Dissertation: Mississippian Household Organizational Dynamics in the Era of Moundville's Consolidation

格雷戈里·威尔逊先生将在斯特波奈蒂斯博士的指导下为他的博士论文收集数据。1939年和1940年，在位于亚拉巴马黑武士谷的蒙德维尔遗址进行了大规模的考古发掘，威尔逊先生和他的同事将分析这些数据，以回答一些关于他的酋长领地是如何组织的具体问题。虽然史前北美文化没有达到国家一级的组织，但在许多情况下，酋长出现了，将数千人整合成功能性的社会和政治单位。顾名思义，蒙德维尔遗址包括一系列视觉上令人印象深刻的大型土丘，证明了在持续的一段时间内招募和组织大量劳动力的能力。考古学家希望了解这些复杂的社会是如何发展和维持的。对土丘本身进行了大量研究，数据表明，土墩既可用作埋葬土丘，也可用作建筑物的平台。当地没有的异国物品反映了一个发达的长途贸易系统，这些符号可能加强了社会组织的等级制度。然而，人们对大多数蒙德维尔居民的生活方式、他们之间的分化程度或他们如何融入更大的社会体系的了解相对较少。威尔逊先生的研究将解决这些问题。在1939年和1940年进行的大规模挖掘发现了许多非土墩结构的遗迹和相关的文物，如陶瓷，石器和动物骨骼。威尔逊先生和他的合作者将利用地理信息系统绘制其空间分布图，确定各个家庭单元并重建所进行的活动。例如，他希望确定食品储存设施是否与每个相关，因为这将提供对集中与家庭控制的基本资源的洞察。他还将研究单位之间的分化程度，看看在这一水平上是否存在地位差异。它将提供对美洲原住民史前史和复杂社会发展过程的深入了解。它将为考古学家和公众提供感兴趣的数据，并协助培训有前途的科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Vincas Steponaitis, Mr Gregory Wilson will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. In 1939 and 1940 large scale archaeological excavations were conducted at the site of Moundville, located in the Black Warrior Valley of Alabama and Mr Wilson and colleagues will analyze this data to answer a number of specific questions about how his chiefdom was organized. Although no prehistoric North American culture reached a state level of organization, in many cases chiefdoms arose which integrated multiple thousands of individuals into functioning social and political units. As the name implies, the site of Moundville includes a series of large visually impressive mounds which testify to the ability to enlist and organize a large amount of labor over a sustained period of time. Archaeologists wish to understand how such complex societies developed and were maintained. Considerable research has been conducted on the mounds themselves and data indicate that they served both as burial mounds and as platforms on which structures were erected. Exotic items not locally available reflect a well developed system of long distance trade and these symbols likely reinforced a hierarchical system of social organization. Relatively little however is understood about how the majority of Moundville inhabitants lived, the degree of differentiation among them or how they were integrated into the larger social system. Mr. Wilson's research will address these issues. The large scale excavations conducted in the 1939 and 1940 uncovered remains of many non-mound structures and associated artifacts such as ceramics, stone tools and animal bones. Mr. Wilson and his collaborators will plot their spatial distribution using a geographic information system, identify individual domestic units and reconstruct activities conducted. For example he wishes to determine whether food storage facilities are associated with each since this will provide insight into centralized vs. familial control of an essential resource. He will also examine the degree of differentiation among units to see if status differences are present at this level.This research is important for several reasons. It will provide insight into Native American prehistory and the processes which underlie the development of complex societies. It will provide data of interest to both archaeologists and the general public and assist in training a promising scientist.