Abstract

The variable contexts of Fremont habitation sites in Utah Valley often make identification of those sites very challenging for archaeologists. Pit houses and other structures throughout the valley are frequently in plowed fields or other disturbed contexts that obscure their more exact location and nature. The application of geophysical technologies at archaeological sites throughout the world, including in North America, has proven to be an effective means of subsurface archaeological survey. However, geophysical techniques have been underutilized in Fremont archaeology. This paper reports on the employment of two geophysical methods, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and fluxgate gradiometer surveys, at three known Fremont habitation sites in southern Utah Valley – the Wolf Village, Wolf Mound, and Snow Farm sites. The preliminary geophysical surveys and later ground-truthing of various geophysical anomalies reveals the effectiveness of these methods in identifying where architectural or other cultural features exist below the surface.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Anthropology

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2021-07-08

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd11791

Keywords

Native Americans, Utah, Fremont, geophysical survey, ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry

Language

english

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