Obsidian Sources and Prehistoric Trade in the Central Mediterranean

地中海中部的黑曜石来源和史前贸易

• 批准号: 0075535
• 负责人: Robert Tykot
• 金额: $ 16.41万
• 依托单位: University of South Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-06-01 至 2003-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0075535&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Obsidian; Sources; Prehistoric; Trade; Central

.With National Science Foundation support Dr. Robert Tykot will conduct two field seasons of geoarchaeological research and follow each with laboratory analysis of the materials collected. He will carry out survey to document obsidian flows and outcrops on the Mediterranean islands of Palmarola, Pantelleria and Lipari and characterize them both physically and chemically. Physical properties including color, translucency and density will complement major/minor element data from electron microprobe analysis and trace element and isotope ratio data from ICP mass spectrometry. He will conduct similar analyses of a large number of obsidian artifacts recovered from archaeological sites. Obsidian, a form of volcanic glass can be easily modified to produce a sharp cutting edge and therefore was widely used and broadly traded in prehistory. It is an ideal material for reconstructing trade since it occurs geologically in a limited number of locations, is frequently found on archaeological sites even great distances from a source and may be chemically 'fingerprinted' allowing definitive source attributions of artifacts. For these reasons it has been widely used to reconstruct prehistoric trade and exchange. While some sources in the Mediterranean region have been carefully studied and well characterized, others have not and Dr. Tykot's work will constitute a significant addition to this growing body of knowledge. The data will be used to address a number of specific anthropological questions. It will provide insight into the earliest settlement of the Mediterranean islands, the transition from hunting and gathering to an agricultural way of life, the development of long distance exchange networks, craft specialization and the emergence of social differentiation. The data will also be used to test explicit models of presumed prehistoric navigational and maritime transport capabilities, to reveal specific connections between island and mainland populations and to define the important sociopolitical and economic role of obsidian in many prehistoric Mediterranean societies.This fundamental research will provide a data base which will be widely utilized by prehistorians to address a range of scientific questions. It will also yield new insight into the rise of complex societies.

．在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，罗伯特·蒂科特博士将进行两次实地地质考古研究，并对每次收集的材料进行实验室分析。他将进行调查，记录地中海Palmarola、Pantelleria和Lipari岛屿上的黑曜石流动和露头，并对它们进行物理和化学表征。物理性质包括颜色、半透明和密度，将补充电子探针分析的主要/次要元素数据和ICP质谱分析的微量元素和同位素比值数据。他将对从考古遗址中发现的大量黑曜石文物进行类似的分析。黑曜石是一种火山玻璃，可以很容易地加工成锋利的刀刃，因此在史前被广泛使用和交易。它是重建贸易的理想材料，因为它在地理上出现在有限的几个地点，经常在离来源很远的考古遗址上发现，并且可以通过化学“指纹”来确定文物的来源。由于这些原因，它被广泛用于重建史前的贸易和交换。虽然对地中海区域的一些资料来源进行了仔细研究和很好地描述，但对其他资料来源则没有，而泰科特博士的工作将对这一日益增长的知识体系作出重大补充。这些数据将用于解决若干具体的人类学问题。它将深入了解地中海岛屿最早的定居点，从狩猎和采集到农业生活方式的转变，远距离交换网络的发展，工艺专业化和社会分化的出现。这些数据还将用于测试假定的史前航海和海上运输能力的明确模型，揭示岛屿和大陆人口之间的具体联系，并确定黑曜石在许多史前地中海社会中的重要社会政治和经济作用。这项基础研究将提供一个数据库，史前人将广泛利用它来解决一系列科学问题。它还将对复杂社会的兴起产生新的见解。