Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Anthropology

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology

First Advisor

Bonnie J. Clark

Second Advisor

Christina F. Kreps

Third Advisor

Rebecca B. Galemba

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Archaeology, Contemplation, Imagination, Amache

Abstract

Archaeology is both a science and an interpretative process, blending material discovery with imagination to reconstruct past experiences. This research, conducted through the 2024 University of Denver Amache Field School, explores the archaeological imagination and the creative and cognitive engagement that shapes historical interpretation. Using Amache, a WWII Japanese American incarceration site, as a case study, this thesis examines how material culture, landscape modifications, and reflection inform archaeological understanding. This study explores how imagination connects tangible findings to cultural narratives by integrating community-based archaeology, place and landscape theory, and contemplative inquiry. Findings highlight imagination as essential to archaeology, enabling deeper engagement with material evidence and lived experiences. This research underscores archaeology as analytical and creative by merging empirical methods with introspection. The Amache case illustrates how archaeology extends beyond uncovering artifacts to fostering a dynamic exchange between memory, materiality, and meaning.

Copyright Date

6-2025

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Sami Zepponi

Provenance

Received from author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

282 pgs

File Size

39.7 MB

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