dc.contributor.advisor	Walker, Ernest	en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Meyer, David	en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Kennedy, Margaret	en_US
dc.creator	Park, Robin J.	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2010-03-29T11:14:37Z	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2013-01-04T04:27:30Z
dc.date.available	2011-03-30T08:00:00Z	en_US
dc.date.available	2013-01-04T04:27:30Z
dc.date.created	2010-03	en_US
dc.date.issued	2010-03	en_US
dc.date.submitted	March 2010	en_US
dc.description.abstract	Obsidian was a prized tool stone heavily exploited in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem throughout the pre-contact period. Fifteen geochemically distinct sources in this area were utilized on a regular basis consistently through time. A large dataset of sourced obsidian artifacts currently exists but has rarely been applied to specific archaeological problems for Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This thesis provides a comprehensive list of obsidian sources important to the archaeology of Yellowstone and analyzes spatial and temporal trends of obsidian source selection. This study examines diagnostic tools produced by people during the Archaic period, focusing on the McKean complex (~5500-3000 BP) and Pelican Lake phase (3000-1600 BP). The potential for a cultural preference for obsidian source selection is discussed by applying landscape theory and ethnographic evidence to the examination of archaeological data. A pattern of obsidian source exploitation as seen at the Osprey Beach site (representing the Cody Complex) has led to the development of a proposed annual round, typically applied to the entire pre-contact period in the Park. This large annual round, however, is determined to be unlikely and unnecessary by this author. Alternative “local rounds” to this model are proposed and supported by the evidence. A clear preference for the Obsidian Cliff source (a National Historic Landmark) located in the northern end of the Park is shown in these results. This preference can be interpreted in both economic and cultural terms. Otherwise, no purely cultural preference for an obsidian source is supported. The exploitation of certain obsidian sources did not change significantly between the McKean and Pelican Lake cultures. However, a significantly different pattern of exploitation is seen when analyzed by geographical area. The results of this research suggest a more localized pattern of obsidian exploitation than previously thought, impacting interpretations of seasonality and travel routes in the Yellowstone area.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-03292010-111437	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	landscape theory	en_US
dc.subject	annual round	en_US
dc.subject	geochemical source	en_US
dc.subject	provenance studies	en_US
dc.subject	ethnoarchaeology	en_US
dc.subject	efficiency	en_US
dc.title	A culture of convenience? obsidian source selection in Yellowstone National Park	en_US
dc.type.genre	Thesis	en_US
dc.type.material	text	en_US
thesis.degree.department	Archaeology	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Archaeology	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Saskatchewan	en_US
thesis.degree.level	Masters	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Master of Arts (M.A.)	en_US

A culture of convenience? obsidian source selection in Yellowstone National Park

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