The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program, Phase II, 2003-2004

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，Bruce H. Dahlin博士将在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛西北部的春楚密尔地区进行三个夏季实地考古研究，以完成Pakbeh区域经济计划（PREP）的第二阶段。自1993年以来，PREP一直在调查墨西哥尤卡坦半岛西北部春楚密尔的早期古典低地玛雅遗址及其周边地区。虽然其他古典玛雅城市的城市地位是有争议的，但春楚密是一个真正的城市，保守估计其中心14平方公里的人口在29,700到46,650之间，是玛雅遗址中人口密度最高的城市。然而，春楚密占据了整个玛雅低地中最贫瘠的农业景观之一，这表明它超过了农业承载能力，因此需要进口食物和其他基本商品。事实上，这座城市的独特之处在于，它拥有便利贸易的街道和大道。它也缺乏其他玛雅遗址所特有的“帝王/仪式中心”的通常特征，即在明显的公共空间中有纪念性的公民/仪式建筑、集会空间、雕塑和象形文字。对于这些与典型的古典玛雅城市模式的背离，最有意义的假设是春楚密是建立在贸易基础上的。它拥有一条活跃的海上贸易路线，控制着中美洲第二大盐厂，一个港口设施，以及丰富多样的环境资源区。我们正在测试该地区经济组织的经验衍生复合模型，使用各种不同尺度的数据收集技术，从区域和城市地图到家庭挖掘。传统的人工分析（风格，组成和模态）将有助于构建详细的陶瓷序列和陶瓷和石器交换网络。然而，由于在亚热带地区使用的绝大多数材料都极易腐烂，不太可能留下考古遗迹，因此我们将春初村作为开发新的勘探、数据收集和分析技术的实验实验室。迄今为止，最成功的是利用第一个已知的古玛雅市场土壤中的化学生物标志物进行鉴定。这种技术可以区分生产与普通家庭活动和家庭内部的差别消费活动。陶瓷和石头文物的功能将部分基于微观和化学残留物进行重建。利用地理信息系统数据库分析了人工制品、自然和人造景观特征的空间分布。这项研究将有助于对玛雅经济和政治系统的实质性解释，以及这些系统如何作为文化思想的过滤器或中间人，来自更大的泛中美洲世界，并为之做出贡献。这项研究还将在方法上作出贡献，将新的地球化学技术应用于考古勘探、数据收集和解释实践。最后，该项目将继续培训来自北美（墨西哥、美国）和欧洲（法国、德国、西班牙）的学生，并将继续为墨西哥这个经济萧条地区的当地村民提供就业和培训机会。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Bruce H. Dahlin will conduct three summer field seasons of archaeological research in the Chunchucmil region of NW Yucatan, Mexico to complete Phase II of The Pakbeh Regional Economy Program (PREP). Since 1993, PREP has been investigating the Early Classic lowland Maya site of Chunchucmil and its surrounding region in NW Yucatan, Mexico. While the urban status of other Classic Maya cities is arguable, Chunchucmil is a true city with a conservatively estimated population within its central 14km2 of between 29,700 and 46,650, and it has the highest population densities of any Maya site. Chunchucmil nevertheless occupies one of the most depauperate agricultural landscapes in the entire Maya lowlands, suggesting that it exceeded agricultural carrying capacity, thus necessitating the importation of food and other basic goods. In fact, the city is unique in having features like streets and avenues that would have facilitated trade. It also lacks the usual trappings of a 'regal/ritual center' that characterize other Maya sites, i.e., monumental civic/ceremonial architecture, congregational spaces, and sculpture and hieroglyphics in demonstrably public spaces. The hypothesis that makes the most sense of these and other departures from the typical Classic Maya urban pattern is that Chunchucmil was founded on trade. It had access to a vigorous maritime trade route, control of the second largest salt works in Mesoamerica, a port facility, and a rich diversity of environmental resource zones. We are testing an empirically derived composite model of the region's economic organization using a variety of data gathering techniques at all scales, from regional and urban mapping to excavation of households. Traditional artifactual analyses (stylistic, compositional and modal) will help construction of a detailed ceramic sequence and ceramic and lithic exchange networks. However, since the vast majority of materials used in subtropical areas are highly perishable and unlikely to leave archaeological remains, we are using Chunchucmil as an experimental laboratory for developing new prospecting, data gathering and analytical techniques. The most successful so far is identification using chemical biomarkers in soils of the first positively known ancient Maya marketplace. This technique may distinguish production from ordinary domestic activities and differential consumption activities within households. Functions of ceramic and stone artifacts will be reconstructed based in part on microscopic and chemical residues. Spatial distributions of artifacts and natural and man-made landscape features are being analyzed using a GIS database. This research will contribute to the substantive interpretation of Maya economic and political systems and how those systems acted as a filter or broker for cultural ideas coming from, and contributing to, the larger pan-Mesoamerican world. The research will also contribute methodologically by applying new geochemical techniques to archaeological prospecting, data gathering and interpretive practices. Finally, the project will continue to train students from throughout North America (Mexico, U.S.) and Europe (France, Germany, Spain) and it will continue to provide employment and training opportunities to local villagers in this economically depressed region of Mexico.