Dissertation Research: Archaeology of the Viru Valley, Peru

在Richard Burger博士的指导下，Thomas Zoubek先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在位于秘鲁北部海岸维鲁山谷的Huaca El Gallo/Huaca La Gallina遗址进行考古挖掘。该遗址包括两个巨大的石面平台土丘，两个下沉的圆形庭院和广泛的居住遗迹。至少有一个未被洗劫的墓地与土堆和家庭建筑有关。该遗址本身可以追溯到公元前1800年至公元前50年之间的形成期，因此记录了秘鲁复杂社会的崛起。在计划中的实地考察中，祖贝克和他的同事们将绘制该地点的精确地图。然后，他们将挖掘每种类型的家庭的代表性样本，并将挖掘出几个完整的家庭结构。此外，当局亦会在垃圾区进行挖掘，以建立地层层序。墓葬和未受干扰的坟墓也将被检查。将对发现的文化和骨骼以及花卉和动物材料进行分析。秘鲁海岸的考古情况之所以有趣，有几个原因。首先，安第斯山脉是世界上少数几个高度复杂的分层社会似乎独立进化的地区之一。在最初的时期，建造和维护了大型礼仪结构。其次，该区域很重要，因为有迹象表明，至少在秘鲁沿海的一些地区，这一发展是在相对平等的社会背景下进行的。考古学家通常认为，纪念碑建筑中所表明的政治中央集权要么是地位不平等的出现的结果，要么是与之密切相关的；然而，秘鲁的案例可能会推翻这一假设。人们对这些遗址的家庭组织知之甚少，因为考古工作主要集中在更宏伟的纪念性建筑上。Zoubek先生的工作将侧重于前者，并提供对社会组织的直接洞察。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据。它将增加对复杂社会如何发展的理解，也将有助于培养有前途的年轻科学家。

Burger Under the direction of Dr. Richard Burger, Mr. Thomas Zoubek will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological excavation at the site of Huaca El Gallo/Huaca La Gallina which is located in the Viru Valley on the northern coast of Peru. The site contains two large stone-faced platform mounds, two sunken circular courts and extensive habitational remains. At least one unlooted cemetery is associated with the mounds and domestic structures. The site itself dates to the Formative period, between 1800 and 50 BC and therefore documents the rise of complex society in Peru. In the planned fieldwork, Mr. Zoubek and his colleagues will construct a precise map of the site. They will then excavate a representative sample of each type of household and several domestic structures will be dug in their entirety. Refuse areas will also be sought out for excavation in order to establish stratigraphic sequences. Burials and undisturbed tombs will also be examined. The cultural and skeletal, as well as floral and faunal materials recovered will be analyzed. The archaeological situation of the coast of Peru is interesting for several reasons. First the Andes represents one of the few regions of the world where highly complex stratified societies appear to have independently evolved. During the Initial period large ceremonial structures were built and maintained. Secondly, the region is important because there are indications that, in some parts of the Peruvian coast at least, this development took place in a relatively egalitarian social context. Archaeologists generally believe that political centralization as indicated in monumental construction either results from or is intimately related to the emergence of status inequality; the Peruvian case however may disprove this hypothesis. Relatively little is known about household organization at such sites since archaeological work has concentrated on the more imposing monumental structures. Mr. Zoubek's work will focus on the former and provide direct insight into social organization. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will increase understanding of how complex societies develop and will also contribute to the training of a promising young scientist.