Dissertation Research: Experimental and Analytical Studies of East African Plio-Pleistocene Artifact Assemblages and their Bearing on the Earliest Technology

在Jack Harris博士的指导下，Brian Ludwig先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将研究一系列东非遗址的石器组合，这些遗址的历史可以追溯到250万到150万年前。他将检查埃塞俄比亚的戈纳和奥莫遗址、肯尼亚的富比福拉和坦桑尼亚的奥杜瓦伊峡谷的材料。测量结果将记录在29个变量上，这些变量严格基于在薄片、棱角碎片、芯和其他返工件上发现的技术特征。路德维希先生是一位经验丰富的石匠，他还将使用复制技术来确定这些物品的生产过程。在此基础上，他将深入了解制造它们的原始人的认知和操纵能力，并追踪这些能力是如何随着时间的推移而发展的。2.5到1.5年前这段时期标志着人类能力的重大进步。在250万年前，考古记录开始于第一个剥落的石器。一百万年后，原始人产生了标准化的形态。这项研究的目的是确定这个过程是如何随着时间的推移而发展的。以前对这些材料的考古研究主要集中在“工具类型”上，并试图将材料分类。然而，这种方法对它们的制造者的认知和操纵能力知之甚少。路德维希先生的工作将有助于缓解这种情况。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信息。它将为人类认知能力的发展提供新的线索，并有助于培养一位有前途的年轻考古学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Jack Harris, Mr. Brian Ludwig will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will study stone tool assemblages from a series of East African sites which date to between 2.5 and 1.5 million years ago. He will examine materials from the Gona and Omo sites in Ethiopia, Foobi Fora in Kenya and Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Measurements will be recorded on 29 variables based on strictly technological features found on flakes, angular fragments, cores and other reworked pieces. Mr. Ludwig is an experienced stone worker and he will also use replicative techniques to determine the processes by which these objects were produced. On this basis he will gain insight into the cognitive and manipulative abilities of the hominids who produced them and trace how these developed over time. The period between 2.5 and 1.5 years ago marked a major advance in hominid capabilities. At 2.5 million the archaeological record begins with the first flaked stone tools. A million years later hominids were producing standardized forms. The goal of this research is to determine how this process developed over time. Previous archaeological studies of these materials have focussed on `tool types` and attempted to sort materials into named categories. However such an approach gives little insight into their makers' cognitive and manipulative abilities. Mr. Ludwig's work will help to alleviate this situation. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide information of interest to many archaeologists. It will shed new light on the development of human cognitive abilities and assist in the training of a promising young archaeologist.