Doctoral Dissertation Reserarch: Understanding Household Spatial Transformation in the Quexil-Petenxil Basins, Guatemala

在Don Rice博士的指导下，Kevin施瓦茨先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在危地马拉Peten Itza湖地区的Quexil群岛和Quexil和Petenxil盆地进行考古发掘。这些遗址可以追溯到古典晚期（公元600-800年）和后古典早期（公元1000-1250年），并包含一系列小型建筑，每一个都可能与个人住宅单元有关。施瓦茨先生将进行大面积的挖掘，以揭示每个结构的整个平面图，并确定陶瓷和其他文化材料的分布。通过对这些数据的分析，不仅可以深入了解所开展的具体活动，还可以了解负责单位的基本社会组织。对最近和当今玛雅人的人种学研究以及人种历史数据表明，家庭组织因族裔群体而异，通过分析材料遗骸可以确定这种隶属关系。施瓦茨先生希望研究人口随时间的延续程度，以及是否有新的民族在古典时期或后古典时期结束时进入这一地区。考古学家认为，玛雅文明在古典时期达到顶峰，当时建造了大型令人印象深刻的寺庙和其他仪式建筑。各个政治体吸纳了大量的人，这些人按照等级制度组织起来，为这些公共工程提供了大量的劳动力。在古典晚期和后古典时期，发生了“崩溃”。大型中心被遗弃，人口被分解成更小的单位。在北丹地区，定居点位于半岛、岛屿和其他容易防守的地区，这表明社会动荡不安。在这一地区，尚不清楚这种变化主要是由于内部动态，还是部分由于新的族裔群体的出现。施瓦茨先生将通过分析定居点类型及其随时间的变化来解决这一问题。这项研究将产生许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并有助于培养一名有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Don Rice, Mr. Kevin Schwarz will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological excavation at sites located on the Quexil Islands and the Quexil and Petenxil Basins in the Lake Peten Itza region of Guatemala. The sites date to the Late Classic (600-800 AD) and Early Postclassic (1000-1250 AD) and contain a series of small buildings each likely related to individual domestic units. Mr. Schwarz will conduct broad areal excavations to expose the entire plan of each structure and to determine the distribution of ceramics and other cultural material within. Through analysis of these data it will be possible to gain insight into not only specific activities which were conducted but also the basic social organization of the responsible units. Ethnographic studies of recent and current day Mayan peoples as well as ethnohistoric data indicate that domestic organization varies by ethnic group and that it is possible to determine such affiliation through the analysis of material remains. Mr. Schwarz wishes to examine the degree of population continuity over time and whether new peoples entered this region at the end of the Classic or Postclassic periods.Archaeologists believe that the Mayan civilization reached its apex during the Classic period when large impressive temples and other ceremonial structures were constructed. Individual polities incorporated large numbers of people who were hierarchically structured to make available the large amounts of labor needed for such public works. In the Late Classic and Post Classic periods, a "collapse" occurred. Large centers were abandoned and population disaggregated into smaller units. In the Peten region settlements were located on peninsulas, islands and other easily defensible areas and this indicates considerable social unrest. It is uncertain in this region whether the change was due primarily to internal dynamics or resulted in part from the appearance of new ethnic groups. Through the analysis of settlement type and its change over time Mr. Schwarz will address this issue. This research will produce data of interest to many archaeologists and assist in training a promising young scientist.