Prehispanic Settlement and Obsidian Procurement in the Zinapecuaro Michoacan Source Area

米却肯州锡纳佩夸罗源区的前西班牙定居点和黑曜石采购

• 批准号: 8910741
• 负责人: Dan Healan
• 金额: $ 13.28万
• 依托单位: Tulane University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1989
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1989-11-01 至 1994-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8910741&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Prehispanic; Settlement; Obsidian; Procurement; Zinapecuaro

Chemical analysis of obsidian (volcanic glass) artifacts from many Mexican archaeological sites indicates that much of the raw material derives from the Zinapecuaro area in Central Mexico. In preliminary reconnaissances Dr. Dan Healan has located several specific sources, as well as cultural remains associated with the mining and working of this material. Through examination of surface scatters, he has also discovered several habitation sites. With NSF support, Dr. Healan will conduct a six month field season followed by a year of analysis. He and his colleagues will continue and expand the intensive surface survey. Exploratory excavation will then be conducted at selected quarry and related sites. A second series of excavations will then be undertaken at habitation sites. Materials recovered will be analyzed to shed light on the obsidian production system and to provide a detailed history of settlement and exploitation of the region. Obsidian hydration analysis will provide a chronological framework. Finally, data from the Zinapecuaro region will be synthesized with information from other areas in Mexico to show how economic and political relationships changed over time. Because obsidian is relatively easy to work and holds an extremely sharp edge, (and given the lack of metal implements before the arrival of the Spaniards) it was the preferred material for stone tool manufacture in Mexico. Given its volcanic origin, obsidian is found in only a limited number of areas and in prehistory was traded over large areas. Different sources are chemically distinct and, thus, it is possible to match implement with geographical point of origin. Archaeologists have come to realize that trade and control over scarce resources played a major role in the rise of Mexican civilization and believe that obsidian was perhaps the most important commodity involved. Thus, through study of production at a source area, it will be possible to understand more about how this trade originated, developed, and was maintained. This research is important because it will fill in a crucial blank in the archaeological map of Mexico. What happened in the Zinapecuaro region had a major effect in the development of complex societies elsewhere. The work will increase our understanding of how complex societies develop.

对许多墨西哥考古遗址的黑曜石（火山玻璃）文物的化学分析表明，大部分原材料来自墨西哥中部的Zinapecuaro地区。在初步侦察中，丹·希兰博士找到了几个具体的来源，以及与这种材料的开采和工作有关的文化遗迹。通过对地表散射物的检查，他还发现了几个居住地。在国家科学基金会的支持下，希兰博士将进行为期六个月的实地考察，随后进行一年的分析。他和他的同事将继续并扩大密集的地面调查。然后在选定的采石场及有关地点进行探索性挖掘。随后将在居住地点进行第二轮挖掘。将对回收的材料进行分析，以阐明黑曜石生产系统，并提供该地区定居和开发的详细历史。黑曜石水合分析将提供一个时间框架。最后，Zinapecuaro地区的数据将与墨西哥其他地区的信息综合起来，以显示经济和政治关系如何随时间变化。因为黑曜石相对容易加工，而且边缘非常锋利，（考虑到西班牙人到来之前缺乏金属工具）它是墨西哥石器制造的首选材料。鉴于其火山起源，黑曜石只在有限的地区被发现，在史前被广泛交易。不同的来源在化学上是不同的，因此，有可能将实施与地理产地相匹配。考古学家已经意识到，贸易和对稀缺资源的控制在墨西哥文明的兴起中发挥了重要作用，并认为黑曜石可能是其中最重要的商品。因此，通过研究产地的生产，将有可能更多地了解这种贸易是如何起源、发展和维持的。这项研究很重要，因为它将填补墨西哥考古地图上的一个关键空白。齐纳佩瓜罗地区发生的事情对其他地区复杂社会的发展产生了重大影响。这项工作将增加我们对复杂社会如何发展的理解。