Dissertation Research: Spatial Archaeology of MSA/LSA Cultures in the Eyasi Basin, Tanzania

在Steven Brandt博士的指导下，Audax Mabulla先生a 佛罗里达大学的一名研究生将收集数据 为了他的博士论文。他的考古研究是 重点是位于坦桑尼亚北方的埃亚西湖盆地。 Mabulla先生和他的合作者将进行一次地表调查 这片2,500平方公里的区域。 在四个主要领域中， 现有的生态区，他将采用分层的 随机抽样技术 选定的区域将位于 航空照片和地形图。 所有考古 将注意并描述其中的剩余物。 补充 将进行螺旋钻和铲子测试， 并检测土壤改良的模式。 如果时间 允许两个或三个中石器时代-晚石器时代（MSA-LSA） 考古发现将被试掘， 可追溯的材料和生存数据。 有了这些信息 Mabulla先生将试图重建生计和土地使用 这两个时期的战略。 虽然考古学、遗传学和古生物学数据 表明"现代"人类首次出现在非洲， 这个过程的细节还不太清楚。 考古学家对这些文化 适应景观或生计的做法， 跟踪了 这些群体的社会组织也不是 很好理解。之前在该地区岩石避难所的工作 揭示了中石器时代的存在， 这是第一个“现代”的群体。 后石器时代 拥有完全不同的石器技术的民族也 礼物 虽然岩石掩体可以提供有用的信息 关于适应一个非常有限的区域，他们不能被用来 了解更广泛的区域战略。 的信息 Mabulla先生收集的，因为它覆盖了更大的面积， 填补这个空白。 通过使用人种学比较和 LSA分析，可以建立一个“现代”模式， 与之相比，前一个MSA。 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。 它会脱落 光的过程导致现代的出现 人类 它将为许多考古学家提供感兴趣的数据 并协助训练一个非常有前途的年轻人 科学家

Under the direction of Dr. Steven Brandt, Mr Audax Mabulla, a graduate student at the Univeristy of Florida, will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. His archaeological research is focussed on the Lake Eyasi Basin located in northern Tanzania. Mr. Mabulla and his collaborators will conduct a surface survey of this 2,500 square km region. Within each of the four major ecological zones which are present he will employ a stratified random sampling technique. Selected areas will be located with aerial photographs and topographic maps. All archaeological remains within them will be noted and described. Supplemental auger and shovel testing will be conducted to locate buried remains and to detect patterns of soil modification. If time allows two or three Middle Stone Age -Late Stone Age (MSA-LSA) archaeological occurrences will be test excavated to recover datable material, and subsistence data. With this information Mr. Mabulla will attempt to reconstruct subsistence and land use strategies during these two periods of time. While archaeological, genetic and paleontological data strongly suggest that "modern" humans first appear in Africa, the timing and details of this process are little understood. Archaeologists have only limited knowledge of how these cultures adapted to the landscape or the subsistence practices they followed. The social organization of these groups are also not well understood. Prior work at rock shelters in this area have revealed the presence of Middle Stone Age peoples who may be members of this first "modern" group. Succeeding Late Stone Age peoples with a quite different lithic technology are also present. While rock shelters can provide useful information about adaptation to a very limited area, they cannot be used to understand broader regional strategies. The information collected by Mr. Mabulla, because it covers a larger area can fill this gap. Through use of both ethnographic comparison and LSA analysis, a "modern" pattern can be established and the earlier MSA one compared to it. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on the processes which lead to the emergence of modern humans. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and assist in the training of an extremely promising young scientist.