The Historical and Cultural Landscape of the Missoula Valley During the 19th and 20th Centuries

Author

Mary BobbittFollow

Year of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology

Department or School/College

Department of Anthropology

Committee Chair

Kelly J. Dixon

Commitee Members

C. Riley Augé, Richmond Clow

Keywords

Landscape, Historical, Plants, Archaeology, GLO Records

Abstract

Archaeological case studies can be used as microcosms for understanding questions related to landscape transformations and climate change throughout the arid American West. The early 19^th century marked a time when significant changes began to take place in the Missoula Valley due to influences of European exploration and settlement in the region. By incorporating multiple sources from a variety of disciplines and using a theoretical framework grounded in landscape theory, this research examines the ways in which humans have altered ecosystem structure, function, and transformations in the region over time, and specifically over the past 200 years. Historic General Land Office (GLO) survey records, archaeological site records, historic photographs, pollen data, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), modern ecological data, modern land cover data, and geographic information systems (GIS) were used as multiple lines of evidence to reconstruct early Missoula Valley conditions as well as a way to interpret how differing cultural values over time lead to new land use agendas with adaptive and production strategies that have influenced and impacted the valley’s modern cultural environmental settings.

Recommended Citation

Bobbitt, Mary, "The Historical and Cultural Landscape of the Missoula Valley During the 19th and 20th Centuries" (2015). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 4541.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/4541