State Evolution on the South Coast of Guatemala

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Bove博士和他的 同事将于 危地马拉的太平洋沿岸地区。 前期工作已 表明存在一个主要的网站，得克萨斯州洛斯查托斯（TLC） 它由六个大平台组成，包括一个主平台- 金字塔结构 围绕着这个中心核心 方向是大量较小的平台和土丘， 各种大小的 在5公里内。这个复合体的半径是5 下属网站。 这些数据表明， 文化的复杂性，可能在国家一级的组织， 不仅发生在墨西哥南部和伯利兹， 玛雅低地，但也延伸到其他地区。 的 该项目的目标是重建文化序列， TLC并将其置于更广泛的区域背景下。 完成 为此，Bove博士和他的同事将进行一项全面的调查， 在这个地区。 他们将伴随着挖掘， 选定的地点。 将分析石和陶瓷。 后者的化学表征将允许识别 非本地材料，并希望能够重建更广泛的 贸易网络。 考古学家把相当多的注意力集中在 居住在低地的史前玛雅人及其相关群体 美国中部。 在一个艰难的环境中， 只有低人口密度，这些史前社会 发展出一种等级森严的文明 组织大量的人，一个复杂的日历 系统和大型纪念碑的建设。 科学家希望 去理解导致这种增长的过程， 这个社会的衰落。 虽然我们现在已经知道了很多关于 “中心地带”地区，其他地区，如沿海危地马拉有 得到的考虑相对较少。 这个项目将有助于 弥补这一赤字。 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。 会产生 许多考古学家感兴趣的数据。 这将增加我们的 了解中美洲史前史，并提出新的见解 复杂社会的兴起

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Bove and his colleagues will conduct archaeological survey and excavation in the Pacific coast region of Guatemala. Preliminary work has indicated the presence of a major site, Texas-Los Chatos (TLC) which consists of six large platforms including a major platform- pyramid construction. Surrounding this central core in all directions are large numbers of smaller platforms and mounds of various sizes. Within a 5 km. radius of this complex are five subordinate sites. These data indicate that the development of cultural complexity, possible at a state level of organization, occurred not only in Southern Mexico and Belize, the heart of the Mayan lowlands, but extended into other regions as well. The goal of this project is to reconstruct the cultural sequence at TLC and to set it into a broader regional context. To accomplish this, Dr. Bove and his colleagues will conduct a complete survey of the area. They will accompany this with excavation in selected locations. Lithics and ceramics will be analyzed. Chemical characterization of latter will permit identification of non-local materials and hopefully allow reconstruction of broader trade networks. Archaeologists have focussed considerable attention on the prehistoric Maya and related groups which inhabited lowland Middle America. In a difficult environment which today supports only low population densities, these prehistoric societies developed a civilization characterized by hierarchical organization of large numbers of people, a complex calendric system and the construction of large monuments. Scientists wish to understand the processes which lead to the rise and later decline of this society. While much is now known about the "heartland" areas, other regions such as coastal Guatemala have received relatively little consideration. This project will help to remedy this deficit. This research is important for several reasons. It will produce data of interest to many archaeologists. It will increase our understanding of Middle American prehistory and shed new insight into the rise of complex societies.