Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Classic Maya Ceramic Technology and Political Dynamics in the Central Peten Lakes Region, Guatemala

博士论文改进补助金：危地马拉中部佩滕湖地区的经典玛雅陶瓷技术和政治动态

• 批准号: 0840376
• 负责人: William Saturno
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-01-01 至 2009-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0840376&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Classic

The nature of political power and its origins in ancient states and empires is consistently among the most debated topics in the archaeology of complex societies. Under the supervision of Dr. William Saturno, Ellen Spensley will conduct an investigation designed to assess the critical linkages between local economy and political power, focusing on the Late Classic Maya polity of Motul de San José in the department of El Petén, Guatemala. Between approximately A.D. 700 and 850 a newly emergent dynasty at Motul established political hegemony over an area based on the northern shores of Guatemala's Lake Petén Itzá, incorporating several smaller pre-existing settlements in the surrounding area. Similar events were occurring contemporaneously throughout the southern Maya lowlands and the emergence of the Motul dynasty thus constitutes a microcosm of larger developments.This research project will assess the impact of the emergent Motul dynasty on the economy of the local area (and the degree of control they exerted over it) through an intensive study of ceramic production and distribution. As the most ubiquitous type of artifact recovered at Maya sites, ceramics are well-positioned to provide a window on economic structures. Analysis will be conducted on ceramic collections from 7 previously excavated sites in the Motul de San José area, including Motul itself, and a variety of settlements that pre-dated dynastic expansion (ranging from farming hamlets to a lakeside port). Ms. Spensley will also conduct excavations to broaden this sample at 4 as-yet uninvestigated sites in the area that face destruction from modern urban growth. Drawing on this comprehensive sample, she will undertake stylistic, mineralogical, and chemical ceramic analyses in order to define production groups and to chart their distribution throughout the area during the interval of political consolidation. By documenting whether or not various production or distribution systems changed (for utilitarian as well as luxury ceramics) with the emergence of the Motul dynasty, this research will contribute to an ongoing dialog in the archaeological and anthropological communities concerning the origins and nature of political power in ancient societies. While this research is designed to address a key issue in Maya archaeology today, and will also address fundamental questions relevant to the study of complex societies in general, this project is intended to have a broader impact in several areas. In the modern community of San José, Guatemala, publication (in Spanish) of results in community newsletters and public presentations targeted at both children and adults are intended to increase awareness and conservation of the area's rich archaeological heritage. Guatemalan archaeology students will also receive practical training in field work and ceramic analysis, as will the author. Following completion of analysis, the compilation of a web database will provide a rich reference tool for archaeologists interested in ceramic data from Guatemala. Finally, results will also be presented to the archaeological community through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional meetings in both the United States and Guatemala.

政治权力的性质及其在古代国家和帝国中的起源一直是复杂社会考古学中最具争议的话题之一。在William Saturno博士的监督下，Ellen Spensley将进行一项调查，旨在评估当地经济与政治权力之间的重要联系，重点是危地马拉El Petén省Motul de San José的晚期经典玛雅政体。大约在公元700年至850年之间，一个新出现的莫图尔王朝在危地马拉佩滕伊察湖北方沿岸建立了一个地区的政治霸权，并在周围地区合并了几个较小的先前存在的定居点。类似的事件在整个玛雅南部低地同时发生，因此莫图尔王朝的出现构成了更大发展的缩影。本研究项目将通过对陶瓷生产和分布的深入研究，评估新兴的莫图尔王朝对当地经济的影响（以及他们对当地经济的控制程度）。作为在玛雅遗址中发现的最普遍的人工制品类型，陶瓷很好地定位于提供经济结构的窗口。将对来自Motul de San José地区7个先前挖掘的遗址的陶瓷藏品进行分析，包括Motul本身，以及王朝扩张之前的各种定居点（从农业村庄到湖边港口）。Spensley女士还将在该地区面临现代城市发展破坏的4个尚未调查的地点进行挖掘，以扩大这一样本。根据这一全面的样本，她将进行风格，矿物学和化学陶瓷分析，以确定生产群体，并绘制他们在整个地区的分布在政治巩固的间隔。通过记录各种生产或分配系统是否随着莫图尔王朝的出现而改变（对于功利主义和奢侈陶瓷），这项研究将有助于考古学和人类学社区关于古代社会政治权力的起源和性质的持续对话。虽然这项研究旨在解决当今玛雅考古学中的一个关键问题，并将解决与复杂社会研究相关的基本问题，但该项目旨在对多个领域产生更广泛的影响。在危地马拉圣何塞的现代社区，在社区通讯和面向儿童和成人的公开演讲中公布（西班牙语）结果，目的是提高对该地区丰富考古遗产的认识和保护。危地马拉考古学的学生也将接受实地工作和陶瓷分析的实践培训，作者也将接受培训。分析完成后，网络数据库的汇编将为对危地马拉陶瓷数据感兴趣的考古学家提供丰富的参考工具。最后，还将通过在同行评审的期刊上发表和在美国和危地马拉的专业会议上介绍成果，向考古界介绍成果。