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- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
Description
This study evaluates five different hypotheses potentially accounting for the prehistoric movement of vesicular basalt during the Hohokam occupation of the Salt-Gila Basin (ca. A.D. 700-1450): 1) direct procurement; 2) direct exchange; 3) down-the-line exchange; 4) market exchange; and 5) elite-controlled exchange. The plausibility of each hypothesis is assessed by examining the relative frequency of different vesicular basalt source types at sites as related to the geographic distance from their source; intra-site variance in vesicular basalt source type diversity; inter-site variance in vesicular basalt source type diversity; and temporal specificity and continuity in source preference. The study sample is comprised of 484 vesicular basalt artifacts recovered from nine Hohokam sites: Casa Grande, Gila Crossing, the Hospital Site, La Plaza, Las Colinas, Los Hornos, Lower Santan, Pueblo Grande, and Upper Santan. Geographic provenance data for artifacts are generated by comparing their chemical composition to a geochemical reference database composed of more than 700 vesicular basalt raw material samples from 17 different source areas in the Salt-Gila Basin. Geochemical data for both artifact and raw material samples were collected using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and a newly developed sampling procedure that provides an efficient, reliable, and nondestructive means of analysis.
The results of the hypothesis testing found that direct procurement is a possible material provisioning practice for perhaps only a small number of households in the Salt-Gila Basin; specifically those located less than 10 km from a vesicular basalt outcrop. Direct exchange is also an unlikely explanation, though it cannot be rejected outright. The other exchange hypotheses, down-the-line, market, and elite-controlled exchange, as defined in this study, are all rejected as possible explanations. From these results, a new model of Hohokam vesicular basalt provisioning practices is developed for future testing. This model posits that vesicular basalt groundstone tools were produced by specialists in a handful of locations during both the Preclassic and Classic periods, and that finished tools were acquired through workshop procurement or local distributers. The implications of these findings for understanding the organization of Hohokam domestic and political economies are also discussed.
The results of the hypothesis testing found that direct procurement is a possible material provisioning practice for perhaps only a small number of households in the Salt-Gila Basin; specifically those located less than 10 km from a vesicular basalt outcrop. Direct exchange is also an unlikely explanation, though it cannot be rejected outright. The other exchange hypotheses, down-the-line, market, and elite-controlled exchange, as defined in this study, are all rejected as possible explanations. From these results, a new model of Hohokam vesicular basalt provisioning practices is developed for future testing. This model posits that vesicular basalt groundstone tools were produced by specialists in a handful of locations during both the Preclassic and Classic periods, and that finished tools were acquired through workshop procurement or local distributers. The implications of these findings for understanding the organization of Hohokam domestic and political economies are also discussed.
ContributorsFertelmes, Craig M (Author) / Abbott, David R. (Thesis advisor) / Simon, Arleyn W (Thesis advisor) / Darling, J Andrew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
The Curious Case of Alternate Sourcing: Studies on the Impact of Alternative Supply Chain Approaches
Description
The phenomenon of using alternative sourcing has attracted the attention of researchers in the field of supply chain and operations management. Alternative sourcing refers to any method other than the status quo. When competition arises in the marketplace, firms tend to innovate by deviating from status quo approaches and take risks to gain advantages throughout their supply chains. One such alternative sourcing risk is using soft criteria primarily in the supplier selection process. While anecdotal evidence exists, the supplier selection literature stream fails to explain how alternative sourcing might impact operational performance. Such alternative approaches- evaluating tangibles versus intangibles- have come under scrutiny. Firms have used soft criteria, considered more difficult to quantify, mainly as a supplement to hard criteria- those status quo criteria based on operational performance metrics of cost, quality, timeliness of delivery, service level, etc. Researchers and practitioners alike have found empirical evidence to support a plethora of theories regarding the impact of hard criteria in supplier selection on the operational impact of buyer-supplier relationships. This research examines alternative sourcing by studying alternative supplier selection criteria, simulating the status quo versus alternative supplier selection methodologies, and studying alternative supplier evaluation techniques. First, the qualitative examination of sourcing teams provides case studies in private and public sector organizations to abductively establish boundaries of alternative supplier selection approaches. Second, a numerical experiment compares status quo supplier selection versus alternative methodologies to ultimately test long-held supplier selection assumptions. Lastly, a qualitative study of alternative supplier evaluation techniques establishes boundaries of alternative supplier evaluation approaches. This research makes theoretical contributions to sourcing and organization behavior literature streams.
ContributorsHatton, Marc Ryan (Author) / Kull, Thomas J (Thesis advisor) / Carter, Craig R (Committee member) / Yan, Tingting (Committee member) / Fowler, John W (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023