@mastersthesis {438, title = {Analysis of Radial Growth Patterns of Strip-bark and Whole-bark Bristlecone Pine Trees in the White Mountains of California: Implications in Paleoclimatology and Archaeology of the Great Basin}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2006}, month = {2006}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {

Dendrochronology focuses on the relationship between a tree\’s growth and its environment and thus investigates interdisciplinary questions related to archaeology, climate, ecology, and global climate change. In this study, I examine the growth of two forms of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva): strip-bark and whole-bark trees from two subalpine adjacent sites: Patriarch Grove and Sheep Mountain in the White Mountains of California. Classical tree-ring width analysis is utilized to test a hypothesis related to a proposed effect of the strip-bark formation on trees\’ utilization of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This effect has grown to be controversial because of the dual effect of temperature and carbon dioxide on trees\’ growth. The proposed effect is hypothesized to have accelerated growth since 1850 that produced wider rings, and the relation of the latter topic to anthropogenic activities and climate change. An interdisciplinary approach is taken by answering a question that relates temperature inferences and precipitation reconstructions from the chronologies developed in the study and other chronologies to Native Americans\’ subsistence-settlement patterns, and alpine villages in the White Mountains. Strip-bark trees do exhibit an enhanced growth that varies between sites. Strip-bark trees grow faster than whole-bark trees; however, accelerated growth is also evident in whole-bark trees but to a lesser degree. No evidence can be provided on the cause of the accelerated growth from the methods used. In the archaeological study, 88\% of the calibrated radiocarbon dates from the alpine villages of the White Mountains cluster around above average precipitation, while no straightforward relationship can be 10 established with temperature variations. These results confirm that water is the essence of life in the desert.

}, keywords = {Geology}, author = {Ababneh, Linah N.} } @mastersthesis {535, title = {A model for assigning temper provenance to archaeological ceramics with case studies from the American Southwest}, volume = {PhD}, year = {1998}, school = {University of Arizona}, abstract = {Well-designed provenance studies form the basis from which questions of human economy and behavior are addressed. Pottery is often the subject of such studies, requiring geological and archaeological evidence to establish patterns of ceramic economy. A generalized theoretical and methodological framework for provenance studies is presented, followed by specific considerations for ceramic provenance studies. Four main sources of variation affect pottery composition: geological distribution of resources, geological resource variability, differential economic factors affecting resource use, and technological manipulation of materials. Post depositional alteration is also considered. This ceramic provenance model provides explicit guidelines for the assessment of geological aspects of provenance, since geological resource availability affects acquisition by humans and thus archaeological research designs, in which interdependent geological and archaeological scalar factors must be balanced against budgets. Two case studies illustrate the model. The first is of sand-tempered pottery from the Tonto Basin, Arizona, where the bedrock geology is highly variable giving rise to geographically unique sands. Zones with similar sand compositions are modeled using actualistic petrofacies, the Gazzi-Dickinson point-counting technique, and multivariate statistics. Methods used to create a petrofacies model are detailed, as is the model{\textquoteright}s application to sand tempered utilitarian sherds from three Tonto Basin project areas. Data analysis reveals strong temporal and spatial ceramic production and consumption patterns. The second is of crushed-schist-tempered Hohokam pottery. Crushed schist was often used to temper pre-Classic Hohokam plain ware pottery in central Arizona{\textquoteright}s middle Gila River valley. Systematic investigation of rocks from the Pinal Schist terrane in the middle Gila River valley was conducted to assess how many sources were exploited prehistorically, and whether schist or schist-tempered pottery were exchanged. Chemical analysis shows that the sources can be statistically discriminated from one another. Schist source data were compared to schist extracted from plain ware sherds and to unmodified pieces of schist recovered from two archaeological sites. Preliminary indications are that schist was derived from several sources. This model provides a flexible, archaeologically relevant framework for assessing temper provenance. Hopefully, archaeologists and petrologists alike will use it to define ceramic provenance research problems and communicate effective solutions to one another.}, keywords = {Geology}, url = {http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=737676271\&sid=19\&Fmt=2\&clientId=43922\&RQT=309\&VName=PQD}, author = {Miksa, Elizabeth J.} } @article {912, title = {Dendrochronology of Bristlecone Pine}, year = {1985}, month = {05/1985}, institution = {Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research}, address = {Tucson}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION

Since Edmun Schulman\’s initial interest in 1953, the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research has conducted dendrochronological studies of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D. K. Bailey, sp. Nov.) in the White Mountains of east-central California where living trees reach ages in excess of 4,000 years. The focus of this report relates to the support by the Geology and Anthropology sections in the National Science Foundation under grant EAR-8018687 for the period 1 April 1981 to 31 October 1984 with the assistance of the Department of Energy contract no. DE-AC02-81EV10680 covering the period 1 May 1981 to 31 October 1982.

A summary of this research was recently published in Radiocarbon (Ferguson and Graybill 1983). In most cases various facets of the work were related to projects sponsored by all agencies. Therefore the full range of activities during that period is described herein. The primary project goals were:

  1. To extend the bristlecone pine chronology from the White Mountains of California beyond 6700 B.C. and strengthen it by incorporating additional specimens.
  2. To develop bristlecone pine chronologies in new areas for applications in archaeology, isotopic studies, and other earth sciences.
  3. To furnish dendrochronologically dated wood to researchers engaged in the study of past variations in carbon isotopes and climate.
}, keywords = {anthropology, Archaeology, bristlecone pine, california, carbon isotopes, chronology, climate, dendrochronology, Geology, isotopic studies, pinus longaeva, technical report, tree ring, white mountains}, author = {Ferguson, C.W. and Graybill, D.A.} } @article {926, title = {Dendrochronology of Bristlecone Pine}, year = {1984}, month = {08/1984}, institution = {Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research}, address = {Tucson}, keywords = {anthropology, Bristlecone, bristlecone pine, california, carbon isotopes, chronology, climate, dendrochronology, Geology, white mountains}, author = {Ferguson, C.W. and Graybill, D.A.} }