Dissertation Research: Source Analysis and Hydration Dating of Post-Formative Period Obsidian Artifacts From the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico

论文研究：墨西哥瓦哈卡谷的后形成期黑曜石文物的来源分析和水合测年

• 批准号: 9116523
• 金额: $ 0.85万
• 依托单位: University of Missouri-Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-11-01 至 1993-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9116523&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Source; Analysis; Hydration

Under the direction of Dr. Robert Benfer, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Missouri, Mr. Michael Elam will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. During the course of fieldwork in 1991 Mr. Elam collected obsidian (volcanic glass) samples from the archaeological site of Monte Alban, located in the Valley of Oaxaca in central Mexico as well as from other sites in the region. These cover the Terminal Formative, Classic and Postclassic periods and date from ca. AD 1 - 1520. These materials, which have been returned to the U.S. with Mexican government approval, will be subjected to two kinds of analysis. A subseries will be dated by means of obsidian hydration. Secondly, concentrations of 28 elements will be determined through neutron activation analysis and through comparison with samples from known geological deposits the origin of the archaeological specimens can be pinpointed. With these data, Mr. Elam will be able to determine how exchange in obsidian materials changed over time and the role which Monte Alban played in this process. Obsidian has provided a focus for many archaeological studies in Middle America. Prehistorically, it was a rare and extremely valuable material both because it was easy to flake into tools and because it produced razor sharp cutting edges. Since obsidian results from volcanic eruption, it is found only in discrete highly localized areas. Because chemical composition differs from region to region, it is possible to analyze archaeological specimens and match them to a specific source. Thus, it is possible to determine how obsidian moved through prehistoric social systems and gain insight into both their economic and political organization. Monte Alban exhibits the characteristics of many other Middle American centers. It rose, achieved a regional dominance as the center of a small state, and then declined. The processes which underlie this transformation however are not well understood and this research will help to elucidate them. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to a large number of archaeologists. It will shed new light on the role which trade played in the emergence of social complexity and will assist in the training of a promising young scientist.

在密苏里大学人类学教授 Robert Benfer 博士的指导下，Michael Elam 先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。在 1991 年的实地考察过程中，埃拉姆先生从位于墨西哥中部瓦哈卡谷的阿尔班山考古遗址以及该地区的其他遗址收集了黑曜石（火山玻璃）样本。 这些涵盖了最终形成期、古典时期和后古典时期，日期可追溯至大约 1977 年。公元 1 - 1520 年。这些材料已经墨西哥政府批准返回美国，将接受两种分析。 子系列将通过黑曜石水合来确定年代。 其次，通过中子活化分析确定28种元素的浓度，并通过与已知地质矿床的样品进行比较，可以查明考古标本的来源。 有了这些数据，埃拉姆先生将能够确定黑曜石材料的交换如何随着时间的推移而变化，以及蒙特阿尔班在这一过程中发挥的作用。 黑曜石为中美洲许多考古研究提供了焦点。 在史前，它是一种稀有且极其有价值的材料，因为它很容易剥落成工具，而且它能产生锋利的切削刃。 由于黑曜石是火山喷发的结果，因此它仅在离散的高度局部区域中被发现。 由于化学成分因地区而异，因此可以分析考古标本并将其与特定来源进行匹配。 因此，可以确定黑曜石如何穿越史前社会系统，并深入了解其经济和政治组织。阿尔班山展现了许多其他中美洲中心的特征。 它崛起，作为一个小国家的中心取得了地区主导地位，然后又衰落了。 然而，这种转变背后的过程尚不清楚，这项研究将有助于阐明它们。 这项研究很重要，原因有几个。 它将提供大量考古学家感兴趣的数据。 它将为贸易在社会复杂性的出现中所发挥的作用提供新的视角，并将有助于培养有前途的年轻科学家。