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- Title
- THE GENIUS LOCI: PEOPLE AND NATURE IN THE ECUADORIAN CLOUD FOREST.
- Creator
- Rogers-Phillips, Victor R. L., Harris, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This is an investigation into the daily life of a small subsistence village called Rio Blanco located in the coastal province of Manabí, Ecuador. It is focused primarily on the traditional interactions between people and nature, how these interactions sustain life and create a sense of place and identity, and how these interactions are changing under pressure from the modern world. Through participant observation, information on the various aspects of interaction with the natural environment...
Show moreThis is an investigation into the daily life of a small subsistence village called Rio Blanco located in the coastal province of Manabí, Ecuador. It is focused primarily on the traditional interactions between people and nature, how these interactions sustain life and create a sense of place and identity, and how these interactions are changing under pressure from the modern world. Through participant observation, information on the various aspects of interaction with the natural environment were collected. These include subsistence horticulture in the mountains of the cloud forest, movement through the landscape, and impacts on the immediate environment. The people of Rio Blanco depend heavily on their environment for the cultivation of food, procurement of non-timber forest resources, and above all as a place to call home. The repeated, quotidian interactions with nature and the environment cultivate a sense of place and in turn a sense of identity is daily born and perpetuated.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013718
- Subject Headings
- Genius loci, Manabí (Ecuador), Ethnography
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- MANAGEMENT OF DEATH AND DYING BY NURSES.
- Creator
- Lago, Lisa, Michael S. Harris, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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Nurses play a vital role in society by being not just the care-giver of their patients, but also the patient’s advocate when they need advocacy the most. Nurses tend to put the care of patients above their own health. The purpose of this thesis was to see how nurses reflect on the dying process, how they react to it, how they manage their emotions and the emotions of others. My ethnographic study seeks to present nurses’ narratives of experience with death. Ten nurses participated in the...
Show moreNurses play a vital role in society by being not just the care-giver of their patients, but also the patient’s advocate when they need advocacy the most. Nurses tend to put the care of patients above their own health. The purpose of this thesis was to see how nurses reflect on the dying process, how they react to it, how they manage their emotions and the emotions of others. My ethnographic study seeks to present nurses’ narratives of experience with death. Ten nurses participated in the study, by partaking in open-ended interviews. The interviews covered the stories the nurses tell about the first encounter they had with the death of a patient, and the most recent encounter the nurses had with a dying patient. The research conducted was in line with the hypothesis. My primary research question centered on exploring how nurses cope or manage their experiences with death, determining how “compassion fatigue” is experienced. Most of the nurses interviewed said that they felt less affected with their most recent experience of patient death. It was as if it had become second nature, stated several of the nurses.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013849
- Subject Headings
- Death, Compassion Fatigue, Nurses
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Latin American Gentrifications: Tourism, Rural Development, and Community in Ayampe, Ecuador.
- Creator
- Salas, Mateo, Harris, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This thesis explores the gentrification of a rural village along the Ecuadorian coast by exploring its connection with the tourism industry. Through the use of several ethnographic methods, the data collected demonstrates gentrification outside of the context of urban areas by focusing on a rural area of the Global South. The rural gentrification of this village results in drastic increases in land value and the subordination of local people within the labor hierarchy, relegating them to...
Show moreThis thesis explores the gentrification of a rural village along the Ecuadorian coast by exploring its connection with the tourism industry. Through the use of several ethnographic methods, the data collected demonstrates gentrification outside of the context of urban areas by focusing on a rural area of the Global South. The rural gentrification of this village results in drastic increases in land value and the subordination of local people within the labor hierarchy, relegating them to positions of service. As the dominant economy, tourism leaves locals with few avenues for economic mobility. In doing so, tourism forces its own reproduction as locals engage in the industry through the creation of their own touristic businesses. Finally, this thesis exhibits how local communities control the type of tourism and tourists they host. Community-tourism discourse provides us with the tools necessary to illustrate local hosts as dynamic actors who sustain the tourism industry.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013728
- Subject Headings
- Gentrification--Latin America, Tourism, Rural development
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- HAITIAN FOLKTALES AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATION: A CROSSCULTURAL COMPARISON OF IDENTITY AND FOLK LITERATURE.
