Dissertation Research: A Regional Analysis of Early Woodland Cultural Variability

在Charles Cobb博士的指导下，Sean Raffertry先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他的目标是研究从美国东部和中西部的考古遗址中挖掘出的大量不同地区的烟斗样本，这些烟斗可以追溯到早期林地时期（公元前1000年至公元0年）。在北美，这一时期标志着从狩猎和采集的生存方式向采用农业和更定居的生活方式的转变。墓葬习俗得到了详细的阐述，还有一些表明身份的物品，比如精心雕刻的石雕。它们分布在广阔的区域，表明存在着共同的仪式和意识形态。管状吸烟管经常出现在早期林地的遗址上，尽管它们经常出现在仪式背景下（如葬礼），但很少有综合研究。在国家科学支持下，拉弗蒂先生将进行这样的分析。他将前往藏有标本的博物馆，进行详细的风格研究。在此基础上，就有可能估计存在的分区域差异的程度。他将从烟斗内部提取残留物，并对其进行化学检查，以确定是否存在尼古丁（烟草的标志）。这项区域研究将辅以一项当地规模的分析，以检查管道是否经常与其他类型的陪葬品联系在一起，以及（根据骨骼检查）它们是否倾向于出现在特定年龄或性别的个体身上。在此基础上，将有可能深入了解仪式使用的程度和性质，以及它们在空间上的变化。在后来的北美史前史中，很明显，地区考古传统经常被整合到更大的地区共性中。例如，密西西比传统从墨西哥湾沿岸延伸到美国北部，当地群体通过贸易和共同的意识形态联系在一起。考古学家希望知道这种模式在时间上延伸了多远，以及什么条件导致了它的兴起。拉弗蒂先生假设，由于管道的分布，它的根可能早在2000年前的早期林地时期就被发现了。如果他能证明这些管子不仅仅代表物品本身，而是与共同的仪式行为有关，那么这一假设将得到极大的加强。虽然在许多地点挖掘并描述了吸烟管，但没有使用一套一致的分析标准进行综合研究。Rafferty先生的研究是原创的，他收集的数据将被广泛利用。该项目还将帮助培训一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Charles Cobb, Mr. Sean Raffertry will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. His goal is to study a large and regionally diverse sample of smoking pipes excavated from Eastern and Midwestern US archaeological sites dated to the Early Woodland Period (1,000 BC - 0 AD). In North America, this period marks the transition from hunting and gathering mode of subsistence to the adoption of agriculture and a more sedentary way of life. Burial practices were elaborated and items indicative of status such as elaborately carved stone sculptures are also present. Their distribution over a wide area suggests the presence of shared ritual and ideology. Tubular smoking pipes are often found on sites dating to the Early Woodland and despite their common occurrence often in ritual contexts (such as burials) there has been little synthetic research. With National science support Mr. Rafferty will undertake such an analysis. He will travel to museums which contain specimens and conduct a detailed stylistic study. On this basis it will be possible to estimate the extent of sub-regional variation which exists. He will extract residue from pipes' interiors and subject this to chemical examination to determine whether nicotine, indicative of tobacco, is present. This regional study will be supplemented by a local scale analysis to examine whether pipes occur in regular association with other types of burial goods and whether (based on skeletal examination) they tend to occur with individuals of particular age or gender. On this basis it will be possible to gain insight into the degree and nature of ritual use and how this varied over space. In later North American prehistory it is clear that regional archaeological traditions were often integrated into larger areal commonalties. The Mississippian tradition, for example, extended from the Gulf Coast to the northern US and local groups were linked through trade and shared ideology. Archaeologists wish to know how far this pattern extends back in time and what conditions led to its rise. Mr. Rafferty hypothesizes that because of the distribution of pipes, its roots may be found in the Early Woodland period as early as 2,000 years ago. This hypothesis will be significantly strengthened if he can show the pipes represent more than objects per se, but rather are associated with shared ritual behavior. Although smoking pipes have been excavated in many sites and described, no synthetic studies using a consistent set of analytic criteria have been conducted. Mr. Rafferty's research is original and the data he collects will be widely utilized. The project will also assist in training a promising young scientist.