Demographic and Political Change in the Classic-Postclassic Transition in Pacific Guatemala

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Bove博士和他的同事将分析多年来在危地马拉西部沿海地区通过精心控制的收集获得的考古材料。该地区包含许多遗址和材料，可以追溯到中美洲史前的古典时期以及随后的后古典时期。Bove博士将重点关注位于西海岸并跨越这一过渡时期的两个次区域。通过对石器、陶瓷、建筑以及遗址的规模和分布的分析，他希望能回答一些问题。首先，他将采用黑曜石水合技术来确定考古事件的绝对日期，从而为这两个地区制定年表。通过对陶瓷遗骸的分析，他将确定每个地区是否存在同一个民族，或者是否发生了人口更替。对遗址数量和范围的研究将使他能够确定人口规模随时间的变化。它也将有可能审查社会组织的许多方面。人们可以确定一个地区内的社会分化程度，并在地区间基础上确定权力关系如何随着时间的推移而变化。 许多考古学家关注中美洲的古典-后古典过渡，因为根据传统的解释，它标志着一个重大的社会崩溃。正是在古典时期，最大和最令人印象深刻的玛雅寺庙建成，中美洲文化达到了顶峰。在这一时期结束时，许多遗址似乎被遗弃，纪念性建筑停止，人们似乎生活在较小的等级组织的群体中。考古学家已经假设了一些原因，为什么会发生这样的变化，这些原因包括战争的增加和过度开发环境引起的生态崩溃。危地马拉西部地区是有趣的，因为它似乎不符合这个senario。初步证据表明，高度的连续性和许多后古典遗址存在。然而，目前还无法重建不断变化的人口密度，也无法确定社会组织是否发生了变化。Bove博士的工作目标就是解决这些紧迫的问题。 Bove博士希望研究的根本问题是社会如何以及为什么变化。他认为，可能涉及到重复的周期，危地马拉西部等地区为解决这类问题提供了一个很好的实验室，其丰富的考古遗迹覆盖了一千多年的时间跨度，因此可以获得丰富而长期的数据库。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Bove and his colleagues will analyze archaeological materials which have been obtained through carefully controlled collection over a number of years in the western coastal region of Guatemala. The area contains numerous sites and materials which date from the Classic period of Mesoamerican prehistory as well as from the succeeding Postclassic period. Dr. Bove will focus on two subregions which are located on the western coast and which span this transitional period. Through analysis of stone tools, ceramics, architecture and the size and distribution of sites he hopes to answer a number of questions. First, he will employ the technique of obsidian hydration to assign absolute dates to archaeological occurrences and thus develop a chronology for both regions. Through analysis of ceramic remains he will determine, in each area, whether the same peoples were present through time or if population replacement occurred. Study of site numbers and extent will permit him to determine changes in population size over time. It will also be possible to examine many facets of social organization. One can determine the extent of social differentiation within a single area and on an inter-area basis how power relationships may have altered over time. Many archaeologists have focused on the Classic-Postclassic transition in Mesoamerica because, according to traditional interpretations, it marks a major social collapse. It was during the Classic period that the largest and most impressive Mayan temples were constructed and Middle American culture reached a peak. At the end of this period many sites appear to be abandoned, monumental construction ceases and people appear to live in smaller less hierarchically organized groups. Archaeologists have postulated a number of reasons why such changes may have occurred and these range from increased warfare to ecological collapse induced by overexploitation of the environment. The western Guatemala area is interesting because it appears not to conform to this senario. Preliminary evidence indicates a high degree of continuity and numerous Postclassic sites are present. However it has not yet been possible to reconstruct changing population densities or to determine if social organization was altered. The goal of Dr. Bove's work is to address these immediate questions. The underlying issue which Dr. Bove wishes to study is how and why societies change. He believes that recurring cycles may be involved and a region such as western Guatemala provides an excellent laboratory to address questions of this type.Its rich archaeological remains cover over a thousand year span and it is, therefore, possible to obtain a rich and long term data base.