An Archaeology Study of Emerging Social Complexity in the Eastern Sahara of Egypt

在国家科学基金会的支持下，弗雷德温多夫博士将在位于埃及西南部的纳卜塔普拉亚地区进行考古发掘。先前的研究表明，大约9,000年至5,300年前，该地区存在史前牧牛人。（此后，降雨量减少，该地区被遗弃。在干盐湖中可见的遗迹包括几个巨石排列，石头“日历圈”，两个小的石头坟墓，覆盖着牛的坟墓和34个大的坟墓，分为三组。根据这些初步资料，纳卜塔似乎曾是一个区域性的仪式中心，而在撒哈拉南部边缘则发现了更近的对应物。虽然后者要年轻得多，但他们经常为领导人盖墓室。温多夫博士将部分挖掘Nabta土丘之一，以确定它包含什么，收集可确定日期的有机材料，并确定结构是如何建立的。如果骨骼材料被恢复，这些数据将提供基础，设计一个更大的长期研究项目。 考古学家希望了解复杂的社会是如何产生和维持的。尽管人们对埃及文明的法老时期有很多了解，但对其前身的了解却非常少。Nabta的初步研究表明，分层的社会组织可以追溯到至少6,000年前的畜牧环境。温多夫博士的工作可能会揭示发展过程的起点。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Fred Wendorf will conduct archaeological excavations in the Nabta Playa region which is located in southwestern Egypt. Previous work has indicated the presence of prehistoric cattle pastoralists in the area from about 9,000 to 5,300 years ago. (After that time rainfall decreased and the area was abandoned.) Visible remains in the playa include several megalithic alignments, stone `calendar circles`, two small stone tumuli covering burials of cattle and 34 largaer tumuli clustered into three groups. Based on these preliminary information, Nabta appears to have served as a regional ceremonial center and more recent counterparts are known from the southern Sahara margin. While these latter are much younger they often cover burial chambers for leaders. Dr. Wendorf will partially excavate one of the Nabta mounds to determine what it contains, to collect datable organic materials and to determine how the structure was built If skeletal materials are recovered these data will provide the basis to design a larger longer term research project. Archaeologists wish to understand how complex societies arise and are maintained. Although a great deal is known about the Pharonic period of Egyptian civilization, its antecedents are very poorly understood. Preliminary Nabta research suggests that stratified social organization may date to at least 6,000 years ago in a pastoralist context. Dr. Wendorf's work may shed light on the starting point of the developmental process.