- Creator
- Cadet, Rudina, Harris, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This thesis outlines the cultural and literary interpretations of Haitian folktales among Haitians, Haitian Americans, and Americans of non-Haitian descent. This thesis seeks to explain how folktales can be used to highlight cultural identity through symbolic analysis, cultural reflexive theory and a cross-cultural analysis model. The nuanced differences found in the reception of the folktales that are associated with the characters of Uncle Bouki and Ti Malis by the three research groups...
Show moreThis thesis outlines the cultural and literary interpretations of Haitian folktales among Haitians, Haitian Americans, and Americans of non-Haitian descent. This thesis seeks to explain how folktales can be used to highlight cultural identity through symbolic analysis, cultural reflexive theory and a cross-cultural analysis model. The nuanced differences found in the reception of the folktales that are associated with the characters of Uncle Bouki and Ti Malis by the three research groups forms the basis of this thesis research design. The characters of Uncle Bouki and Ti Malis are, in effect, cultural literary examples of how folktales could be used to explain Haitian rural societal values or norms
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014136
- Subject Headings
- Folk literature, Haiti, Ethnology, Folklore
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- BARRIERS TO RADICAL HEALTH: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION OF HARM REDUCTION IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA.
- Creator
- Moody, Tessa M., Harris, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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Harm Reduction is a public health practice and social justice philosophy which aims to reduce the harms associated with drug use through pragmatic health strategies and advocacy. This paper ethnographically details the experiences and challenges of Harm Reduction advocates in Palm Beach County, Florida for the purpose of exploring cultural and structural barriers for harm reduction in this local setting. Utilizing a lens of Critical Medical Anthropology, cultural and structural barriers...
Show moreHarm Reduction is a public health practice and social justice philosophy which aims to reduce the harms associated with drug use through pragmatic health strategies and advocacy. This paper ethnographically details the experiences and challenges of Harm Reduction advocates in Palm Beach County, Florida for the purpose of exploring cultural and structural barriers for harm reduction in this local setting. Utilizing a lens of Critical Medical Anthropology, cultural and structural barriers represent the shared beliefs and institutional realities which combine to create barriers for advocates in maintaining the Harm Reduction resource they provide, as well as barriers people who use drugs (PWUD) face when trying to access those resources. These issues are explored through ethnographic data featuring the knowledge and experience of Rebel Recovery and its associated syringe services program (SSP), Florida Access to Syringe and Health services (FLASH), as well as a private clinic, the Harm Reduction Center (HARC).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014187
- Subject Headings
- Harm reduction, Public health--Florida--Palm Beach County, Medical anthropology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- THE ADAPTABILITY OF CHLOROCEBUS: A LOOK INTO THE BIRTH SEASONALITY AND POPULATION GROWTH OF THE VERVETS IN DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA.
- Creator
- Frederick, Aubrey G., Harris, Michael D., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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My study, presented as a short report, focuses on one of the Chlorocebus sabaeus vervet social groups residing in the coastal town of Dania Beach, Florida. Few researchers have studied these introduced primates in this particular region. Due to Chlorocebus’ flexible adaptation, they have an ability to live among humans in urban environments and in the Caribbean. Primate researchers primarily study factors that support and threaten their survival. Dr. Missy Williams, formerly of Florida...
Show moreMy study, presented as a short report, focuses on one of the Chlorocebus sabaeus vervet social groups residing in the coastal town of Dania Beach, Florida. Few researchers have studied these introduced primates in this particular region. Due to Chlorocebus’ flexible adaptation, they have an ability to live among humans in urban environments and in the Caribbean. Primate researchers primarily study factors that support and threaten their survival. Dr. Missy Williams, formerly of Florida Atlantic University, has conducted research on these social groups for several years, and my study adds more information to understanding the current status of the vervet population. In this study, I examine if birth seasonality correlates with annual rainfall in the South Florida region.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014209
- Subject Headings
- Vervet monkey, Introduced species, Dania Beach (Fla.), Season of birth
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- LOOKING ON THE INSIDE: PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL’S MATERNITY WARDS, THE BAHAMAS.
