Clovis-Folsom-Plainview Geochronology, Climate Change, and the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition

C. Vance Haynes博士和他的合作者将考察美国16个考古遗址的地质剖面，这些遗址位于更新世-全新世过渡时期，发生在大约11,500到10,500年前。在三个季节的野外工作中，他们将进行地质测绘和微地层记录，以充分详细地了解过程和起源，并为取样沉积物、动物群、花粉、硅藻、人工制品和放射性碳样品提供精确的地层框架。花粉和硅藻分析将由适当的专家进行，大量样品将通过放射性碳加速器质谱测定到+- 80年的精度。这项研究将进一步深入了解标志着上一个冰河时代结束的气候和环境变化，以及人类和其他物种的反应。考古证据清楚地表明，在最后一个冰河时代结束之前，人类就已经出现在北美了。这些群体被称为“Folsom”，这是他们使用的一种专门的石尖类型的名称，分布广泛，并猎杀乳齿象等物种。然而，在一个看似极其有限的时间间隔内，一个过渡发生了，“克洛维斯”民族首次出现在考古记录中。大约在同一时间，其他一些变化似乎也在发生。初步证据表明气候干燥和许多物种的迅速灭绝。虽然有许多考古遗址跨越了这段时间，但由于采用了不同的分析技术，很难对它们进行比较。海恩斯博士和他的同事们的工作将为综合这些单独地点的大量数据提供基础。这也将使他能够验证他的假设，即降雨量的迅速和显著减少是相关环境和文化变化的原因。这项研究很重要，因为它将揭示美国史前史的一个鲜为人知的方面。它还将增加我们对气候变化以及人类和其他动物对气候变化的反应的理解。

Dr. C. Vance Haynes and collaborators will examine geological sections in 16 U.S. archaeological sites which bracket the Pleistocene-Holocene transition which occurred from ca. 11,500 to 10,500 years ago. During three seasons of fieldwork they will conduct geologic mapping and microstratigraphic recording in sufficient detail to understand the processes and origins, and to provide a precise stratigraphic framework for sampled sediments, fauna, pollen, diatoms, artifacts and radiocarbon samples. Pollen and diatom analyses will be conducted by appropriate specialists and a large number of samples will be dated to a precision of +- 80 years by radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry. This research will provide increased insight into the climatic and environmental changes which marked the end of the last Ice Age and the response of humans as well as other species. Archaeological evidence clearly indicates that humans were present in North America prior to the end of the last Ice Age. These groups, known as "Folsom", which is the name of a specialized stone point type they employed, were widely distributed and hunted species such as mastodon. However, within what appears to be an extremely limited interval a transition occurs and "Clovis" peoples first appear in the archaeological record. At about the same time, several other changes seem to take place as well. Preliminary evidence indicates climatic drying and the rapid extinction of many species. While a number of archeological sites exist which span this interval, it is difficult to compare across them because of varying analytic techniques employed. The work by Dr. Haynes and his colleagues will provide the basis for synthesizing large amounts of data from these individual sites. It will also allow him to test his hypothesis that a rapid and marked reduction in rainfall was responsible for associated environmental and cultural changes. This research is important because it will shed light on a poorly understood aspect of U.S. prehistory. It will also increase our understand of climate change and human and other animal response to it.