Ushki-1 and the Pleistocene Peopling of America

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Ted Goebel博士和他的合作者将在位于俄罗斯堪察加州的Ushki-1遗址进行一个季节的考古研究。该遗址是重要的，并在美洲人口的讨论中占有突出地位，因为它位于白令陆桥的亚洲端，在最后一个冰河时代结束时将新世界连接到西伯利亚，较低的沉积物包含一个石器工业，包括双面和刀片，类似于阿拉斯加的一些材料，可以追溯到大约11，000年前。这也是可能的，但不确定的是，有一个较早的水平在该网站是占主导地位的大型叶片轴承一些相似的材料与新世界克洛维斯的传统。据说该遗址含有丰富的动物群和石器遗迹，沿着有房屋遗迹和墓葬，但这些信息都没有在文献中正式报道。由于年代和地层学的不确定性，特别是低层的不确定性，该遗址也受到质疑。一些人认为，这些沉积物是混合的，放射性碳材料受到地下水渗透的污染。格贝尔博士和他的同事将解决这些问题。他们将在遗址内挖掘一个小块，并进行多学科实验室分析，以确定Ushki-1及其多种文化成分的完整性。他们将努力：确定最低组成部分的年龄和地层分离;确定相关石器工业的特征;确定动物群和古植被遗迹的存在和保存程度;评估与遗址以前挖掘有关的档案记录。这些研究将进一步了解白令加和美洲的人口，并确定是否有必要对乌什基进行更多的考古和古生态学研究。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Ted Goebel and his collaborators will conduct one season of archaeological research at the site of Ushki-1 located in the Kamchatka Oblast, Russia. The site is important and has figured prominently in discussions of the peopling of the Americas because of its location at the Asian end of the Bering land bridge which connected the New World to Siberia at the end of the last ice age The lower deposits contain a stone tool industry which includes bifaces and blades which resemble some materials in Alaska which date to ca 11,000 years ago. It is also possible, but uncertain that there is an earlier level at the site which is dominated by large blades bearing some resemblance to materials associated with the New World Clovis tradition. The site is said to contain copious faunal and lithic remains along with house remains and burials but none of this information has been formally reported in the literature. The site has also been questioned because of uncertainties about dating and stratigraphy, especially of lower levels. Some have argued that the deposits are mixed and that radiocarbon materials were contaminated by groundwater penetration. Dr. Goebel and his colleagues will address these issues. They will excavate a small block within the site and conduct multidisciplinary laboratory analyses to determine the integrity of Ushki-1 and its multiple cultural components. They will work to: establish the age and stratigraphic separation of the lowest components; characterize associated lithic industries; determine the presence and degree of preservation of faunal and paleovegetational remains; and assess archived records relating to previous excavations as the site. These studies will further understanding and peopling of Beringia and the Americas, and determine whether additional archaeological and paleoecological studies of Ushki are warranted.