Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: The Exercise of Political Authority at Callar Creek, Belize

博士论文改进补助金：伯利兹卡拉溪政治权威的行使

• 批准号: 1118144
• 负责人: Richard Leventhal
• 金额: $ 2万
• 依托单位: University of Pennsylvania
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-05-01 至 2013-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1118144&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Exercise

Under the supervision of Dr. Richard M. Leventhal, Sarah Kurnick will conduct archaeological excavations and analyses at the ancient Maya site of Callar Creek. Callar Creek, located in the Mopan Valley of Belize, was occupied by the ancient Maya from approximately 900 B.C. to 900 A.D. The site includes several residential structures, three pyramidal mounds that would have supported temples or shrines, and four plazas. Four large limestone blocks found at the site may be the remains of monuments. Based on its size, location, features, and layout, Callar Creek was likely the home and administrative center for a low-level elite. Research focusing on the nature of political authority among the ancient Maya is important for a number of reasons. First, the study of political authority among early complex societies provides historical depth and geographic breadth to studies of political authority in the contemporary world. An understanding of the operation of authority among the world's early complex polities provides insight into the operation of authority in modern complex polities. Second, studies of political authority speak to the larger issue of social inequality; political authority is one type of social inequality, one type of asymmetrical social relationship. Inequality is a prominent and persistent feature of our own, other, and past societies. Understanding, explaining, and demystifying social inequality have been, and will continue to be, important aspects of research in the social sciences. Ms. Kurnick will recover and analyze data suggesting what strategies were used by the elites at Callar Creek to acquire and maintain their political authority, and how those strategies changed over time. Specifically, she proposes - and will test for evidence over time of - three strategies that the Callar Creek elites may have used to acquire and maintain their authority: communal gatherings, ancestor veneration, and extra-local connections. In addition to its academic merit, this project will bring economic and educational benefits to the modern community of Callar Creek. The project will provide employment opportunities and practical training to individuals living in an economically impoverished area. The project will also provide opportunities for community members to learn about archaeology in general and about the archaeology of Callar Creek in particular. These activities will increase local awareness of archaeological resources and archaeological stewardship. The overall goal will be to demonstrate the crucial distinction between the benefits of archaeology and the destruction caused by looting. The results of this project will be made available to the scientific community through presentations at professional conferences and through papers published in peer edited journals. A planned website will increase the project's public visibility.

在Richard M. Leventhal博士的监督下，Sarah Kurnick将在古玛雅遗址Callar Creek进行考古挖掘和分析。卡拉尔河位于伯利兹的莫潘山谷，大约从公元前900年到公元900年被古玛雅人占领。该遗址包括几座住宅建筑，三个金字塔丘，可以支撑寺庙或神社，还有四个广场。在遗址中发现的四块大型石灰石可能是纪念碑的遗迹。从它的大小、位置、特征和布局来看，卡拉尔溪很可能是底层精英的家和行政中心。研究古玛雅人政治权威的本质是很重要的，原因有很多。首先，对早期复杂社会中的政治权威的研究为当代世界的政治权威研究提供了历史深度和地理广度。对世界早期复杂政体中权威运作的理解，为理解现代复杂政体中权威运作提供了思路。其次，对政治权威的研究涉及到更大的社会不平等问题；政治权威是一种社会不平等，是一种不对称的社会关系。不平等是我们自己的、他人的和过去社会的一个突出而持久的特征。理解、解释和揭开社会不平等的神秘面纱一直是，并将继续是社会科学研究的重要方面。库尔尼克将恢复并分析卡拉尔克里克的精英们使用了什么策略来获取和维持他们的政治权威，以及这些策略是如何随着时间而变化的。具体地说，她提出了卡拉尔克里克精英们可能用来获得和维持权威的三种策略，并将随着时间的推移进行检验：公共集会、祖先崇拜和地方外的联系。除了学术价值外，该项目还将为Callar Creek的现代社区带来经济和教育效益。该项目将为生活在经济贫困地区的个人提供就业机会和实践培训。该项目还将为社区成员提供机会，让他们了解考古学，特别是卡拉尔溪的考古学。这些活动将提高当地对考古资源和考古管理的认识。总体目标将是证明考古的好处和抢劫造成的破坏之间的关键区别。该项目的成果将通过在专业会议上的介绍和在同行编辑的期刊上发表的论文向科学界提供。计划中的网站将增加项目的公众知名度。