Dissertation Research: Steatite Vessel Manufacture in Eastern North America

在Robert Dunnell博士的指导下，James Truncer先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将对从美国中大西洋各州的一些史前采石场收集的一系列滑石样品进行中子活化和电子显微探针分析。他还将对用这种材料制造的考古物品进行类似的分析。滑石是一种软岩，被史前人类广泛使用，被雕刻成烹饪器皿和非实用物品。由于滑石在自然界是相当罕见的，因为它位于离散的露头，往往是广泛分离的，因为化学成分是可变的，Truncer先生希望开发一种方法来化学和矿物学区分露头。这将使在考古遗址中发现的滑石文物能够与来源地区联系起来。他所进行的初步工作表明，这一目标是可行的。考古学家已经了解到，即使是早期的狩猎和采集群体也不是孤立生活的，而是与区域网络联系在一起的。这些大型组织是如何运作的，它们扩展到什么程度，以及它们随着时间的推移是如何变化的，这些都是未知的。对贸易网络的研究提供了对这一过程的直接洞察，而滑石，如果可以获得，可以用于这一目的。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将为在美国中大西洋各州工作的考古学家提供感兴趣的信息。它将有助于发展一种具有广泛潜在用途的技术，并将有助于培训一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Dunnell Under the direction of Dr. Robert Dunnell, Mr. James Truncer will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct both neutron Activation and electron microprobe analysis on a series of steatite samples collected from a number of prehistoric quarries in the U.S. Middle Atlantic States. He will also conduct similar analyses on archaeological objects manufactured from this material. Steatite is a soft rock which was widely used by prehistoric peoples and was carved into cooking vessels and nonutilitarian objects. Because steatite is fairly uncommon in nature, because it is located in discrete outcrops which are often widely separated and because chemical composition is variable, Mr. Truncer hopes to develop a means to chemically and mineralogically distinguish outcrops. This would allow steatite artifacts recovered in archaeological sites to be linked to source areas. Preliminary work he has conducted suggests that such a goal is feasible. Archaeologists have learned that even early hunter and gatherer groups did not live in isolation but were linked into regional networks. Just how these larger organizations functioned, how far they extended and how they changed over time is unknown. The study of trade networks provides direct insight into this process and steatite, if it can be sourced, can be used for this purpose. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide information of interest to archaeologists who work in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states. It will help to develop a technique of widespread potential use and it will assist in the training of a promising young scientist.