Accelerator Mass Spectrometer Dating of Prehistoric Domestication from the Americas

在国家科学基金会的支持下，劳伦斯·卡普兰博士将从考古遗址获得33个早期驯化豆类（Phaseolus属）的加速器放射性碳测年。虽然有间接日期（基于木炭和其他与豆类有关的有机材料），但很少有直接测定，而且这些测定结果与间接日期所显示的年龄差别很大。其结果是，人们对这一新大陆主要驯养动物的起源时间和地点知之甚少。与其他化学分析相结合，该项目将使考古学家和生物学家了解这种粮食作物的驯化和传播过程。Paseolus属包括五种豆类，它们在哥伦布发现新大陆前被驯化并广泛使用。它们与玉米和南瓜一起构成了北美洲、中美洲和南美洲大部分史前饮食的基础，对生存至关重要，因为它们含有其他食物所缺乏的必需氨基酸。考虑到野生祖先的存在，很明显驯化确实发生在新大陆，但除此之外，考古学的理解是有限的。这个问题不仅引起了生物学家的兴趣，也引起了考古学家的兴趣，他们希望了解复杂的酋长领地是如何发展起来的。直到最近，人们还认为，维持这种组织形式所必需的生存基础需要大量的驯养。然而，最近的研究表明，这种社会复杂性早于玉米和豆类的驯化。似乎不太为人所知和产量较低的作物发挥了重要作用。卡普兰博士的研究将有助于回答这个问题。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将为生物学家和人类学家提供感兴趣的数据。它还将揭示植物驯化的起源和复杂社会的发展。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Lawrence Kaplan will obtain thirty-three accelerator radiocarbon dates on early domesticated beans (genus Phaseolus) obtained from archaeological sites. Although indirect dates are available (based on charcoal and other organic materials associated with beans) very few direct determinations have been made and these vary significantly from the ages suggested by the indirect dates. The result is that very little is known about the timing and places of origin on this major New World domesticate. In conjunction with other chemical analyses, this project will permit archaeologists and biologists to understand the process of the domestication and spread of this food crop. The genus Paseolus includes five species of beans which were domesticated and widely used in the pre-Columbian New World. Together with corn and squash they formed the basis for much of the prehistoric diet over North, Middle and South America and were crucial for survival because they contain essential amino acids which are otherwise lacking. Given the presence of wild progenitors it is clear that domestication did take place in the New World but beyond that archaeological understanding is limited. The problem is of interest not only to biologists but also to archaeologists who wish to understand how complex chiefdoms developed. Until recently it was believed that the subsistence base necessary to support such a form of organization required a major domesticate. However recent work has suggested that such social complexity predates the domestication of corn and possibly beans as well. It seems likely that less well known and less productive crops played an important role. Dr. Kaplan's research will help to answer this question. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to both biologists and anthropologists. It will also shed light on the origins of plant domestication and the development of complex societies.