Doctoral Dissertation Research: An Archaeological Examination of Shoshone Collective Action

在Bruce B. Huckell博士的指导下，Matt O'Brien将进行以合作狩猎的社会经济组织为中心的论文研究。人类是在狩猎和采集环境中进化而来的，现代群体的多种社会组织形式都源于这一基础。从平均主义到复杂的社会分层社会的转变是如何发生的，这是一个核心的考古学问题，本研究项目侧重于这个问题。奥布莱恩先生的论文研究从考古学的角度探讨了社区狩猎中的社会经济不平等问题。合作项目将重点分析伊登法尔森遗址的动物群落。伊登法尔森是一个原始历史时期（公元1350 - 1750年）肖肖尼人的营地，有220多具叉角羚的骨骼遗骸。该遗址本身被12个独立的家庭单位所占据，羚羊的遗骸被发现与所有这些家庭都有联系。通过确定每块肉的分配方式（有些是可选择的，有些则不是），奥布莱恩可以深入了解每个家庭的相对地位。肖肖尼人的社会结构被认为是平等主义的典型例子，具有有限的老人统治和流动的群体关系。然而，在斯内克河沿岸季节性捕鱼期间，关于临时领导的民族历史记载有限。虽然肖肖尼人以其多样化的饮食而闻名，但叉角羚在有马之前的肖肖尼人中扮演了重要的生存角色。拟议的项目有助于研究落基山脉和高平原的肖肖尼人的史前史，但也延伸到人类学理论到过去的社会组织。首先，本研究将开始填补西部高平原和落基山脉的史前晚期到原历史时期的空白。其次，它将提供一个机会，将考古证据与肖肖尼文化的现有民族志记录联系起来。这项研究提供了一个案例研究，以检验从当代觅食者的经验观察中发展出来的共享概念或模型是否可以应用于过去。传统的区系分析与创新的方法相结合，为过去的生活方式提供了更全面的解释。本论文的研究还提供了更广泛的影响，超出了那些专注于史前食物共享。这项研究将为副主任提供一个进行独立研究的重要机会，这将有助于他的专业发展。这项研究的结果将通过未来同行评议的出版物和在国家认可的会议上的报告提供给人类学社区。从物流的角度来看，这项研究将根据怀俄明州的标准对Eden Farson收藏进行管理，这将为未来的研究提供访问这些组合的机会。

Under the direction of Dr. Bruce B. Huckell, Matt O'Brien will conduct dissertation research that centers on the socioeconomic organization of cooperative hunting. Humans evolved in a hunting and gathering milieu and the multiple forms of social organization that characterize modern groups all derive from this underlying base. How the transformation from egalitarianism to complex social stratified societies took place constitutes a central archaeological question and this research project focuses on this issue. Mr. O'Brien's dissertation research addresses the question of socioeconomic inequalities in communal hunts from an archaeological perspective. The Co-PI will focus the analysis on the faunal assemblage from the Eden Farson site. Eden Farson is a Protohistoric period (AD 1350 - 1750) Shoshone campsite with the skeletal remains of over 220 pronghorn antelope. The site itself was occupied by 12 separate family units and the antelope remains were found in association with all of them. By determining how individual cuts of meat -- some choice and some less so -- were distributed, Mr O'Brien can gain insight into the relative status of each household. Shoshone social structure is considered a classic example of egalitarianism with a limited gerontocracy and fluid group affiliation. Yet, there are limited ethnohistoric accounts of temporary leadership during seasonal fishing along the Snake River. Although the Shoshone were known for their diverse diet, pronghorn played an important subsistence role in the pre-horse Shoshone. The proposed project contributes to Shoshone prehistory of the Rocky Mountains and High Plains, but also extends to anthropological theory into past social organization. First, this study will begin to fill in the gaps of the Late Prehistoric Period to Protohistoric Period in the western High Plains and Rocky Mountains. Second, it will provide an opportunity to bridge the archaeological evidence to the existing ethnographic record of Shoshone culture. This research provides a case study to test whether sharing concepts, or models, developed from empirical observations of contemporary foragers can be applied to the past. The combination of traditional faunal analysis with an innovative approach provides a more holistic interpretation of past life-ways. This dissertation research also provides broader impacts beyond those focused on prehistoric food sharing. This research will provide the Co-PI a crucial opportunity to perform independent research that will aid in his professional development. The results from this study will be accessible to the anthropological community through future peer-reviewed publications and presentations at nationally recognized conferences. From a logistic standpoint, this research will result in the curation of the Eden Farson collection according to Wyoming state standards, which will provide access to this assemblage for future research.