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Abydos地区的El-Mahasna遗址进行考古实地考察。位于尼罗河谷的El-Mahasna记录了埃及复杂社会的兴起，不仅有可能揭示埃及国家的起源，而且还有可能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，并含有未被山谷大部分地区所特有的密集耕作农业破坏的沉积物。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。由于覆盖层的数量相对较少，因此可以很容易地挖掘大面积。因此，El-Mahasna提供了一个机会，可以在一个较长的时间内研究单一定居点内社会群体和具体活动的空间分布。安德森先生将联合收割机测试坑与大规模水平挖掘相结合，以实现这一目标。考古学家提出了几个模型来解释复杂等级社会的兴起。根据一套说法，精英或酋长的出现是为了提供管理服务，据推测，在尼罗河流域，这些服务包括储存和分配谷物和其他粮食来源，以补偿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，为个人目的积累资源和地位。根据这一设想，权力是通过威胁和恩惠积累起来的，只为有限数量的个人谋利益，而不是像管理理论所预测的那样，为了促进共同利益而自愿放弃。安德森先生从这两个截然不同的过程中逻辑地得出了一系列考古学上可见的相关性，并将使用埃尔-马哈斯纳的数据来确定哪一个适用于尼罗河谷。这项研究的重要性还有其他几个原因。它将为许多考古学家提供感兴趣的历史资料。它还将协助培养一名有前途的青年科学家。

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.