigate human behavior. This project will provide this basic understanding for pointed-toed Puebloan sandals by examining multiple specimens through physical and radiographic analysis as well as radiocarbon dating. The physical analysis will focus on basic measurements, raw materials, and construction styles. The radiographic analysis will utilize soft-X ray radiography (for the first time in a major archaeological research program) to inspect the hidden internal construction characteristics of sandals. Ten to fifteen sandals will also be radiocarbon dated. When combined, these data will inform archaeologists how, when, and where Puebloan pointed-toed sandals were made and used. The final, and most important aspect of this research, will then be using this information to identify particular styles in footwear that may indicate prehistoric cultural boundaries. Whether such boundaries exist, the degree of permeability of the boundaries, and if they changed through time, can increase our knowledge of how prehistoric people viewed ethnicity and identity.This project, while greatly benefiting archaeologists, will also provide essential information and assistance to numerous museums and the public at large. Most museums have no descriptive or technical information on the sandal assemblages they hold. To help remedy this situation, upon completion, all participating museums will receive the results of the individual analysis of artifacts from their collections. Help will also be offered to assist the museums in the creation of displays that exhibit prehistoric Puebloan sandals; helping to inform the public on these amazing pieces of prehistory. This project will also be the first to use soft X-ray radiography in a major archaeological research program. This method permits artifacts that are not very dense, such as perishables, to be X-rayed and still produce readable images of high quality. In essence, it allows a researcher to 'see inside' an artifact of low density, revealing construction details that would otherwise be hidden. Soft radiography is extremely useful because of its applicability to perishables, non-destructive nature, and low cost. This project will pioneer the utility of this technique, its methodology, and its usefulness in perishable research.