Dissertation Research: Hopewell Culture in the Mississippi Valley

9321825 Steponaitis在Vincas Steponaitis博士的指导下，Thomas Maher先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在密苏里州圣路易斯以东的密西西比河泛滥平原的“美国底”继续他的考古研究。随着对约公元前200年至公元300年的中期伍德兰时期的关注，他将致力于提供更强大的陶瓷年代学，并牢牢地固定在时间上。为了做到这一点，将对该地区少数知名遗址的陶瓷进行详细的分析。然后，将从相关矿床中获得一系列放射性碳测年数据。在此基础上，将进行有限和非常谨慎的挖掘，以提供更多的陶瓷材料，并允许重建社会组织。位于圣路易斯郊区的卡霍基亚大丘陵遗址证明了中西部北部令人印象深刻的社会复杂性和史前发展。考古学家将这种现象称为“霍普韦尔现象”，并希望了解这种分层社会是如何出现的。这个问题很重要，因为在新旧世界的许多地方似乎都发生了同样的基本过程。由于其广泛的考古遗迹，美国海底提供了解决这一问题的绝佳地区。虽然对早期和后期都有很多了解，但该区域的中部林地仍然没有得到很好的了解，区域一体化的最早阶段很可能就发生在这一时期。最阻碍研究的是缺乏良好的年表。作为第一个分析步骤，有必要按时间顺序排列站点之间的关系，但这仍然不能以权威的方式完成。马希尔先生的工作将有助于纠正这种情况。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将为许多考古学家提供一个使用年表的框架。它将增加我们对社会复杂性如何发展的理解，并将有助于培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。***

9321825 Steponaitis Under the direction of Dr. Vincas Steponaitis, Mr. Thomas Maher will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will continue his archaeological research in the "American Bottom", a section of the Mississippi River floodplain located East of St. Louis Missouri. With a focus on the Middle Woodland period which dates from ca 200 BC to AD 300 he will work to provide a more robust ceramic chronology and to anchor it firmly in time. To accomplish this, detailed analysis will be conducted on ceramics from the few well known sites across this region. A series of radiocarbon dates will then be obtained from relevant deposits. On this basis limited and very carefully directed excavation will be conducted to provide further ceramic material and to allow reconstruction of social organization. The large mound site of Cahokia, located on the outskirts of St. Louis attests to the impressive scale of social complexity and prehistoric development in the northern Midwest. Archaeologists have termed this the "Hopewell phenomenon" and wish to understand how such a stratified society emerged. The question is an important one since this same basic process appears to have occurred in many parts of the New and Old Worlds. Because of it's extensive archaeological remains, the American Bottom provides and excellent region to address this issue. While much is known about both the earlier and later periods, the Middle Woodland in the region is still not well understood and it was during this period that the earliest phases of regional integration likely took place. What hampers research most is lack of a good chronology. It is necessary to place sites into chronological relationship to one another as a first analytic step and this still can not be done with authority. Mr. Maher's work will help to remedy this situation. This research is important for several reasons. It will Provide a chronological framework of use to many archaeologists. It will increase our understanding of how social complexity develops and will assist in the training of a promising young scientist. ***