Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Early and Middle Formative Floodplain Settlement, Subsistence, and Household Adaptations at San Lorenzo, Veracruz, Mexico

在大卫格罗夫博士的指导下，安东尼·维加先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。结合考古实地考察和实验室分析，他将研究位于墨西哥韦拉克鲁斯东南部圣洛伦索主要奥尔梅克中心附近的一系列小土堆遗址。奥尔梅克文明是中美洲最早的文明，虽然相当多的注意力集中在令人印象深刻的中心，如圣洛伦索，但对周围的腹地或负责这一发展的过程知之甚少。在初步工作中，维加先生找到了圣洛伦索周围漫滩上的一系列小土丘，并进行了试掘。研究结果表明，这些人是家养的狗，可能由单个家庭群体居住，根据与今天居住在该地区的人的比较，这些早期奥尔梅克人很可能采取了一种混合生存战略，将大量的鱼、虾和其他河漫滩物品纳入农业饮食。虽然许多研究人员关注农业与复杂社会的出现之间的关系，但维加先生和其他人认为，实际情况可能更为复杂，对各种资源的控制在这一过程中发挥了重要作用。维加先生将进行地层挖掘，以建立一个详细的时间序列。他还将完全暴露几个土丘内的生活表面，以深入了解生存实践和社会组织。通过对各个土丘的比较，他可以确定社会分层--复杂社会的一个标志--是否存在。在土丘之间进行更有限的测试，有望提供有关农业做法的信息。通过将奥尔梅克文化的发展置于时间背景中，还可以解决奥尔梅克文化是从当地发展起来的，还是追溯到中美洲其他地区的争议问题。它将阐明可能导致文明出现的替代路线，并提供对最早的中美洲复杂社会之一的洞察力。它将为许多考古学家提供感兴趣的数据，并有助于培养一名有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. David Grove, Mr. Anthony Vega will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Combining both archaeological fieldwork and laboratory analysis he will examine a series of small mound sites located near the major Olmec center of San Lorenzo in southeastern Veracruz, Mexico. The Olmec civilization is the earliest in Mesoamerica and although considerable attention has been focused on impressive centers such as San Lorenzo, relatively little is known either about the surrounding hinterland or the processes responsible for this development. In preliminary work, Mr. Vega located and conducted test excavations into a series of small mounds which dot the floodplain around San Lorenzo. The results suggest that these were housemounds, perhaps occupied by single family groups and, based on comparisons with people who inhabit the region today, it is quite likely that these early Olmec pursued a mixed subsistence strategy which incorporated significant amounts of fish, shrimp and other floodplain items into an agricultural diet. While many researchers focus on the relationship between agriculture and the emergence of complex society Mr. Vega, among others, believes that the situation in fact may be more complex and that control over a wider variety of resources played an important role in this process. Mr. Vega will conduct stratigraphic excavation to develop a detailed chronological sequence. He will also completely expose living surfaces within several mounds to gain insight into subsistence practices and social organization. Comparison across mounds will permit him to determine whether social stratification - a hallmark of complex societies - existed. More limited testing between mounds may, hopefully, provide information on agricultural practices. By placing Olmec development in a chronological context it will also be possible to address the contested issue of whether Olmec culture developed from a local base or traces its roots to other regions within Middle America.This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on alternative routes which may lead to the emergence of civilization and provide insight into one of the earliest Middle American complex societies. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and contribute to training a promising young scientist.