Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Pastoralist Economy And Social Organization

从狩猎采集到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，人们在开始种植庄稼之前就开始养牛。以放牧为基础的生活方式在非洲仍然很重要，然而，人们对这些策略如何以及为什么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之间的明显多样性为研究这一过程中家庭层面的交换的社会和经济作用提供了一个特别好的背景。该项目将通过研究如何在Eburru山的采石场提取和准备交换黑曜石（火山玻璃）采购网络的形成。虽然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有关，因为牧民社会今天在东非许多地区继续相互作用，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一种独特的绿色火山玻璃，这种玻璃来自中部大裂谷的Eburru山，用于他们所有的工具生产。对这种黑曜石的偏爱可能导致了一个区域交换网络的出现，当拓荒者在该地区传播时，将他们联系在一起。研究人们如何使用Eburru采石场提供了一个独特的机会来了解这些网络是如何发展的，并将有助于揭示它们在扩大非洲粮食生产中的重要作用。戈尔茨坦先生将使用新兴的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的模式进行比较，将使人们全面了解交换是如何运作的，以及这是如何影响畜牧业的传播的。该项目将产生超越直接学术贡献的更广泛影响。这项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收藏和教学基础设施。生成的数据将用于培训本科研究助理分析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。这项研究还将通过华盛顿大学、密苏里历史博物馆的公开讲座，以及圣路易斯科学中心和当地学区正在进行的项目，帮助所有年龄段的学生接触科学的各个方面，帮助公众进行宣传。这些努力将增进科学家与公众之间的对话，特别是增进对人类学和考古学的了解。

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.