Doctoral Dissertation Research: Effect of Colonial Policy on Land Use

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this doctoral dissertation project is to examine the relationship between land-use practices and evolving colonial power dynamics in peripheral regions of the New World such as the US Southwest. The doctoral student investigates the land-management practices implemented in response to imperial policies in colonies, identifying long-lasting legacies of colonial control manifested through land-use practices. The work integrates multiple datasets of archaeological plant remains, addressing a critical gap in the current knowledge regarding how land-use practices reflect socio-political mechanisms on the colonial frontier. Dendroanthracological (tree-ring) techniques are used to study archaeological wood charcoal, enabling the identification of specific woodland management and wood-use practices. By focusing on legacy collections, the study not only synthesizes regional paleoethnobotanical investigation and land-use reconstructions but also uses previously collected datasets to maximize preservation of archaeological sites. Dissemination of research results is accomplished through peer-reviewed journals and an open-access platform, coupled with the production of a comprehensive wood anatomy atlas. This project fosters inclusivity through student training in wood charcoal analysis. The research team analyzes and integrates archaeological seed and charcoal datasets from a series of colonial sites to study past land-use strategies and trace the diachronic environmental legacies of colonialism, including overgrazing, the construction of new environmental niches, and deforestation. The project sites are distributed across landscapes with diverse environmental and social attributes, and so represent ideal case studies to examine how communities with differing conditions coped with the challenges posed by colonial expectations and local environmental realities. The project applies dendroanthracological techniques to identify specific woodland management and wood-use practices that may have been used to maximize wood production in specific areas. Through the analysis of botanical assemblages of seeds, agricultural patterns are mapped across environmental zones and historical boundaries, contributing to a broader understanding of agricultural opportunities and constraints in the colonial Southwest. 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.