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

在Anthony Marks博士的指导下，南方卫理公会大学的研究生Paul Thacker先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在葡萄牙西部的埃斯特雷马杜拉地区进行考古研究，并从两个河谷收集数据。以往的工作表明，该地区有丰富的考古遗迹。在每一本书中，他都将重点放在表面测量和描述上。将利用航空照片和土地所有权地图制定一项抽样战略，其中包括所有主要地貌。一个由三人组成的调查小组将走访选定的地区，并记录所有文物的出现。在每个场地，将测量环境变量，包括坡向、高程、斜坡地面能见度、面积和形状。还将注意到与水和岩石源等重要自然资源的距离。由于该地区的沙质土壤不保存动物遗骸，因此组合几乎完全由石器和碎屑垃圾组成。萨克先生将对这些进行分析。在此基础上，他将重建该地区的定居点模式，并确定其随时间的变化情况。虽然西班牙和欧洲更北部的地区对旧石器时代的了解很多，但葡萄牙的研究远远落后。马克斯博士和葡萄牙合作者最近的工作揭示了旧石器时代晚期文化的一系列，时间跨度约为公元前28,000-10,000年。虽然在分层遗址的挖掘已经建立了这种序列，但对这些群体中的任何一个群体的文化适应情况知之甚少。关于生存和土地利用做法的数据非常有限，萨克先生的研究将有助于纠正这种情况。旧石器时代晚期，欧洲出现了解剖学上的现代人，同时出现了艺术、宗教和其他复杂的特征，这些特征是所有现代人的特征。旧石器时代晚期研究的基本目标是了解这些特征是如何发展的。为此，有必要采取比较的方法，研究人们如何适应各种环境背景。在此背景下，可以理解萨克先生的工作的价值。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，并增加我们对史前适应策略的理解。它还将帮助培训一位非常有前途的科学家。

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.