Dissertation Research: Investigationn of Basalt Exploitation and Craft Production at Tres Zapotes, Mexico During the Formative Period

在Robert Drennan博士的指导下，Mark Kruszczynski先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在墨西哥的Tres Zapotes地区进行考古研究，该地区位于史前奥尔梅克文化的中心地带。奥尔梅克人最出名的是用玄武岩巨石雕刻成的重达数吨的巨石头像。Kruszczynski先生和其他人在该地区的实地考察也证明了许多其他玄武岩物体的存在，如用于研磨食物的manos和metites。还确定了几个潜在的原材料来源地和车间。在他的研究中，Kruszczynski先生将重建玄武岩生产行业的组织。他将回答四个问题：1。在实用和其他玄武岩物品的生产中是否有大量的工艺专业化？2.生产是如何组织的？3.这种生产是纯粹为了满足当地需要、区域需求还是为了满足泛区域目的？4.如果有这种工艺专业化和区域出口，精英在这种生产和出口中发挥了什么作用，这种活动与Tres Zapotes的整体发展有什么关系？为了实现这些目标，Kruszczynski先生和他的同事们将进行一次区域调查，以确定玄武岩露头和车间区域的位置。 在遗骸密集的地区，将收集地表和地下样本，并将在三个车间地区进行大规模挖掘。将对玄武岩物体以及其他文化遗迹进行类型学分析，并将通过薄切片检查玄武岩，以将物体与源露头联系起来。 奥尔梅克文明是史前中美洲出现的一系列文明中的第一个文明，由于其年代较早，代表着一种“原始”或独立的发展。因此，考古学家们对它给予了相当大的关注。研究人员希望了解在相对荒凉的墨西哥海岸线地区，是什么导致了这个社会的发展，一些人假设它与当地玄武岩资源的开发有关。马诺斯和metates形成了一个基本的生活项目在中美洲，因为他们被用来研磨蔬菜食品。然而，奥尔梅克玄武岩生产的规模和组织仍然不清楚，Kruszczynski先生的研究应该对此提供见解。 这项工作之所以重要，有几个原因。它将提供新世界最著名的文明之一的数据，这将是科学家和普通公众感兴趣的。它将有助于理解导致文化复杂性增长的过程，并有助于培养有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Robert Drennan, Mr. Mark Kruszczynski will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological research in the Tres Zapotes region of Mexico, an area which lies in the heartland of prehistoric Olmec culture. The Olmec are best known for the production of massive stone heads - several tons in weight -sculpted from basalt boulders. Fieldwork in the region by Mr. Kruszczynski and others has also demonstrated the presence of many other basalt objects such as manos and metates used to grind food. Several potential raw material source areas and workshops have also been located. In his research, Mr. Kruszczynski will reconstruct the organization of the basalt production industry. He will address four questions: 1. Was there substantial craft specialization in the production of both utilitarian and other basalt items? 2. How was the production organized? 3 Did this production serve to meet purely local needs, regional demand or pan-regional purposes? 4. If there was such craft specialization and regional export, what role did elites play in this production and export and how was this activity related to the overall development of Tres Zapotes? To accomplish these goals, Mr. Kruszczynski and colleagues will conduct a regional survey to locate both basalt outcrops and workshop areas. In areas with dense remains both surface and subsurface samples will be collected and three workshop areas will be extensively excavated. Typological analysis of basalt objects as well as other cultural remains will be conducted and basalts will be examined by thin section to relate objects to source outcrop. The Olmec civilization was the first of a series which arose in prehistoric Middle America and because of its early date represents a `pristine` or independent development. Therefore archaeologists have focused considerable attention on it. Researchers wish to learn what is responsible for the development of this society in a relatively inhospitable Mexican coastline region and several have hypothesized that it is related to the exploitation of local basalt resources. Manos and metates formed an essential subsistence item in Middle American since they were used to grind vegetable foods. However the scale and organization of Olmec basalt manufacture is still not understood and Mr. Kruszczynski's research should provide insight into this. This work is important for several reasons. It will provide data on one of the New World's best known civilizations and this will be of interest to both scientists and the lay public. It will contribute to understanding the processes which lead to the growth of cultural complexity and assist in the training of a promising young scientist.