Origins of Mesoamerican Complex Society

亚利桑那大学的猪又武博士和丹妮拉·特里亚丹博士将探讨公元前1000年至公元前700年玛雅文明的起源，重点是：1）玛雅文明是通过当地进程发展起来的，是在奥尔梅克文明的直接影响下发展起来的，还是通过各地区之间复杂的相互作用发展起来的; 2）在从混合生存向完全确立的玉米农业过渡的过程中，是否出现了正式的仪式情结。传统上认为，玛雅文明是从地理上的“奥尔梅克”前身发展而来的，因此是派生的。Inomata和Triadan在墨西哥南部的工作可能会挑战这一假设，并提出了一个更复杂的叙述，其中不仅包括潜在的区域间互动，而且还包括从部分到全职农业的基本转变。这个问题很重要，因为复杂的社会在世界许多地区几乎同时发展起来，科学家们希望了解这一过程背后的因素。该项目由猪又博士和特里亚丹博士指导，将有助于跨文化理解区域间互动如何影响政治转型进程。研究小组将考察位于墨西哥南部乌苏马辛塔中部地区的多个遗址，该地区位于玛雅低地和奥尔梅克中心地带之间。该项目的研究将包括：1）机载激光测量（LiDAR）; 2）通过行人调查对LiDAR数据进行地面验证;以及3）挖掘已知地点和位于LiDAR调查中的地点，以检查其年表。该地区最大的遗址Aguada F 'nix包括一个长1.4公里的矩形平台。对公元前1000年至公元前700年期间鲜为人知的纪念性建筑的研究可能会改变我们对玛雅文明发展的社会进程的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Dr. Takeshi Inomata and Dr. Daniela Triadan of the University of Arizona will examine the origins of Maya civilization between 1000 and 700 BC, focusing on the questions of 1) whether Maya civilization developed through local processes, under direct influence from Olmec civilization, or through complex interactions among various regions; and 2) whether formal ceremonial complexes emerged during the transition from mixed subsistence to fully-established maize agriculture. It has traditionally been argued that the Mayan civilization developed from a geographically 'Olmec' predecessor and is thus derived. Work by Inomata and Triadan in southern Mexico potentially challenges this hypothesis and suggests a more complicated narrative which includes not only potential inter-regional interaction but also an underlying shift in subsistence practices from part to full time agriculture. The question is important because complex societies developed at roughly the same time in many regions of the world and scientists wish to understand what factors underlie this process. The project directed by Dr. Inomata and Dr. Triadan will contribute to the cross-cultural understanding of how interregional interaction affects the process of political transformation.The research team will examine multiple sites located in the Middle Usumacinta region of southern Mexico, located between the Maya lowlands and the Olmec heartland. The project research will include: 1) airborne laser survey (LiDAR); 2) the ground-truthing of LiDAR data through pedestrian surveys; and 3) excavations of the known sites and those located in the LiDAR survey to examine their chronology. The largest site in the region, Aguada F'nix, includes a rectangular platform, measuring 1.4 km in length. The study of those poorly-known monumental constructions dating between 1000 and 700 BC may transform our understanding of social processes leading to the development of Maya civilization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.