Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Pastoralist Economy And Social Organization

博士论文改进补助金：牧民经济与社会组织

• 批准号: 1439123
• 负责人: Fiona Marshall
• 金额: $ 2.51万
• 依托单位: Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2015-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1439123&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Pastoralist

The transition from hunting-and-gathering to agricultural production brought about unprecedented transformations in human societies. In Africa, unlike most parts of the world, people began keeping cattle before they started planting crops. Lifestyles based on animal herding continue to be important in Africa, however how, and why, these strategies spread so successfully remain poorly understood. The apparent diversity among ancient pastoralists living in southern Kenya provides a particularly good context for studying the social and economic roles of family level exchange in this process. This project will examine the formation of obsidian (volcanic glass) procurement networks by studying how it was extracted and prepared for exchange at the quarry site on Mt. Eburru. Although this research is focused on past events, the insights gained are relevant to present day issues as pastoralist societies continue to interact today in many parts of East Africa, often to the detriment of peace and human wellbeing. This research will be conducted by graduate student, Steven Goldstein under the direction of Dr. Fiona Marshall. The results will form the basis for his doctoral dissertation.Around 2,000 years ago, herders entering Kenya from the north began using a distinct green volcanic glass from Mt. Eburru, in the Central Rift Valley, for all of their tool production. The preference for this obsidian may have led to the emergence of a regional exchange network, connecting pioneering herding families as they spread across the region. Studying how people used the Eburru quarry provides a unique opportunity to understand how such networks developed, and will help to unravel their important role in the expansion of African food production. Mr. Goldstein will use emerging techniques in 3D scanning to analyze stone tool material at the quarry, reconstructing how activities at this vital site were organized. Comparing patterns at the quarry with ancient herder settlements across southern Kenya, will provide a comprehensive understanding of how exchange operated, and how this influenced the spread of cattle herding. This project will have broader impacts beyond the direct academic contributions. The study will involve collaborations between American and Kenyan scholars, and will include training American and Kenyan graduate students. It will also bolster teaching collections and teaching infrastructure at Washington University in St. Louis. The data produced will be used to train undergraduate research assistants in analyzing 3D data, a skillset that is increasingly important in many branches of science and engineering. Furthermore, student participation in this research will help build skills needed for scientific research. This research will also aid in public outreach, through public lectures at Washington University, the Missouri History Museum, and in ongoing programs through the St. Louis Science Center and local school districts that expose students of all ages to various aspects of science. These efforts will improve the dialogue between scientists and the public, particularly improving the understanding of anthropology and archaeology.

从狩猎采集向农业生产的转变，给人类社会带来了前所未有的变革。在非洲，与世界上大多数地区不同，人们在开始种植农作物之前就开始养牛。以动物放牧为基础的生活方式在非洲仍然很重要，但这些策略如何以及为何如此成功地传播仍然知之甚少。生活在肯尼亚南部的古代牧民的明显多样性为研究家庭层面交换在此过程中的社会和经济作用提供了特别好的背景。该项目将通过研究黑曜石（火山玻璃）采购网络的形成，研究黑曜石是如何在埃布鲁山采石场开采和准备进行交换的。 尽管这项研究的重点是过去的事件，但所获得的见解与当今的问题相关，因为牧民社会今天在东非许多地区继续互动，往往损害和平与人类福祉。这项研究将由研究生 Steven Goldstein 在 Fiona Marshall 博士的指导下进行。研究结果将成为他博士论文的基础。 大约 2000 年前，从北部进入肯尼亚的牧民开始使用来自中部裂谷埃布鲁山的独特绿色火山玻璃来生产所有工具。对这种黑曜石的偏爱可能导致了区域交换网络的出现，连接了遍布该地区的先驱牧民家庭。研究人们如何使用埃布鲁采石场为了解此类网络的发展提供了独特的机会，并将有助于揭示其在非洲粮食生产扩张中的重要作用。 Goldstein 先生将使用新兴的 3D 扫描技术来分析采石场的石器材料，重建这个重要地点的活动是如何组织的。将采石场的模式与肯尼亚南部的古代牧民定居点进行比较，将有助于全面了解交换的运作方式，以及这如何影响牛群放牧的传播。该项目将产生超出直接学术贡献的更广泛影响。该研究将涉及美国和肯尼亚学者之间的合作，并将包括培训美国和肯尼亚的研究生。它还将加强圣路易斯华盛顿大学的教学馆藏和教学基础设施。生成的数据将用于培训本科生研究助理分析 3D 数据，这一技能在科学和工程的许多分支中变得越来越重要。此外，学生参与这项研究将有助于培养科学研究所需的技能。这项研究还将通过在华盛顿大学、密苏里州历史博物馆的公开讲座以及通过圣路易斯科学中心和当地学区正在进行的项目来帮助公众宣传，让所有年龄段的学生接触到科学的各个方面。这些努力将改善科学家和公众之间的对话，特别是增进对人类学和考古学的理解。