Doctoral Dissertation Research: Multi-sited Geophysical Archaeology for the Study of Rural Settlement Change and Continuity

Across global contexts, buried settlements are rich resources, preserving the daily lives and practices of their occupants. However, in the complexity and, frequently, large spatial scale of such sites, they present a host of challenges for the researcher. This is especially true for sites that leave little trace above ground, the study of which would typically require intensive and expansive excavation to recover meaningful datasets.

This dissertation project has developed an alternative methodology for the study of settlements tested across a multi-sited landscape. The method combines geophysical techniques capable of non-destructively visualizing buried sites and targeted soil coring based upon geophysical datasets to recover subsurface samples for later laboratory analysis. This workflow addresses traditional limitations in the study of buried landscapes, allowing for spatial breadth but also the recovery of stratified subsurface data at significant depths, with special pertinence for fieldwork under time and/or budgetary constraints. The project provides educational and training opportunities for students.

The research compares the morphology and chronology of dispersed settlements and nucleated villages. Relationships between the construction, modification, and abandonment of dispersed and nucleated settlements provides insight into cultural practices, with methodological contributions to settlement and landscape study.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.