Archaeological and Geological Fieldwork in Kenya

根据国家科学基金会的SBER仪器竞赛，Stanley Ambrose博士将购买一辆四轮驱动的丰田陆地巡洋舰，以方便他在肯尼亚裂谷进行古人类学实地考察。因为他研究的地点位于远离主要道路的偏远地区，所以需要一辆四轮驱动的汽车。安布罗斯博士和他的同事们已经确定了一个大约25x50千米的区域。该地区位于南部大裂谷的西肩，根据非常简短的检查，显示该地区有20多个化石和考古遗址。以往的地质调查表明，该地区有三个叠置的古湖。年龄最大的为中新世晚期，年龄较小的可能为上新世和更新世。暴露的地层剖面厚达185米，包含大量可测年的火山灰。该地区丰富的化石和考古记录可能会在至少十年内产生重要的新发现。安布罗斯博士启动了一个长期项目，以确定详细的地质序列，获得绝对日期，并重建随着时间推移不断变化的环境。古生物和考古遗址将被定位和挖掘，在此基础上，应该有可能在可能的600万年时间跨度内检查原始人的适应情况。这辆车也将被研究生使用，从而发挥重要的教育功能。-v-+-±@+_？▓--哦？‘+’？▒0≥+$H L+，╗D h+S m m aR y n o r m a t i On(++R：\WWUSER\TEMPLATE\NORMAL.DOT

Under the National Science Foundation's SBER Instrumentation competition, Dr. Stanley Ambrose will purchase a four wheel drive Toyota Landcruiser to facilitate his paleoanthropological fieldwork in the Kenyan Rift Valley. Because the sites he studies are located in isolated areas away from main roads a four wheel drive vehicle is necessary. Dr. Ambrose and his colleagues have located a ca. 25 x 50 km. region on the western shoulder of the southern Rift Valley which, on the basis of a very brief examination was shown to contain over 20 fossil and archaeological sites. Previous geological survey indicates that the region contains three superimposed paleolakes. The oldest is Late Miocene in age and the younger are probably Pliocene and Pleistocene. The exposed stratigraphic sections are up to 185 meters thick and contain abundant datable volcanic ashfalls. The area's rich fossil and archaeological record is likely to produce important new discoveries for at least a decade. Dr. Ambrose has initiated a long term project to determine the detailed geological sequence, obtain absolute dates and reconstruct changing environments over time. Paleontological and archaeological sites will be located and excavated and on this basis it should be possible to examine hominid adaptation over a possible 6 million year time span. The vehicle will also be used by graduate students and thus serve an important educational function. - À- v- +- ±@ + _ Ûª▓ ÑOh ª' +'ª▒0 Ý + Õ $ H l + ¢ ╗ D h + S u m m a r y I n f o r m a t i o n ( ++++++++++++ % Û ++++++++++++ ++++++++++++ ++++++++++++ R:\WWUSER\TEMPLATE\NORMAL.DOT