Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to gain an insight into the macrobotanical subsistence practices of Nancy Patterson Village and see how those practices fit in with the practices of the general Mesa Verde region by analyzing the burnt macrobotanical remains found in processed flotation samples. Previous work done at Nancy Patterson Village showed a shift in the faunal subsistence practices to a greater reliance on domesticated turkey during the Pueblo III period. However, the macro botanical analysis showed a higher richness of wild plant taxa in the Pueblo III period when compared to Pueblo II. The change to a higher richness of plant taxa in the later period is attributed to the changes in social and environmental climates causing difficulties in sustaining the population. These difficulties pushed the inhabitants to expand their selection of plant types used for food. Despite the higher richness of plant taxa in Pueblo III, other sites from the Central Mesa Verde region had higher richness. However, Nancy Patterson Village used the smaller number of wild plants types more intensely than the other sites from the region. No explanation was found to explain this difference.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Anthropology

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