Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

877

Hannah Guidry

Date

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Earth Sciences

Concentration

Archaeology

Committee Chair

Andrew Mickelson

Committee Member

David Dye

Committee Member

Robert Connolly

Abstract

Ames is a small mound and town complex located near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Wolf River in the west Tennessee uplands. Previous investigations combining geophysical survey and targeted excavation in off-mound areas at Amesdiscovered Mississippi period wall trench structures, palisades, and large pits.This study merges the results of additional excavations with previously collected data to analyze architectural aspects of domestic and defensive features. Feature superposition and radiocarbon dates spanning from AD 1090 to 1290 are used to develop a chronology of construction events, assess settlement continuity, and examine changes in the configuration of architecture. The findings support a hypothesis that the town plan changed through time, as indicated by differing use of space within the habitation area, and the development of defensive architecture. Two temporally distinct palisades signify reorganization episodes at Ames that included changes in structure orientation and expansion of the enclosed town area.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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