Doctoral Dissertation Research: Long Term Environmental Effects of Metallurgy

博士论文研究：冶金的长期环境影响

• 批准号: 2420185
• 负责人: John O'Shea
• 金额: $ 3.9万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-05-01 至 2025-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2420185&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Long; Term

Metallurgy is a transformative technology that left an indelible mark on our world. Along with social and cultural shifts, it introduced contamination by toxic elements such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium into the environment. This doctoral dissertation project investigates the impacts of the toxic elements associated with the spread of intensified metallurgical production. Archaeology is particularly well suited to monitor the impacts of metallurgy, due to its ability to examine the short and long-term impacts of pollution through time. The project offers a new theoretical approach to study technological intensification which focuses on nuanced differences in the adoption and pursuit of intensification among contemporary communities. By examining contamination from metallurgical activity, the research contributes to broader questions of how societies perceive and respond to environmental degradation. The project provides research experience in both fieldwork and laboratory methods for students from different field of studies and promotes further discussion of environmental degradation in the past and present. The results of the research are presented in peer-reviewed journals, lectures, and domestic, international, and interdisciplinary conferences, and presented to the wider public through workshops, social media, podcasts, and websites.The research evaluates the contrasting modalities of metallurgical production and intensification between different time periods. Using data from six archaeological sites, the research merges archaeological evidence of metallurgical activities with methods commonly used in public health and geo-medicine to track environmental contamination. Domestic and wild animal teeth and site sediments provide direct evidence of metallurgical production from settlements and their surroundings. The diachronic and interdisciplinary nature of the research makes it possible to track the nuanced social and environmental impacts of technological intensification.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.

冶金是一种变革性的技术，在我们的世界上留下了不可磨灭的印记。沿着社会和文化的变迁，它将铅、砷和镉等有毒元素的污染引入环境。本博士论文项目调查与强化冶金生产的传播相关的有毒元素的影响。考古学特别适合监测冶金的影响，因为它能够检查污染随时间的短期和长期影响。该项目提供了一种新的理论方法来研究技术集约化，重点是在采用和追求集约化的当代社区之间的细微差别。通过研究冶金活动造成的污染，这项研究有助于解决社会如何看待和应对环境退化的更广泛问题。该项目为来自不同研究领域的学生提供实地工作和实验室方法的研究经验，并促进对过去和现在环境退化问题的进一步讨论。研究结果发表在同行评审期刊、讲座以及国内、国际和跨学科会议上，并通过研讨会、社交媒体、播客和网站向更广泛的公众展示。研究评估了不同时期冶金生产和集约化的对比模式。该研究利用六个考古遗址的数据，将冶金活动的考古证据与公共卫生和地质医学中常用的方法相结合，以跟踪环境污染。家养和野生动物的牙齿和遗址沉积物提供了定居点及其周围冶金生产的直接证据。该研究的历时性和跨学科性质使其能够跟踪技术强化的细微社会和环境影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。