Residential Compound Excavation at Copan

在国家科学基金会的支持下，大卫·韦伯斯特博士将在洪都拉斯科潘进行为期一季的考古实地研究。这一大型玛雅遗址一直是广泛挖掘的重点，韦伯斯特博士和他的同事们对其进行了大量发掘，其基本历史和聚落模式众所周知。遗址很大，既有巨大的石头建筑，也有许多与之相关的小定居点和房丘。它占据了玛雅史前的大部分时间，从而记录了这个社会的崛起和随后的衰落。在之前的工作中，韦伯斯特博士发现了一处看似是精英团体住所的院落。在国家科学基金会的支持下，他将扩大他在这一地区的调查和挖掘。他将清理植被，重新建立网格，并在所有附属结构中绘制地图。然后，将在每个这样的结构附近挖掘至少一条2x2米的沟渠，直到土壤灭菌。一组建筑前的一条大而浅的沟渠也将被切割到最新的生活面，以寻找烹饪等居住活动的迹象。最后，将挖掘一条长长的壕沟，将该地区与遗址的其他地区连接起来。通常在这类建筑的后部发现的垃圾堆和墓穴将为确定绝对日期提供材料。玛雅人用相对简单的技术发展了具有纪念性建筑的大型城市式住区，这表明有能力动员和控制大量的人，并将他们联系在一起，形成有效的社会单位。根据居住地大小和墓葬物品相对财富的不同，很明显，社会是以等级方式组织起来的，发达的宗教、经济和政治制度支持这种区别。然而，令人惊讶的是，人们对精英们本身以及他们是如何生活和控制的知之甚少。由于考古学家不知道玛雅遗址内和玛雅遗址之间的差异有多大，所以尚不清楚“精英”的概念是否有用。这个项目将有助于得出一个答案，因为它将提供关于其中一个群体的系统信息。根据迄今为止的研究，这座住宅似乎跨越了包括古典和后古典时期在内的时期，因此记录了该遗址的鼎盛和衰落。因此，有可能确定精英角色随着时间的推移发生了怎样的变化。这项研究将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据。它将揭示社会分化是如何出现和维持的，以及玛雅文明在其发展的鼎盛时期是如何发挥作用的。

With National Science Foundation support Dr David Webster will conduct one season of archeological field research at Copan Honduras. This large Mayan site has been the focus of extensive excavation, much of it by Dr. Webster and his colleagues, and the basic history and settlement pattern are well known. The site is large, contains both massive stone architecture as well as many small associated settlements and house mounds. It was occupied over much of Mayan prehistory and thus documents both the rise and subsequent decline of this society. In previous work Dr. Webster located a compound which appears to have been the residence of an elite group. With National Science Foundation support he will extend his survey and excavation in this area. He will clear the vegetation, re-establish a grid and map in all ancillary structures. At least one 2x2 meter trench will then be excavated adjacent to each such structure down to sterile soil. A large shallow trench will also be cut down to the latest living surface in front of one set of structures to search for signs of residential activities such as cooking. Finally a long trench will be excavated to tie this area in with other regions of the site. Trash middens and burials, usually found at the rears of such buildings will provide materials for absolute date determinations. With relatively simple technology Mayan peoples developed large city-like settlements with monumental architecture which indicates the ability to mobilize and control large numbers of people and to bind them together into functioning social units. Based on differences in the size of residence compounds and differences in relative wealth of grave goods it is clear that society was organized in a hierarchical fashion and that developed religious, economic and political systems supported this differentiation. However surprising little is known about elites themselves and how they lived and exercised control. It is unclear whether the concept of `elite` is useful or not since archaeologists do not know how much variation exists within and between Mayan sites. This project will help to yield an answer since it will provide systematic information about one such group. Based on research to date this residence appears to span the period which includes both Classic and Postclassic periods and thus records both the apex and decline of the site. Thus it may be possible to determine how elite roles changed over time. This research will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will shed light into how social differentiation emerges and is maintained and how the Mayan civilization functioned at the height of its development.