Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: A Diachronic Investigation of Climate Change and Cultural Transmission Models for Variation in Paleoindian Lithic Technology

约翰·泰勒-蒙托亚将在大卫·j·梅尔泽博士的指导下，研究距今约11,500-8500个放射性碳年期间北美南部平原古印第安人石器制造和技术的演变。这项研究的目的是探索石器技术在空间和时间上的变化，以更好地了解制造石器的群体不断变化的适应性。这是一个特别有趣的研究时期，因为这是一个环境发生重大变化的时期（冰河时代即将结束），这些第一批美洲人的后裔开始在他们的新土地上定居下来。用于这项研究的人工制品样本来自古印第安人遗址，这些遗址已经被挖掘了多年，收藏在南部平原地区的各种博物馆和设施中。这些现有的集合提供了有价值的数据，但往往是未充分利用的资源。古印第安石器技术随时间的变化是北美物质文化变化的一个更有趣的记录。随着考古分析方法本身的发展，现在有了新的工具来探索古印第安石器技术，制造和使用这些石器的人的社会动态，以及他们与环境的相互作用之间的关系。其影响是深远的，可以告诉我们关于最早的美国人的起源和文化演变的想法。泰勒-蒙托亚的研究旨在检验两个具体假设，以解释这一时期的技术变革：1)气候变化改变了某些狩猎动物的可用性，引起了狩猎技术的适应性反应2)技术的变化是北美最初人类定居的最后过程的一部分，在那里，群体在特定的地理区域定居，他们的人口增加导致社会互动减少，最终结果是区域和当地独特的石器传统反映在不同风格的人工制品上。因为矛尖在风格上具有诊断性，也用于收获和加工游戏，它们代表了一种理想的神器类别，用于测试物质文化的变化是气候变化还是定居的结果。最近对文化特征演变的研究被用作本研究的框架。如果气候强迫模式是准确的，预计石器技术的变化将随着生态条件在时空上的变化而变化。如果定居假说是正确的，那么风格模式应该独立于气候和环境的变化而发生。这个问题可能比这些模型所显示的要复杂得多。但是，从简化模型开始将使泰勒-蒙托亚先生能够检验明确的假设，并查明这些模型的弱点，这些弱点将指导今后的工作。该研究可为解决生态和社会动态对区域尺度物质文化长期变化的相对影响问题提供基础。研究结果将引起广大社会科学家的兴趣。除论文外，研究结果还将在同行评议的期刊和专业会议上发表。这项研究还将为研究区域建立最全面的区域性古印第安人文物数据库。在获得保存这些文物的机构的许可之前，该数据库将在互联网上发布。除了作为专家的研究工具，数字档案也将是教育工作者和感兴趣的公众的一个极好的资源。

John Taylor-Montoya, under the supervision of Dr. David J. Meltzer, will investigate the evolution of Paleoindian stone tool manufacture and technology on the southern Plains of North America during the period of ~11,500-8500 radiocarbon years before present. The goal of the study is to explore variations in stone tool technology across space and through time to better understand the changing adaptations of the groups who made them. It is a particularly interesting period for study, since this was a time when the environment was undergoing significant changes (the Ice Age was coming to an end), and these descendants of the first Americans were beginning to settle in to their new land. The artifact sample that will be used for this study comes from Paleoindian sites that have been excavated over many years, the collections of which are housed in various museums and facilities in the southern Plains region. These existing collections provide valuable data, but are often an underutilized resource.Variation in Paleoindian stone tool technology over time comprises one of the more intriguing records of material culture change in North America. As archaeological methods of analysis have themselves evolved, there are now new tools to explore the relationships between Paleoindian stone tool technology, the social dynamics of the people who made and used those stone tools, and their interactions with the environment. The implications are far reaching and can inform our ideas about the origins and cultural evolution of the earliest Americans. Mr. Taylor-Montoyas research is aimed at testing two specific hypotheses to explain technological change during this time: 1) Climate change altered the availability of certain species of game animals, causing adaptive responses in hunting technology 2) Changes in technology were part of the final process of the initial peopling of North America, where the settling in of groups into specific geographical areas and their increased population led to reduced social interaction the end result being regionally and locally distinct stone tool traditions reflected in different styles of artifacts across the landscape. Because spear points are stylistically diagnostic and were also used to harvest and process game, they represent an ideal artifact class for testing whether variation in material culture was the result of climate change or settling in. Recent research into the evolution of cultural traits is used as the framework for this study. If the climate forcing model is accurate, it is expected that variation in stone tool technology will follow changes in ecological conditions across space and time. If the settling in hypothesis is correct, stylistic patterns should take place independent of changes in climate and environment. There is likely more complexity to the problem than indicated in these models. However, beginning with simplified models will allow Mr. Taylor-Montoya to test clear hypotheses and identify weaknesses in those models which will guide future work. This study can provide the foundation for resolving questions regarding the relative influence of ecology and social dynamics on long-term changes in material culture on a regional scale. The results will be of interest to a broad audience of social scientists. In addition to the dissertation, the results will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and professional conference presentations. The study will also produce the most comprehensive regional Paleoindian artifact database for the study area. Pending permission from the institutions housing these artifacts, the database will be published on the internet. In addition to being a research tool for specialists, the digital archive would also be an excellent source for educators and the interested public.