Dissertation Research: Obsidian Procurement and Production at San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala

在E博士的指导下，Wyllys Andrews，Geoffrey Braswell先生 将为他的博士论文收集数据布拉斯韦尔先生 参加了一个考古项目， 危地马拉圣马丁希洛特普克地区的史前史。在 在这段时期的大部分时间里，该地区是一个重要的贸易中心， 因为这里蕴藏着丰富的黑曜石资源。前 随着金属工具的引入，这种形式的火山玻璃被高度 因为薄片形成并保持锋利的边缘， 作为切割工具。研究表明，黑曜石广泛用于 在玛雅地区内外都有交易 可能在玛雅文明的发展中扮演了重要角色 文明 到目前为止，布拉斯韦尔先生已经找到了 圣马丁黑曜岩及其中子特征 活化分析结果表明，不同地区 独特的化学特征，因此考古材料， 原则上应与原产地相匹配。一项调查， 黑曜石工作区已开展和小规模 进行挖掘。在国家科学基金会的支持下， 布拉斯韦尔现在将分析收集到的材料。他将进行 额外的中子活化分析，以表征源更多 没错陶瓷的研究及相关的放射性碳年代测定 材料将允许构建更精确的年表。 通过研究在考古遗址发现的黑曜石遗骸 生产和销售的过程将 确定。 因为它在空间上如此局限，交易如此广泛， 很明显，黑曜石在史前经济和 玛雅的社会制度这种生产和贸易 然而，组织并没有得到很好的理解。他专注于 拥有丰富黑曜石资源的有限地区布拉斯韦尔先生应该 对这一过程有重要的见解。 这项研究很重要，因为它将增加我们的 了解复杂社会是如何产生和维持的。 它还将协助培训一名有前途的青年科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. E. Wyllys Andrews, Mr. Geoffrey Braswell will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Mr. Braswell has participated in an archaeological project which has studied the prehistory of the San Martin Jilotepque area of Guatemala. In during much of this time the region was an important trade center because it contained abundant obsidian resources. Before the introduction of metal tools, this form of volcanic glass was highly prized because flakes formed and held sharp edges which were used as cutting tools. Studies have indicated that obsidian was widely traded both across and beyond the Mayan area and that this trade may have played an important role in the development of Mayan civilization. To date Mr. Braswell has located the geological source areas of San Martin Jilotepque obsidian and charactered them by neutron activation analysis. The results show that different regions have distinct chemical signatures and thus archaeological materials can, in principle, be matched to source of origin. A survey to locate obsidian working areas has been carried out and small scale excavation conducted. With National Science Foundation support Mr Braswell will now analyze the materials collected. He will conduct additional neutron activation analyses to characterize sources more precisely. Study of ceramics and radiocarbon dating of related materials will allow the construction of a more precise chronology. Through study of obsidian remains recovered at archaeological sites the process of manufacturing and distribution will then be ascertained. Because it was so spatially localized and so widely traded, it is clear that obsidian played a major role in prehistoric economic and social system of the Maya. Just how this production and trade was organized however is not well understood. With his focus on a limited region with rich obsidian resources Mr. Braswell should gain important insights into this process. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of how complex societies emerge and are maintained. It will also assist in the training of a promising young scientist.