Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Jeffrey Glover

Second Advisor

Nicola Sharratt

Third Advisor

Joshua Kwoka

Abstract

Pottery samples recovered from this area and representing five different types (Burke, Pisgah, Connestee, Cowan’s Ford, and Hybrid Pisgah-Burke) were analyzed using pXRF data to examine the potential geochemical subgroups among these pottery types. Principal Components Analysis was used as the primary method to explore geochemical groupings and their characteristics. Five separate geochemical group were defined that generally correspond to the sherd types included and regions in which the sherds are likely to have been constructed. The inclusion of a high number of Burke sherds in two of these groups points toward close association of these sites. Sherds showing both Pisgah and Burke characteristics found at the Berry site appear to have been constructed using paste similar to the Burke sherds at this site indicating they are likely to have been constructed by Pisgah people residing at this site. Connestee and Pisgah sherds, which are from a separate river valley and thought to be culturally related, are very similar in paste. Pisgah/Burke sherds from the McDowell site show unique characteristics from all others in the dataset.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/37173427

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