Wakefield-Murphy, Robyn
(2017)
The Bioarchaeology of Gendered Social Processes Among Pre- and Post-Contact Native Americans: An Analysis of Mortuary Patterns, Health, and Activity in the Ohio Valley.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
This dissertation employs a gendered theoretical perspective to examine the interaction between social status and biological processes in light of social change (subsistence, environment, and contact) in the Ohio Valley region of North America throughout five time periods: Early Woodland (3000BP-2200BP), Early Monongahela (1150AD-1250AD), Middle Monongahela (1250-1580AD), Late Monongahela (1580- 1635AD) and Post-Contact (1756AD-1778AD) periods. Burial data (body position, orientation, location) from site reports was integrated with data from skeletal analysis (n=330). Age and sex estimation were utilized to determine demographic structure. Skeletal and dental pathology was assessed to evaluate population health, and musculoskeletal stress markers (MSMs) were examined to infer activity patterns. Two cluster analyses were performed: traditional mortuary clustering (burial data by biological sex) and biosocial clustering (burial data, skeletal data, age and sex).
During the Early Woodland, there was little differentiation in activity, health, and burial pattern by sex or age. An elite burial class was revealed, likely tied to shamanistic practitioners, representing a third gender. Among the Monongahela, older adults may have had a higher status in the Early and Middle periods, with no differentiation by age or sex in the Late period. The Monongahela group employed a system of gender equality, with emerging status in later adulthood. Activity patterns demonstrated that males performed more hunting related activities with both sexes involved in craft production and agricultural labor, with intensification in these patterns in the Late period initiated by climate change. European contact had a detrimental effect on health for the post-contact Delaware as indicated by a catastrophic mortality assemblage. No differences in male and female MSMs were found among the Post-Contact group, and overall robusticity was lower than earlier periods. Although there is historical evidence of male leaders among the Delaware, this was not reflected in burial or activity patterns. This research is significant as it presents a diachronic view of gender, social status, and biological status integrating current theoretical models to infer nuanced aspects of biosocial life among indigenous Ohio Valley groups before and after contact.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Wakefield-Murphy, Robyn | rkw5@pitt.edu | rkw5 | |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
28 September 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
28 April 2017 |
| Approval Date: |
28 September 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
7 August 2017 |
| Access Restriction: |
1 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 1 year. |
| Number of Pages: |
510 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Anthropology |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
bioarchaeology, mortuary archaeology, gender archaeology, paleopathology, bioarchaeology of Native Americans, Monongahela |
| Date Deposited: |
29 Sep 2017 01:05 |
| Last Modified: |
28 Sep 2018 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/33029 |
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