Dissertation Improvement Grant Early Human Occupation of Northeastern Mexico: A Regional Study in the Modern Desert Environment

论文改进资助墨西哥东北部的早期人类占领：现代沙漠环境的区域研究

• 批准号: 0092803
• 负责人: Tom Dillehay
• 金额: $ 1.16万
• 依托单位: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-03-15 至 2002-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0092803&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Early; Human

Under the direction of Dr. Thomas Dillehay, Mr. James White will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological research in a 50 km. square region in the modern desert North of Monterey Mexico. Located just South of the Rio Grande river on the western edge of the Sierra Madre Oriental this region has received almost no professional archaeological attention. The goal of the research is to locate sites which date to the early human occupation of the New World - around and slightly before 10,000 years ago - and on this basis reconstruct subsistence and settlement adaptations. The advantage of the selected region lies in its wealth of closely juxtaposed micro-zones which provide a wide range of spatially discrete resources. Sites, unlike most US counterparts have not been subjected to surface collecting and dry desertic conditions, likely dating to the last 7,000 years, are conducive to the preservation of fragile faunal and floral remains. The research will proceed in three stages. The entire 50 km area will be surveyed on foot and all surface materials noted and mapped. On this basis a sample will be selected for limited excavation and the material obtained will be analyzed. With these data in hand, more extensive excavation will be undertaken at the most promising sites. A geologist will place the material into relevant geomorphological context, radiocarbon dates will provide absolute ages and a series of specialist analyses will provide faunal, floral and pollen identifications.Archaeological evidence demonstrates that by 10,000 years ago humans had spread across the Americas and their presence is well documented in both continents. Based on the association between carefully worked stone lance points and the remains of giant buffalo, mammoth and mastodon it is clear that humans utilized these food resources. However there is little agreement on whether these Paleo-Indian peoples were primarily specialized large game hunters, whether they pursued a more generalized subsistence strategy and incorporated large game as only one element of a broader diet or whether some groups adopted one approach and other groups another. Mr. White correctly argues that this question can only be addressed effectively through intensive region-specific studies in which comparison of multiple sites from the same time period permits the reconstruction of settlement and subsistence patterns. He has selected an excellent area for such research.This project is important for several reasons. It will shed light on a little known region of the Americas and provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will provide insight into the adaptations of early Native Americans and also assist in training a promising young archaeologist.

在托马斯迪勒海博士的指导下，詹姆斯白色先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在50公里外进行考古研究。墨西哥蒙特雷北部现代沙漠中的一个正方形地区。位于格兰德河南部，马德雷山脉东方的西部边缘，这个地区几乎没有受到专业考古学的关注。这项研究的目标是找到早期人类占领新世界的遗址-大约在10，000年前-并在此基础上重建生存和定居适应。所选区域的优势在于其丰富的紧密并列的微区，提供了广泛的空间离散资源。与大多数美国同行不同，这些遗址没有受到表面采集和干燥沙漠条件的影响，可能可以追溯到过去7,000年，有利于保护脆弱的动物和植物遗迹。研究将分三个阶段进行。整个50公里的区域将进行徒步勘测，所有地表物质都将记录下来并绘制地图。在此基础上，将选择一个样本进行有限开挖，并对所获得的材料进行分析。有了这些数据，将在最有希望的地点进行更广泛的挖掘。地质学家将把这些材料放入相关的地貌环境中，放射性碳年代测定将提供绝对年龄，一系列专家分析将提供动物群、花卉和花粉鉴定。考古证据表明，到1万年前，人类已经遍布美洲，他们的存在在两大洲都有很好的记录。根据精心加工的石矛尖与巨型布法罗、猛犸和乳齿象遗骸之间的联系，很明显，人类利用了这些食物资源。然而，关于这些古印第安人是否主要是专门的大型狩猎者，他们是否追求更普遍的生存策略，并将大型狩猎作为更广泛饮食的一个要素，或者是否有些群体采用一种方法，其他群体采用另一种方法，人们几乎没有达成一致意见。白色先生正确地指出，只有通过深入的区域研究才能有效地解决这一问题，对同一时期的多个地点进行比较，才能重建定居和生计模式。他选择了一个很好的领域进行这样的研究。这个项目很重要有几个原因。它将揭示美洲一个鲜为人知的地区，并为许多考古学家提供感兴趣的数据。它将提供对早期美洲原住民适应的深入了解，并有助于培养一个有前途的年轻考古学家。