The Chunchucmil Regional Economy Program: Phase 11: Trade and Specialized Production

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下。布鲁斯·达林（Bruce Dahlin）和特蕾西·阿登（Traci Arden）将在位于墨西哥尤卡坦半岛的春楚密尔考古遗址进行三个季节的研究。该遗址可以追溯到古典玛雅时期，是一个谜，在同时代人中是独一无二的。虽然它非常大，中心面积约为45公顷，但它非常单调，缺乏玛雅主要定居点的标志。场地中心缺乏容易辨认的公民和公共宗教建筑。缺失的是一些明显的结构，比如精致而显眼的卫城和宫殿建筑群，这些建筑可能暗示着行政职能，或者是集中的寺庙金字塔，它们可以增强神圣的力量。遗址中心也缺乏典型的古典玛雅时期雕塑、雕刻和铭刻的石碑、祭坛、门楣和其他传统玛雅等级制度的标志。Dahlin和Arden认为，由于该遗址靠近墨西哥湾沿岸（一个活跃的史前晚期和早期历史商业路线），它可能是一个贸易中心，来自不同玛雅群体的商人飞地，并管理沿海和内陆的商业。他们和他们的合作者已经在现场进行了初步的测绘和调查，现在将继续进行一项重大的实地行动。除了收集基本的时空数据外，该计划还包括制图和调查、中期测试、密集挖掘和古生态工作。中部6平方公里。四个10公里长的十字形横断面将被绘制出来。该团队将对住宅单元、专业生产区、可能的市场和可能的市民区进行分层随机抽样。古生态工作将包括土壤分析和浮选筛选的大型植物遗骸、花粉和植物岩的中间材料。实验室分析将包括陶瓷分析和寻找研磨石上的淀粉残留物，这将提供饮食方面的见解。虽然相当多的考古研究集中在单个玛雅遗址上，许多小规模的区域系统已经重建，但科学家们并不了解在玛雅文明的鼎盛时期，这些单独的单位在多大程度上联系在一起并相互作用。在随后的后古典时期，存在着广泛的贸易网络，但在前古典时期没有发现任何贸易网络。如果Dahlin博士和Adren博士的假设是正确的，春初密是一个多民族的贸易中心，这将为了解玛雅社会的运作方式提供重要的见解。

With National Science Foundation support Drs. Bruce Dahlin and Traci Arden will conduct three seasons of research at the archaeological site of Chunchucmil located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Dating to the Classic Maya period, the site is an enigma and unique among its contemporaries. Although it is extremely large with a center encompassing ca. 45 ha, it is remarkably drab and lacks the hallmarks of a major Mayan settlement. The site center lacks easily recognizable civic and public religious architecture. Missing are the obvious structures such as elaborate and conspicuous acropolises and palace complexes which would suggest administrative functions or focal temple pyramids which would serve to enhance sacred power. The site center also lacks typical Classic Mayan period sculpture, carved and inscribed stelae, altars, lintels and other trappings of traditional Mayan hierarchy. Dahlin and Arden believe that because of the site's location near the Gulf Coast (an active late prehistoric and early historic commerce route,) it may have served as a trading center with enclaves of merchants from various Mayan groups and regulated commerce both along the coast and inland. They and their collaborators have conducted preliminary mapping and survey at the site and will now follow up with a major field initiative. In addition to gathering basic temporal and spatial data, the program includes mapping and survey, midden testing, intensive excavation and paleoecological work. The central 6 km sq. and four 10 km long cruciform transects will be mapped. The team will excavate a stratified random sampling program of residential units, specialized production areas, possible marketplaces and possible civic areas. Paleoecological work will include soil analysis and flotation of screened midden materials for macrobotanical remains, pollen and phytoliths. Laboratory analyses will include analyses of ceramics and the search for starch residues on grinding stones which will provide dietary insight.While considerable archaeological research has focused on individual Mayan sites and many small scale regional systems have been reconstructed, scientists do not understand the extent to which these individual units were bound together and interacted during the height of Mayan civilization. In the following Post Classic period extensive trade networks existed but none have been identified during the preceding Classic. If Dr. Dahlin's and Adren in their hypothesis that Chunchucmil was a multi-ethnic trade center, this will provide important insight into how Mayan society functioned.