- Creator
- Ritchie, Denesha Evette, Harris, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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In The Bahamas, the Princess Margaret Hospital is one of the main public facilities used to deliver babies. The hospital is divided into two maternity wards, public and private. This thesis aims to analyze the narratives of mothers’ experiences who have given birth in the hospital. Also, this thesis examines the difference in treatment between mothers’ first, second and third births. The data suggest that the way mothers were treated is based on their age and relationship status during...
Show moreIn The Bahamas, the Princess Margaret Hospital is one of the main public facilities used to deliver babies. The hospital is divided into two maternity wards, public and private. This thesis aims to analyze the narratives of mothers’ experiences who have given birth in the hospital. Also, this thesis examines the difference in treatment between mothers’ first, second and third births. The data suggest that the way mothers were treated is based on their age and relationship status during delivery. Notably, mothers on the private ward had the advantage of a family member to witness the delivery pre-COVID, while mothers on the public ward did not experience this privilege. Mothers’ first, second and third birth experiences showed differences based on their increased knowledge of delivery. However, both wards were associated with common issues related to hospital resources, doctor-patient relationships, communication, and perceptions of treatment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014155
- Subject Headings
- Princess Margaret Hospital (Nassau, Bahamas), Hospitals--Maternity services, Medical anthropology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A Call for Latin American Public Archaeology: Decolonizing Study in Valdivia, Ecuador.
- Creator
- Falcón, Wilmer Isaac Revelo, Martínez, Valentina, Harris, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This study examines post-processual, critical theory, and decolonial perspectives applied to archaeology to establish an alternative practice that here is termed “arqueología comprometida” (committed archaeology). Considering the history of archeology in Latin America, its current context and the logic of archaeological practice, the objective of this contribution is not only to offer an assessment of the processes of making history, but to also provide a collaborative study relevant to both...
Show moreThis study examines post-processual, critical theory, and decolonial perspectives applied to archaeology to establish an alternative practice that here is termed “arqueología comprometida” (committed archaeology). Considering the history of archeology in Latin America, its current context and the logic of archaeological practice, the objective of this contribution is not only to offer an assessment of the processes of making history, but to also provide a collaborative study relevant to both decolonial and public archaeology. The study is carried out in the Comuna Ancestral Valdivia (Ancestral Commune of Valdivia) (ACV), located in the province of Santa Elena, on the Ecuadorian coast. Historical analyses are structured to be critically evaluated from a decolonial perspective in order to characterize archaeology and to understand its wider and less obvious influence on societies. The alternative way of doing archeology proposed in this study incorporates the achievements and memories of local comuna members into the official history of the site and to establish a project focused on the material development of the local museum. In summary, this is an ethical and epistemological reflection of archaeological practice using anthropological methods to think through and propose a public archeology project that can be relevant and useful for people historically affected by colonial legacies in Latin America.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014284
- Subject Headings
- Archaeology, Santa Elena (Ecuador : Canton), Public archaeology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- STRUGGLE AND ADAPTATION AMONG UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED BANGLADESHI IMMIGRANTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
- Creator
- Rahman, Md Abdur, Harris, Michael S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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Health disparities in the US Health care system are a well-known fact. I examined such disparity with an anthropological lens, focusing on how Bangladeshi uninsured and underinsured immigrants navigate the system of doctors, clinics, hospitals, and payment regimes (insurance or not). I focused on how these immigrants experience the American system, how they react to it, interpret it, understand it, and contextualize it from their particular backgrounds and expectations. This study will be a...
Show moreHealth disparities in the US Health care system are a well-known fact. I examined such disparity with an anthropological lens, focusing on how Bangladeshi uninsured and underinsured immigrants navigate the system of doctors, clinics, hospitals, and payment regimes (insurance or not). I focused on how these immigrants experience the American system, how they react to it, interpret it, understand it, and contextualize it from their particular backgrounds and expectations. This study will be a step toward closing the knowledge gap of a particular immigrant group's everyday experience of access to health care in the U.S. This research emphasizes Bangladeshi immigrants' everyday sufferings, their struggle, their anxiety, and frustration with access to U.S. health care services. Besides, this is an opportunity to discover the barriers to healthcare access for Bangladeshi uninsured and underinsured immigrant groups. This study provides as much helpful information as possible about the health-seeking practices of uninsured and underinsured Bangladeshi immigrants through ethnographic experience. This study also shows how poor or low-income people are the victims of a country's structural violence. Furthermore, low-income, uninsured, and underinsured immigrants suffer a lot due to problems in the system. And this study also focuses on holistically understanding social inequalities in healthcare services in the U.S.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014280
- Subject Headings
- Health services accessibility--United States, Health services accessibility--United States--Cross-cultural studies, Bangladeshi Americans
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- EYE OF THE STORM: STRENGTHENING THE CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN OF PALM BEACH COUNTY.
