Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award: Chronological Development of Complex Community Interactions

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Scientists study the complex interconnections between the social, political, and economics systems that shaped past lifeways. Archaeology is well suited to this study because the material remains of the past are embedded with the sociopolitical and economic relationships at play when the materials were constructed. By investigating the production and distribution of ceramics used by cultures in the past, researchers can reconstruct the complex and interconnected relationships that existed in the region inhabited by this cultural group. The time-period under consideration saw dramatic shifts in social and political organization and tracing the patterns of organizational change in the material record is relevant to current understandings of modern sociopolitical and economic relationships that shape and are shaped by our interactions with material goods. The investigators plan to collaborate closely with local artisans and non-profit organizations to develop programs designed to encourage the safeguarding of cultural heritage as well as the education of members of local communities about cultural heritage and archaeology. This project was designed with inclusivity in mind, introducing creative project design and perspectives into the archaeological process, while ensuring that results are accessible to multiple voices. This doctoral dissertation project will model a ceramic economy by examining the production and distribution of fine-ware ceramic vessels from two sites to highlight the dynamic shifts in social complexity that occurred during this period. Within a framework of ritual economy, the study will analyze and compare the mineral and chemical compositions of ceramic assemblages from the sites to test the hypothesis that a larger site served as a node of public activity a place for political, social, and ritual congregation for local residents as well as those from other surrounding communities. To test this model, the doctoral student will conduct stylistic analysis, petrography, and Neutron Activation Analysis on the fine-ware ceramics from two assemblages. Micro-level characteristics of the vessels will reveal macro-level relationships between populations and their practices because these dynamics are embedded in the material record at the time of its production and distribution. Investigations of this nature highlight the inextricable link between the economic, political, and social structures that shape society.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.