Dissertation Research: Analysis of Pleistocene and HoloceneFaunas

Curtis Marian先生将继续他的博士论文 在J.D.的指导下进行研究。克拉克 他将完成 对从两组遗址回收的动物材料的分析 位于肯尼亚的Lukenya山和中央裂谷附近。 这些遗址可追溯到晚更新世和全新世 除了其他物质外， 比如石器。 Marian先生的重点是前者， 将检查这些，以确定目前的物种，年龄在 哪些动物--野生的和家养的--被杀害了， 屠杀模式 这将使他既能重建 随着时间的推移，环境的变化，并确定响应 史前人类的历史 CRV和Lukenya Hill现场记录了两个主要外部 在过去的一年里对土著东非人的影响。20千 年 第一个是一个重大的气候变化， 更新世末期，第二， 家畜和可能的新文化几千年 前 对每一个的检查将提供证据， 采集者对主要的文化和环境 扰动 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。 虽然大部分 在东非进行的考古研究 早期和近代的文化，从这个关键时期 所知甚少。 其次，这项工作将增加我们的 了解简单社会如何适应。 最后，马林先生 将培训一名肯尼亚助理， 肯尼亚的科学发展和加强美国-肯尼亚 研究联系。

Mr. Curtis Marean, will continue his doctoral dissertation research under the direction of J.D. Clark. He will complete the analysis of faunal materials recovered from two groups of sites located near Lukenya Hill and the Central Rift Valley in Kenya. These sites which date from Late Pleistocene and Holocene times contain abundant faunal remains in addition to other materials such as stone tools. Mr. Marean's focus is on the former and he will examine these to determine species present, the ages at which animals - both wild and domestic - were killed, and butchering patterns. This will allow him both to reconstruct changes in environment over time and to determine the responses of prehistoric peoples to them. The CRV and Lukenya Hill sites document two major external impacts on indigenous East Africans over the last ca. 20 thousand years. The first is a major climatic change which occurred at the end of the Pleistocene and the second, the introduction of domestic animals and likely new cultures several thousand years ago. Examination of each will provide evidence on how hunters and gatherers responded to major cultural and environmental pertubations. The research is important for several reasons. While much archaeological research has been conducted in East Africa on both earlier and more recent cultures, from this crucial time period little is known. Secondly this work will increase our understanding of how simple societies adapt. Finally, Mr. Marean will train a Kenyan assistant and thus both assist in the development of science in Kenya and strengthen U.S. - Kenya research ties.