Dissertation Improvement Grant Proposal: The Ecology of Oldowan Lithic Technology: Oldowan Behavior at Kanjera South and Koobi Fora

论文改进资助提案：奥尔杜瓦石器技术的生态：坎杰拉南部和库比福拉的奥尔杜瓦行为

• 批准号: 0241396
• 负责人: John W. Harris
• 金额: $ 1.17万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-12-15 至 2003-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0241396&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Proposal; Ecology

Under the direction of Dr. J. W. K. Harris, Mr. David R. Braun will conduct his doctoral research on the ecology of stone artifacts in the time period known as the terminal Pliocene (~2 Ma). He will initiate excavations at new localities in the world famous Koobi Fora region known for its wealth of early human fossils and artifacts. These excavations will provide a comparison with one of the most exciting new finds in early human archaeology: Kanjera South. The site of Kanjera south has several thousand well-preserved bones and artifacts. With possible evidence of animal butchery and long distance transport of artifacts this site is on par with the Olduvai localities of Tanzania in its potential to elucidate early human behavior. Mr. Braun will compare interpretations of early human behaviors at these sites, as viewed through the window of lithic (stone tool) analysis. Lithics are a behavioral trace of the interface between early humans and their environments. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions at Koobi Fora paint a picture of a lake- and river-dominated ecosystem, with areas of swampy woodlands. Meanwhile, Kanjera is reconstructed as an open savannah grassland. A focus of Mr. Braun's analysis will be to compare the behaviors of early humans in the variable environments of the terminal Pliocene.Mr. Braun's analysis of these artifacts will incorporate various new techniques to understand the importance of stone tools to these proto-humans. To determine the distances that early humans traveled to collect stones to make artifacts geochemical techniques (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Flourescence) will be used to link artifacts to rock outcrops. This analysis is the result of an important collaboration between American researchers and the Institute of Nuclear Science at the University of Nairobi. Furthermore, his analysis will incorporate digital imaging of stone artifacts. These techniques have not previously been employed on materials of such antiquity. Preliminary results from digital imaging analysis suggest evolution in early human ranging patterns and landscape use.Crucial to an understanding of early human behavior is investigating the need and use of stone tools. Mr. Braun's analysis will approach stone artifacts using experimentally derived models to test theories of optimality in early human stone tool use. By applying an evolutionary ecological framework to the study of artifact assemblages in varying environments it is possible to further our understanding of the heterogeneity of early human behavior. The support of this project will provide vital new insights into the evolution of human behavior and further the career of a student committed to the study of African archaeology.

在J. W. K. Mr. Harris，Mr.大卫R.布劳恩将在被称为上新世末期（~2 Ma）的时期进行石制品生态学的博士研究。他将在世界著名的Koobi Fora地区的新地点开始挖掘，该地区以其丰富的早期人类化石和文物而闻名。这些发掘将提供与早期人类考古学中最令人兴奋的新发现之一：Kanjera South的比较。Kanjera南部的遗址有几千个保存完好的骨头和文物。由于可能存在动物屠宰和文物长途运输的证据，该遗址在阐明早期人类行为的潜力方面与坦桑尼亚的奥杜瓦伊地区不相上下。布劳恩先生将通过石器（石器）分析的窗口，比较这些遗址对早期人类行为的解释。岩石是早期人类与环境之间界面的行为痕迹。Koobi Fora的古环境重建描绘了一幅湖泊和河流为主的生态系统的画面，其中有沼泽林地。与此同时，Kanjera被重建为一个开放的萨凡纳草原。布劳恩先生的分析重点之一是比较上新世末期不同环境中早期人类的行为。布劳恩先生对这些文物的分析将结合各种新技术，以了解石器工具对这些原始人类的重要性。为了确定早期人类收集石头以制作文物的距离，将使用地球化学技术（能量色散X射线荧光）将文物与岩石露头联系起来。这项分析是美国研究人员与内罗毕大学核科学研究所进行重要合作的结果。此外，他的分析将结合石制品的数字成像。这些技术以前从未在如此古老的材料上使用过。数字成像分析的初步结果表明，早期人类的分布模式和景观使用的演变。对早期人类行为的理解至关重要的是调查石器的需求和使用。布劳恩先生的分析将使用实验得出的模型来测试早期人类石器使用的最优理论。通过应用进化生态学框架来研究不同环境中的人工制品组合，可以进一步理解早期人类行为的异质性。该项目的支持将为人类行为的演变提供重要的新见解，并促进致力于非洲考古学研究的学生的职业生涯。