Exploratory Study to Identify Sites Appropriate for Future Investigations of Spatial Patterning at Open-Air Stone Age Sites, South Africa

探索性研究，以确定适合未来对南非露天石器时代遗址空间模式进行调查的地点

• 批准号: 9907029
• 负责人: Susan Kent
• 金额: $ 2万
• 依托单位: Old Dominion University Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-06-15 至 2000-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9907029&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Exploratory; Study; Identify; Sites; Appropriate

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Susan Kent and her collaborators will conduct one season of archaeological fieldwork in the Caledon River region of South Africa. During a preliminary survey she located eight open air sites which, based on surface material, are attributable to the Middle and Late Stone Age (MSA and LSA) periods. It is likely that significant areas of each of these sites are preserved intact beneath adjacent sediments but this is uncertain. Dr. Kent will direct small scale excavations at each locale to determine stratigraphy and to assess the richness of archaeological materials and the extent they have been moved by post depositional processes. Faunal, lithic and sedimentological data will be analyzed. If significant amounts of intact deposits exist at both MSA and LSA sites Dr. Kent will submit a follow-up proposal for larger scale excavations.Archaeologists wish to understand the long term changes which led to the appearance of behaviorally modern humans. Both archaeological and biological data indicate that this transition occurred in sub Saharan Africa. By Late Stone Age times, ca. 40,000 years ago, humans exhibited the same range of behavioral capabilities as their modern counterparts. However the Middle Stone Age (from ca. 250,000 to 40,000) is less well understood and was likely the time of significant modification. Through analysis of the distribution of archaeological materials across sites it is possible to reconstruct the spatial component of behavior and gain indirect insight into social organization. The comparison of MSA and LSA spatial patterning Dr. Kent believes will allow one to elucidate directional change.

在国家科学基金会的支持下，苏珊肯特博士和她的合作者将在南非的卡莱东河地区进行一个季节的考古实地考察。在一次初步调查中，她找到了8个露天遗址，根据表面材料，这些遗址可归因于石器时代中期和晚期（MSA和LSA）。这些遗址的大部分区域很可能在邻近的沉积物之下保存完好，但这是不确定的。肯特博士将在每个地点指导小规模的挖掘，以确定地层，并评估考古材料的丰富性和它们被沉积后过程移动的程度。将分析动物群、岩性和沉积学数据。如果在MSA和LSA遗址都存在大量完整的沉积物，肯特博士将提交一份更大规模挖掘的后续建议。考古学家希望了解导致行为现代人出现的长期变化。考古学和生物学数据都表明，这种转变发生在撒哈拉以南非洲。到了石器时代晚期，4万年前，人类表现出与现代人类相同的行为能力。中石器时代（Middle Stone Age）250，000至40，000）不太清楚，可能是重大修改的时间。通过分析考古材料在不同遗址的分布，可以重建行为的空间组成部分，并间接了解社会组织。肯特博士认为，MSA和LSA空间模式的比较将使人们能够阐明方向性变化。