Award Date

8-2010

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Anthropology

Department

Anthropology

First Committee Member

Barbara Roth, Chair

Second Committee Member

Liam Frink

Third Committee Member

Karen Harry,

Graduate Faculty Representative

George Rhee

Number of Pages

201

Abstract

This thesis is an archaeoastronomical study of a Late Pithouse Period (A.D. 550-1000) Mimbres-Mogollon site in the American Southwest. It specifically examines whether there is an association between architecture and astronomy at the Harris Site in the upper Mimbres Valley in southwestern New Mexico. The hypothesis for the study is that Mimbres pithouse groups observed astronomical phenomena and used such phenomena to guide the construction of their structures and establish a calendar. The methods used in this investigation include evaluating whether the site placement, the orientation and alignment of structures/houses, and the presence of cultural features on surrounding ridge tops are related to astronomical sight lines, or the direction of celestial events. The results are that while the site placement is not significant, the orientations and alignments as well as the placement of cultural feature placements do show a connection to astronomy, likely related to the establishment of a calendar.

Keywords

Archaeoastronomy; Architectural alignments; Astrology and architecture; Calendar; Indians of North America; Mimbres-Mogollon; New Mexico – Mimbres River Valley; Southwest archaeology; Southwest; New

Disciplines

Archaeological Anthropology | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Indigenous Studies

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS