Mounds at Moundville: Development of Public Architecture at a Large Missippian Ceremonial Center

在国家科学基金会的支持下，弗农博士 奈特将继续他的考古研究， 蒙德维尔位于亚拉巴马的黑武士河附近， 该遗址标志着史前最高的文化成就之一， 哥伦比亚印第安人。它由大量的土丘组成 排列成大致对称的顺序，许多包含数十个 数千立方米的填充物。考古证据 表明这些建筑物很可能建在 在很长一段时间里， 也被用作墓室。有几个已经产生了大量的 一系列的骷髅和陪葬品最重要的不是 结构本身，但社会组织的性质 这使他们成为可能。建造如此庞大的土方工程 需要一个社会和政治组织，能够动员 长时间的大量劳动。Knight医生 研究应该提供深入了解这种潜在的社会 结构 在过去工作的基础上，奈特博士将进行两次 挖掘的季节使用标准的考古技术， 会把战壕挖成一个个土丘取得的资料 将允许他确定施工日期（或多个施工 每一个情节）。在此基础上， 时间也是可以创造的。奈特博士将试图确定 每个结构的功能以及这些功能如何变化 随着时间 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将提供 许多科学家感兴趣的数据。这将增加我们的 理解在技术简单的层面上， 社会得以发展和维持。它还将有助于 培养研究生。

With support from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Vernon Knight will continue his archaeological research at the site of Moundville. Located near the Black Warrior River in Alabama this site marks one of the highest cultural achievements of pre- Columbian Native Americans. It consists of a large number of mounds arranged in roughly symmetrical order, many containing tens of thousands of cubic meters of fill. Archaeological evidence indicates that these structures, which were likely built over extended periods of time contained religious structures at their tops and also served as burial chambers. Several have yielded large series of skeletons and burial goods. Of central importance is not the structures themselves but the nature of the social organization which made them possible. To construct such massive earthworks requires a social and political organization which can mobilize a large amount of labor for long periods of time. Dr. Knight's research should provide insight into this underlying social structure. Building on past work at the site Dr. Knight will conduct two seasons of excavation. Using standard archaeological techniques he will cut trenches into a number of mounds. The materials collected will allow him to date the construction (or multiple construction episodes) of each. On this basis estimates of person power over time can also be made. Dr. Knight will attempt to determine the functions of each structure and how these also may have changed over time. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many scientists. It will increase our understanding of how, at a technologically simple level, complex societies develop and are maintained. It will also assist in the training of graduate students.