Dissertation Research: Upper Paleolithic Site Location in the Portuguese Estremadura: Insight into Human Adaptation and Land Use

在安东尼·马克斯博士的指导下， 南卫理公会大学的研究生，将收集 他的博士论文的数据。他将进行考古 在葡萄牙西部的埃斯特雷马杜拉地区进行研究， 两条河谷的数据。以前的研究表明， 该地区有丰富的考古遗迹。在每一个他将重点放在 地面测量和描述。航空照片和土地 所有权图将用于设计抽样策略， 包括所有主要地形。一个由三人组成的调查小组将 在所选区域上走一走，注意所有伪影的出现。在每个 场地环境变量，包括外观、海拔、坡度 将测量地面能见度、面积和形状。的 距离重要的自然资源，如水和石 来源也会被注意到。因为该地区的桑迪土壤 不保存动物群的遗骸，组合几乎完全由 石器和碎屑废料。萨克尔先生会分析这些。 在此基础上，他将为此重建定居模式。 并确定它如何随着时间的推移而变化。 虽然人们对西班牙旧石器时代的了解很多， 和欧洲更北部的地区，葡萄牙的研究已经落后 远远落后。Marks博士和葡萄牙合作者最近的工作 揭示了一系列旧石器时代晚期的文化， 时间范围约为公元前28，000 - 10，000年， 分层的网站已经建立了这个序列，很少是 了解这些群体的文化适应。非常 关于生计和土地使用做法的数据有限。 Thacker的研究将有助于纠正这种情况。上 旧石器时代出现了解剖学上的现代人 在欧洲，随着艺术、宗教和其他 这是现代所有人都具有的复杂特征。的 旧石器时代晚期研究的基本目标是了解这些 发展的特点。要做到这一点，就必须采取比较的方法。 研究人类如何适应各种环境 contexts.萨克尔先生的工作的价值可以从这一点来理解。 上下文 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将提供 许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并增加我们的 了解史前的适应策略。它还将 协助培养一位极有前途的科学家

Under the direction of Dr. Anthony Marks, Mr Paul Thacker, a graduate student at Southern Methodist University, will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological research in the Estremadura region in western Portugal and collect data from two river valleys. Previous work has indicated that this region is rich in archaeological remains. In each he will focus on surface survey and description. Aerial photographs and land ownership maps will be used to devise a sampling strategy which includes all major landforms. A survey team of three people will walk over selected areas and note all artifact occurrences. At each site environmental variables including aspect, elevation, slope ground surface visibility, area and shape will be measured. The distance to significant natural resources such as water and lithic sources will also be noted. Because the sandy soils of the region do not preserve faunal remains, assemblages consist almost solely of stone tools and chipping waste. Mr. Thacker will analyze these. On this basis he will reconstruct the settlement pattern for this region and determine how it changed over time. While a great deal is known about the Paleolithic period in Spain and more northerly parts of Europe, research in Portugal has lagged far behind. Recent work by Dr. Marks and Portuguese collaborators has revealed a succession of Upper Paleolithic cultures which span the time range of ca 28,000 - 10,000 B.C. While excavation in stratified sites has established this sequence, very little is known about the cultural adaptations of any of these groups. Very limited data exist on subsistence and land use practices and Mr. Thacker's research will help to remedy this situation. The Upper Paleolithic period saw the appearance of anatomically modern humans in Europe together with the appearance of art, religion and other complex traits which characterized all present day peoples. The basic goal of Upper Paleolithic research is to understand how these traits developed. To do so it is necessary to adopt a comparative approach and study how people adapted to a variety of environmental contexts. The value of Mr. Thacker's work can be understood in this context. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and increase our understanding of prehistoric adaptative strategies. It will also assist in the training of an extremely promising scientist.