- Creator
- Miller, Winston H., Harris, Michael S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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In the last twenty years, cultural resource preservation and management is becoming an impactful venture for all levels of a community in the build-up and wake of a disaster. All forms of government, from local to international, are seeing the value of cultural resources to the resiliency of an area and yet there is more growth to be seen in disaster management planning. With Hurricane Nicole sweeping the coast of Palm Beach County in November 2022, the reality of having a pre-storm...
Show moreIn the last twenty years, cultural resource preservation and management is becoming an impactful venture for all levels of a community in the build-up and wake of a disaster. All forms of government, from local to international, are seeing the value of cultural resources to the resiliency of an area and yet there is more growth to be seen in disaster management planning. With Hurricane Nicole sweeping the coast of Palm Beach County in November 2022, the reality of having a pre-storm assessment of cultural resources became paramount as the state of Palm Beach County’s cultural resources management plan is ill-equipped to handle the growing rise of climate change. This thesis utilizes the National Park Service’s Cultural Resource Climate Change Strategy (CRCC Strategy) as a foundation for developing a cultural resource management document for unincorporated areas in Palm Beach County. From the CRCC Strategy, interview questions were developed and delivered to Palm Beach County Officials to help with the development of the Cultural Resource Document. With climate change and resilience as the backbone of this thesis, the Adaptive Cycle of Resilience Theory is integrated into the development and analysis of the Cultural Resource Document. To bring practicality to the Cultural Resource Document, Dubois Historic District Park is used as its case study. The outlook on the creation of the Cultural Resource Document is to provide a steppingstone for unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County to manage cultural resources and provide municipalities an entry into disaster management studies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014272
- Subject Headings
- Cultural resources management, Cultural property—Protection, Palm Beach County (Fla.), Disaster planning
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- WOMEN IN MOSQUE: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF MUSLIM WOMEN EXPERIENCES AT TWO MOSQUES IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
- Creator
- Akhter, Afsana, Harris, Michael S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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Women's participation and roles in contemporary mosques in Western nations differ from that of many Muslim-majority countries. Yet, women’s presence and function are contentious within and outside Muslim communities, and research on the issue is limited. Most extant research on Muslim communities and religious institutions comes from Europe. Moreover, while seeking an opinion or firsthand knowledge of religious opinions in Muslim communities, the male voice takes precedence. This qualitative...
Show moreWomen's participation and roles in contemporary mosques in Western nations differ from that of many Muslim-majority countries. Yet, women’s presence and function are contentious within and outside Muslim communities, and research on the issue is limited. Most extant research on Muslim communities and religious institutions comes from Europe. Moreover, while seeking an opinion or firsthand knowledge of religious opinions in Muslim communities, the male voice takes precedence. This qualitative research investigates Muslim women’s experiences at two mosques in south Florida. I aimed to gain a better understanding of mosques’ impact on women’s religious practices, their adaptation to American society, and their views on male-dominated religious places, including the topic of gender segregation. By using narrative data collected from participant observation and interviews with informants, this study demonstrates that Muslim women at these south Florida mosques engage in their religious and social activities, creating a meaningful space to worship in the mosque while following the dominant patriarchal norms in the religious institution. The findings from this study also highlight the need for a more extensive quantitative analysis of women's demands for inclusion and equality in mosques and Muslim men's (including imams') responses to such requests as well as the significance of generational, age, and national-ethnic differences when it comes to the issue of gender in mosques.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014219
- Subject Headings
- Muslim women, Islam, Feminism
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- EXPLORING THE ECONOMIC, FAMILY, AND SOCIAL ADAPTATIONS TO COVID-19 IN FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA: AN ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL CONSTRUCTIONS AND ADAPTATIONS IN A COASTAL COMMUNITY.
