High Risk Exploratory Research: Late Mousterian Caves at Almonda, Portugal

在国家科学基金会的支持下，安东尼·马克斯博士和他的同事们将在葡萄牙阿尔蒙达坍塌洞穴的洞口进行考古发掘测试。这些构成了一个广泛的案例系统的许多入口中的几个，该系统已经被绘制和探索。根据从洞穴本身的地表环境中发现的考古材料，这些系统的入口处很可能包含旧石器时代中期的埋藏文化沉积物。史前人类大多居住在光线充足、通风良好的洞穴入口处，而不是洞穴内部。勘探揭示了几个入口的表面位置。在一个短暂的实地考察季节，马克斯博士和他的同事们将从外部悬崖表面挖掘，以清除大块石灰岩屋顶坍塌以及冲入洞口暴露原地沉积物的沉积物。然后将进行测试挖掘，以确定它们是否包含旧石器时代中期的工业。这项探索性工作如果成功，将为更大、更长期的研究项目提供基础。考古证据表明，大约40,000年前，居住在西欧的尼安德特人被解剖学上的现代人取代。然而，它们发生的过程尚不清楚。在尼安德特人时期相对较晚的时期，物质文化的变化预示着适应，这是后世现代人的特征。考古学家不知道这些是借来的还是独立开发的。这个问题很难解决，因为很可能在大约4万年前，这两个群体在欧洲大部分地区都有潜在的接触。葡萄牙很重要，因为现代人进入这一地区的时间相对较晚，因此尼安德特人在这里的生存时间比其他地方长至少10,000年。由于这种孤立，葡萄牙提供了一个很好的舞台来研究尼安德特人适应的问题，以及这可能反映出潜在的行为能力。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。如果成功，它将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并为史前人类记录提供新的线索。它还将为一个更广泛的研究项目奠定基础。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Anthony Marks and his colleagues will conduct test archaeological excavations in the mouths of collapsed caves at Almonda, Portugal. These form several of many entrances to an extensive case system which has been mapped and explored. On the basis of archaeological materials recovered from surface contexts within the caves themselves it is likely that the entrances to these systems contained buried cultural deposits of Middle Paleolithic age. Prehistoric peoples most often lived in the well lighted and ventilated entrances of caves rather than their interiors. Exploration has revealed the surface position of several entrances. In a brief field season Dr. Marks and colleagues will excavate from an exterior cliff face to remove large blocks of limestone roof-fall as well as sediment which has washed into the openings to expose in situ deposit. Test excavations will then be conducted to determine whether they contain Middle Paleolithic industries. This exploratory work will, if successful, provide the basis for a larger, longer term research project. Archaeological evidence indicates that approximately 40,000 years ago Neanderthal peoples who inhabited Western Europe were replaced by anatomically modern humans. However the process by which they occurred is unclear. Relatively late in the Neanderthal period changes in material culture foreshadow adaptations which characterized the succeeding modern humans. Archaeologists do not know whether these represent borrowings or an independent development. The question is difficult to resolve because it is likely that ca. 40,000 years ago the two groups were in potential contact across much of Europe. Portugal is important because modern humans enter this region relatively late and thus Neanderthal peoples survived for at least 10,000 years longer here than elsewhere. Because of this isolation Portugal provides an excellent arena to examine the issue of Neanderthal adaptation, and what this may reflect about underlying behavioral abilities. This research is important for several reasons. It will, if successful, provide data of interest to many archaeologists and shed new light on the prehistoric human record. It will also set the stage for a more extensive research project.