Date of Award
2007
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Anthropology
Abstract
Inferring group identity from material culture has been a goal of archaeology almost since the inception of the discipline. Identifying past cultures and groups of people using lithic materials in particular is especially problematic given the restrictive nature of stone-tools where distinguishing between purely stylistic, functional and technological elements is difficult to do. Using the concept of isochrestic variation as a framework for studying style and the unintentional signaling of group identity in material culture, this thesis analyzes stone-tools manufactured by ancestral First Nations Tsimshian and compares them to similar stone-tools manufactured by other groups of people on the Pacific Coast in order to show that Tsimshian group identity can be recognized in their lithic technology. This hypothesis is testable because of the convergence of archaeological data and Tsimshian oral traditions demonstrating cultural continuity and a shared Tsimshian identity over at least the last 5000 years in Prince Rupert Harbour.
Recommended Citation
Pritchard, Brian E., "LITHIC IDENTITIES: DEVELOPING A TYPOLOGY OF TSIMSHIAN STONE-TOOLS" (2007). Digitized Theses. 4973.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4973