Neolithic Voyagers-Inter-Disciplinary Investigations at Ais Yiorkis and the Colonization of Cyprus

新石器时代航海者——艾斯伊奥尔基斯的跨学科调查和塞浦路斯的殖民

• 批准号: 0352689
• 负责人: Alan Simmons
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of Nevada Las Vegas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-08-01 至 2008-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0352689&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Neolithic; Voyagers; Inter; Disciplinary; Investigations

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Allan Simmons will conduct two seasons of archaeological investigation into the initial colonization of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus,. For many years, scholars considered the Mediterranean islands as late recipients of human occupation. Cyprus, however, had the earliest evidence, with most data pointing to the founding of the first villages during the later Neolithic period, around 6,000 B.C. The Neolithic, the transition from hunting and gathering economies to those based on food production, first occurred on the Near Eastern mainland about 9,000 B.C. and thus the colonization of the Mediterranean islands was seen as relatively late. Furthermore, the island Neolithic was characterized as a nondescript counterpart of its mainland ancestors, often regarded as little more than a footnote in the wider Neolithic world. Research at Ais Yiorkis challenges this perception.Recent discoveries on Cyprus demonstrated an initial occupation around 10,000 B.C., which likely resulted in the extinction of native Pleistocene fauna such as the pygmy hippopotamus. Other research has extended the chronology and scope of the actual Neolithic colonization of the island by about 1,000 years. This newly defined phase, the Cypro-PPNB, presently consists of a handful of sites, of which Ais Yiorkis is one. Research at the settlement is oriented towards understanding why it is atypical from other Neolithic sites. First, it is located in the uplands rather the coastal area, where nearly all other sites are situated. Second, it contains a technologically and typologically sophisticated artifact assemblage, including imported obsidian artifacts. Third, although it does not appear to be a village, it contains a large circular stone structure unlike anything previously found in the Cypriot Neolithic. Finally, economic data suggest a far more wide ranging subsistence base that previously suspected. This included the limited presence of cattle, which had not been documented until the much later Bronze Age. Cattle also have recently been reported from another Cypro-PPNB site, thus these animals appear to have been part of the "Neolithic Package" that accompanied the island's first colonists.This research will establish base-line data for the newly defined Cypro-PPNB period. The project will test models related to variability in the early permanent occupation of Cyprus which is now known to be far more complex than initially believed. In particular, the research examines both the nature of an upland occupation and the economic, and possible ritual, impact of cattle in the early Neolithic of the island. The work contributes to a better understanding of the trajectory of how early food producing societies spread throughout the Mediterranean area during the tumultuous "Neolithic Revolution." It is now clear that Cyprus was an active participant in this event much earlier than believed. The Neolithic resulted in both the establishment of the Mediterranean agro-pastoral economic pattern and the ecological degradation associated with food production and high population densities that is still being felt in the region today. It is, therefore, a relevant research issue with contemporary significance. Both Cypriot and U.S. students will join the project, thereby gaining valuable research experience. Archaeology students from the fledging University of Cyprus will be encouraged to participate, enhancing joint participation between the U.S. and Cyprus.

在国家科学基金会的支持下，艾伦·西蒙斯博士将对地中海岛屿塞浦路斯的最初殖民地进行两个季节的考古调查。 多年来，学者们认为地中海岛屿是人类占领的晚期接受者。然而，塞浦路斯拥有最早的证据，大多数数据表明，第一个村庄是在新石器时代后期，大约公元前6,000年建立的。新石器时代，即从狩猎和采集经济向以粮食生产为基础的经济的过渡，大约公元前9,000年首先发生在近东大陆，因此地中海岛屿的殖民化被认为是相对较晚的。 此外，新石器时代的岛屿被认为是其大陆祖先的一个难以描述的对应物，通常被认为只不过是更广泛的新石器时代世界的一个脚注。 Ais Yiorkis的研究对这种看法提出了挑战。最近在塞浦路斯的发现表明，大约在公元前10,000年，这很可能导致了更新世原生动物群的灭绝，比如侏儒河马。 其他研究将该岛实际新石器时代殖民的时间表和范围延长了约1,000年。 这个新定义的阶段，Cypro-PPNB，目前由少数几个站点组成，Ais Yiorkis是其中之一。 对该定居点的研究旨在了解为什么它与其他新石器时代遗址不同。 首先，它位于高地，而不是沿海地区，几乎所有其他网站都位于那里。 其次，它包含了一个技术和类型复杂的人工制品组合，包括进口黑曜石人工制品。 第三，虽然它看起来不是一个村庄，但它包含一个大型圆形石头结构，与以前在塞浦路斯新石器时代发现的任何东西都不同。 最后，经济数据表明，生活基础的范围比以前怀疑的要广泛得多。 这包括牛的有限存在，直到很晚的青铜时代才被记录下来。 最近在Cypro-PPNB的另一个地点也发现了牛，因此这些动物似乎是伴随着岛上第一批殖民者的“新石器时代包裹”的一部分。这项研究将为新定义的Cypro-PPNB时期建立基线数据。 该项目将测试与塞浦路斯早期永久占领的可变性有关的模型，现在已知这种可变性比最初认为的要复杂得多。 特别是，研究考察了高地占领的性质和经济，以及可能的仪式，牛在岛上新石器时代早期的影响。这项工作有助于更好地了解早期粮食生产社会在动荡的“新石器时代革命”期间如何在整个地中海地区传播的轨迹。“现在很清楚，塞浦路斯比人们想象的要早得多地积极参与了这一活动。 新石器时代导致地中海农牧经济模式的建立，以及与粮食生产和高人口密度相关的生态退化，这一点在该地区今天仍然存在。 因此，这是一个具有当代意义的相关研究问题。 塞浦路斯和美国的学生都将参加该项目，从而获得宝贵的研究经验。 来自塞浦路斯大学的考古学学生将被鼓励参加，加强美国和塞浦路斯之间的联合参与。