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

在芭芭拉·罗斯博士的监督下，大卫·约德将分析美国各地博物馆收藏的史前普埃布隆尖趾凉鞋。大多数待分析的收藏品都是在50到100年前挖掘出来的，但人们对普埃布卢安尖趾凉鞋是如何或何时制作的知之甚少。一般认为，这些文物大约在公元700-1100年间被使用，由所有北部的普埃布兰人制作，并有一种独特的四经构造方法。然而，很少有经验证据支持这些说法，在某些情况下，还直接与传统智慧相矛盾。在用来研究人类行为之前，对人工制品的基本时间和地理性质的理解是必不可少的。这个项目将通过物理和放射分析以及放射性碳年代测定来检查多个标本，从而为尖趾Puebloan凉鞋提供基本的理解。物理分析将重点放在基本尺寸、原材料和建筑风格上。射线分析将利用软X射线射线照相术(这是重大考古研究计划中的第一次)来检查凉鞋隐藏的内部结构特征。10到15只凉鞋也将进行放射性碳年代测定。结合起来，这些数据将告诉考古学家普埃布隆尖趾凉鞋是如何、何时以及在哪里制造和使用的。这项研究的最后，也是最重要的方面，将利用这些信息来识别可能表明史前文化边界的鞋类的特定风格。无论这种边界是否存在，边界的渗透性程度，如果它们随着时间的推移发生变化，可以增加我们对史前人们如何看待种族和身份的了解。这个项目虽然对考古学家大有裨益，但也将为众多博物馆和广大公众提供必要的信息和帮助。大多数博物馆没有关于他们收藏的凉鞋组合的描述性或技术性信息。为了帮助纠正这种情况，完成后，所有参与的博物馆都将收到对其收藏的文物进行个别分析的结果。还将提供帮助，帮助博物馆创建展示史前普埃布隆凉鞋的展览；帮助向公众介绍这些令人惊叹的史前作品。该项目也将是第一个在重大考古研究项目中使用软X射线照相术的项目。这种方法允许对密度不是很高的人工制品(如易腐烂的人工制品)进行X光检查，同时仍能产生高质量的可读图像。从本质上讲，它让研究人员能够“看到”低密度文物的内部，揭示出原本被隐藏的建筑细节。软X射线照相技术因其对易腐烂物品的适用性、非破坏性和低成本而非常有用。这个项目将开创这项技术的实用性，它的方法论，以及它在易腐烂研究中的实用性。

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.