Dissertation Research: Power and Competition in the Upper Egyptian Predynastic: A Settlement Perspective

在詹姆斯·理查森博士的指导下，大卫·安德森先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在位于上埃及阿比多斯地区的El-Mahasna遗址进行考古田野工作。位于尼罗河流域的El-Mahasna记录了埃及复杂社会的崛起，并有可能不仅揭示埃及国家的起源，而且还揭示导致复杂社会出现的过程。安德森先生进行的初步研究表明，该遗址的大部分地区完好无损，蕴藏的矿藏没有受到精耕细作农业的破坏，这是硅谷大部分地区的特点。根据表面材料和变色区域的存在，可以确定个别房屋的位置。由于复盖量相对较小，因此可以很容易地大面积开挖。因此，El-Mahasna提供了一个机会，可以在很长一段时间内审查单一定居点内社会群体和具体活动的空间分布情况。为了实现这一目标，安德森将把试验坑和大规模的水平挖掘结合起来。考古学家提出了几个模型来解释复杂等级社会的兴起。根据一组人的说法，精英或酋长的出现是为了提供管理服务，并假设在尼罗河流域，这些服务包括储存和分配粮食和其他食物来源，以弥补农业生产力的巨大和不可预测的年际变化。其他理论强调群体之间的竞争，以积累资源和地位，以实现个人目的。根据这种情景，权力是通过威胁和偏袒来积累的，以造福于有限的个人，而不是像管理理论预测的那样，自愿放弃以促进共同利益。安德森先生开发了一系列考古上可见的相关性，这些相关性从逻辑上是从这两个不同的过程得出的，并将利用El-Mahasna的数据来确定哪一个适用于尼罗河流域。由于其他几个原因，这项研究也具有重要意义。它将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的历史数据。它还将帮助培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. James Richardson, Mr. David Anderson will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological fieldwork at the site of El-Mahasna, located in the Abydos region of Upper Egypt. Situated in the Nile Valley El-Mahasna documents the rise of complex society in Egypt and has the potential to shed light not only on the origins of the Egyptian state but also on the processes which led to the emergence of complex society. Preliminary research conducted by Mr. Anderson demonstrates that significant areas of the site are intact and contain deposits undamaged by the intensive plow agriculture which characterizes much of the Valley. On the basis of surface materials and the presence of discolored areas it is possible to locate the positions of individual houses. Because the amount of overburden is relatively slight, large areas can be easily excavated. Thus El-Mahasna provides the opportunity to examine the spatial distribution of social groups and specific activities within a single settlement over an extended period of time. Mr. Anderson will combine test pits with large scale horizontal excavation to achieve this goal.Archaeologists have proposed several models to explain the rise of complex hierarchical societies. According to one set, elites or chiefs emerge to provide managerial services and it has been hypothesized that in the Nile Valley these included the storage and distribution of grain and other food sources to compensate for the large and unpredictable interannual variations in agricultural productivity. Other theories emphasize competition among groups to accumulate resources and status for personal ends. According to this scenario power is accumulated through threat and favor for the benefit of a limited number of individuals and is not willingly ceded, as the managerial theory predicts to further the common good. Mr. Anderson has developed a series of archaeologically visible correlates which logically follow from these two contrasting processes and will use the El-Mahasna data to determine which applies to the Nile Valley. This research is significant for several other reasons as well. It will provide historical data of interest to many archaeologists. It will also assist in training a promising young scientist.