Dissertation Research: Building Chan Chan: Project Management Analysis of Ancient Architecture

在Michael Moseley博士的指导下，Richard Smailes先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他拥有建筑合同的背景，并熟悉现代计算机辅助技术，以帮助设计，成本估算和调度。这些为现代建筑提供了框架。在这个高度创新的项目中，他将采用这一套技术，对其进行改造，并将其应用于秘鲁Chan Chan遗址的史前皇家建筑群的建造。这座古老的城市位于秘鲁干旱的北海岸，包含许多由围墙组成的纪念性建筑，围绕着多个建筑和储藏室。考古学家认为，早期的建筑群被多个连续的规则所占据，而后来的建筑群只服务于一个：每个国王都建造了自己的建筑，在他死后被遗弃。然而，考虑到现有的施工技术和劳动组织方法，目前尚不清楚建造这种化合物需要多长时间。在秘鲁和世界其他地区，以前估算纪念性建筑所涉及的劳动力的尝试都是初步的，并且仅仅基于建筑所涉及的泥土和其他材料的数量。所涉及的任务类型、人员规模和日程安排等问题都没有被考虑。现代承包商拥有以计算机为基础的技术，以协助规划和管理施工以及估算成本。斯迈勒斯先生将用这些来分析一种昌昌皇家化合物。这个地点已经被仔细地绘制了地图，斯迈勒斯先生将利用这些数据构建一个化合物的三维计算机模型。这将提供进行评估的基础。他还将在秘鲁进行民族考古研究，以深入了解土坯制砖等传统建筑实践。考古学家不无理由地认为，建筑的规模和复杂程度与建造它的社会的复杂程度和社会组织之间存在着某种关联。因此，他们经常试图估计一个特定的纪念性结构所需的劳动力数量，并用它来推测社会的其他方面。Smailes先生的研究将是对迄今所采用的方法的重大改进，如果成功，将可能应用于世界许多地区的许多考古情况。因此，它在方法上的影响可能是重大的。这项研究将增加我们对文明摇篮之一的了解，并有助于培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Michael Moseley, Mr. Richard Smailes will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Mr. Smailes has a background in construction contracting and is familiar with modern computer assisted techniques to aid in design, cost estimation and scheduling. These provide the framework within which modern building takes place. In this highly innovative project he will take this set of techniques, adapt them and apply the retrospectively to the construction of a prehistoric royal compound at the site of Chan Chan Peru. This ancient city located on Peru's arid North Coast contains a number of monumental structures consisting of walled enclosures which surround multiple buildings and storerooms. Archaeologists believe that early compounds were occupied by multiple successive rules while later ones served only one: each king constructed his own which was abandoned after his death. It is unclear however how long such a compound took to build given available construction techniques and methods of labor organization. Previous attempts in both Peru and other regions of the world to estimate labor involved in monumental construction have been rudimentary and based solely on amount of earth and other material involved in construction. Issues of the types of tasks involved, crew size and scheduling have not been considered. Modern contractors have computer based techniques which assist in planning and managing construction and in estimating costs. Mr. Smailes will use these to analyze a Chan Chan royal compound. The site has been carefully mapped and Mr. Smailes will use these data to construct a three dimensional computer model of the compound. This will provide the basis from which estimation will proceed. He will also conduct ethnoarchaeological research in Peru to gain insight into traditional construction practices such as adobe brick making.Archaeologists not unreasonably assume that a correlation exists between the size and complexity of a construction and the level of complexity and social organization of the society which built it. Therefore they often attempt to estimate the amount of labor required for a particular monumental structure and use this to speculate about other aspects of the society. Mr. Smailes' research will constitute a significant improvement to the methodologies employed to date and, if successful will likely be applied in many archaeological situations in many parts of the world. Thus its methodological impact will likely be significant. This research will increase our understanding of one of the cradles of civilization and assist in training a promising young scientist.