Meeting Halfway: Collaborative Public Outreach and Lithic Material Sourcing in the High Plains of Nebraska

This master’s thesis is comprised of one technical paper and two public archaeology initiatives that support the creation of a significant digital heritage product that utilizes citizen science to further the stewardship of archaeological and historical resources. The first chapter is comprised of a methodological use of the Video Spectral Comparator 6000 and ImageJ software. The methodology explores quantitative and qualitative aspects of lithic sourcing utilizing ultraviolet light treatments on two macroscopically similar lithic material sources, Knife River Flint and White River Group Silicates. The development of a non-destructive, non-invasive method to source lithic raw materials provides a tool for researchers to simplify and standardize the process of qualitative lithic sourcing using ultraviolet fluorescence. The second chapter examines the role that professional archaeologists and private landowners can play in the realm of public outreach in the High Plains. Utilizing the case studies from United States Forest Service sponsored ‘Artifact Roadshows’, this chapter provides methodological guidelines aimed toward professional archaeologists utilizing interpretation as a way to create collaborative relationships with private landowners. Finally, the third chapter contains the implementation of a digital archive which utilizes citizen science efforts and data derived from the ‘Artifact Roadshows’. This digital archive provides sound, analytical data for professional archaeologists and educational materials derived from analytical data for the consumption of the general public. Advisor: LuAnn Wandsnider & Matthew Douglas