- Creator
- Santiago, Stephanie, Harris, Michael S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This study investigates the profound repercussions and adaptive measures stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic in Fort Pierce, Florida. Through comprehensive ethnographic interviews with 31 residents, Fort Pierce is showcased as a representative microcosm, reflecting the broader spectrum of the state’s diversity. The analysis underscores how daily routines were drastically altered, and it sheds light on the innovative ways residents navigated these challenges. The effects of economic downturns,...
Show moreThis study investigates the profound repercussions and adaptive measures stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic in Fort Pierce, Florida. Through comprehensive ethnographic interviews with 31 residents, Fort Pierce is showcased as a representative microcosm, reflecting the broader spectrum of the state’s diversity. The analysis underscores how daily routines were drastically altered, and it sheds light on the innovative ways residents navigated these challenges. The effects of economic downturns, disruptions in consumption patterns, reduced social circles, and mental health challenges became evident, particularly among marginalized communities. The pandemic-induced environment led to job losses, supply chain disturbances, and jeopardized essential needs. As a result, feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression flourished, and traditional social ties weakened. Yet, the resilient spirit of Fort Pierce was also in evidence. Residents displayed remarkable ability to adapt and innovate. Outdoor activities emerged as therapeutic escapes, and digital platforms filled the void in social and professional interactions. New behaviors, such as enhanced hygiene practices, became integral. However, as the pandemic’s timeline extended, a sense of fatigue with ongoing restrictions permeated the community.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2023
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014334
- Subject Headings
- COVID-19, Ethnology, Fort Pierce (Fla.)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE BANGLADESHI IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
- Creator
- Ahmed, Evana, Harris, Michael S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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Immigrants from Bangladesh who have lived in South Florida for years are the subject matter of this qualitative study, which examines their experiences in the United States. I aimed to gain a better understanding of the cultural experiences and obstacles faced by Bangladeshi immigrants in south Florida, as well as their adaptation and acculturation to American culture, using data collected from participant observation and interviews with informants. In-depth interviews allow participants to...
Show moreImmigrants from Bangladesh who have lived in South Florida for years are the subject matter of this qualitative study, which examines their experiences in the United States. I aimed to gain a better understanding of the cultural experiences and obstacles faced by Bangladeshi immigrants in south Florida, as well as their adaptation and acculturation to American culture, using data collected from participant observation and interviews with informants. In-depth interviews allow participants to share their thoughts and feelings about their lives. This study has examined the cultural experience of Bangladeshi immigrants through food, language, religion, cultural practices, and gender roles. This study concludes based on data acquired from Bangladeshi immigrants, which demonstrates that with close contact and influence of other cultures, they are absorbing some aspects of the dominant culture, while they are practicing their own native culture. Ultimately, this thesis examines how Bangladeshis maintain and practice their natal culture in south Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2022
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013936
- Subject Headings
- Immigrants--Bangladesh, Immigrants--Florida, Acculturation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY OF MANTEÑO ARCHITECTURE IN RIO BLANCO ECUADOR: A PRE-COLUMBIAN HOME OF THE CLOUD FOREST.
- Creator
- Waldron, Colin Robert, Harris, Michael, Martinez, Valentina L., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Anthropology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
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This thesis aims to answer questions about preconquest natives, defined by archaeologists as the Manteño culture (800-1533C.E.), in the cloud forests of Rio Blanco, Ecuador. Descriptions of the excavation units are made focusing on the architectural aspect of their dwelling. The cultural remains of the inhabitants also helped to conclude that this was a domestic house. Using an ethnoarchaeological theory base, modern home building analogies are employed to address questions about the...
Show moreThis thesis aims to answer questions about preconquest natives, defined by archaeologists as the Manteño culture (800-1533C.E.), in the cloud forests of Rio Blanco, Ecuador. Descriptions of the excavation units are made focusing on the architectural aspect of their dwelling. The cultural remains of the inhabitants also helped to conclude that this was a domestic house. Using an ethnoarchaeological theory base, modern home building analogies are employed to address questions about the archaeological process.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2024
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014552
- Subject Headings
- Ethnoarchaeology, Ecuador, Cloud forests
- Format
- Document (PDF)