Identifying activity areas in Neolithic sites through ethnographic analysis of phytoliths and geochemical residues

西南亚的新石器时代（公元前11700 -7800大卡）是人类历史上的一个关键时期;正是在这段时间里，人们从居住在小型狩猎采集群体中的过渡，占据临时营地，生活在大型定居社区中的完全成熟的农业家。人们为什么会做出这种转变，是我们这个时代最大的未解之谜之一。然而，显而易见的是，这种发展不仅改变了人们与环境互动的方式，而且改变了社区内的社会结构，最终导致了复杂社会的发展。尽管新石器时代在西南亚的重要性，考古遗址，特别是那些早期的前陶器时期（公元前11，700 -8250 cal BP），往往很难解释，由于其短暂的性质和生物遗迹的稀缺性。为了更好地了解这些地点，我们将开发和验证一种基于更持久的证据形式的方法，这些证据通常是人类活动的结果，即植硅体（在植物细胞内和周围形成的二氧化硅体）和地球化学元素（土壤中的化学物质痕迹，例如磷，钙和锰）。目的是确定不同地区是否有特定的植硅石和地球化学特征，这些特征可用于考古学上识别这些相同的地区。这将通过使用两种定居点类型的民族志研究来实现：贝都因人帐篷遗址和废弃的泥和石头建造的村庄。之所以选择这些，是因为它们为新石器时代遗址提供了最好的类比，这些遗址将作为本项目的一部分进行分析。贝都因人的帐篷地点将是民族志上对Wadi el-Jilat和Azraq的小规模、短暂、游牧和季节性居住地点的类比，而约旦高原上Shawbak附近的废弃村庄和Wadi Mousa北部的Shammakh村将是对Ain Ghazal、Beidha和WF 16的更坚固的石头和泥砖建筑地点的比较。有限的现有人种学研究（在其他地理区域进行）集中在植硅体或地球化学元素，但不是两者兼而有之。他们表明，这些方法提供了关于定居点内空间使用情况的信息。该项目将是第一个整合这两种分析的大规模民族志研究。它也将是第一个探索埋藏学（即组合从创建到分析的过程）影响植硅石和地球化学组合的组成。作为首席研究员，Jenkins将在这项研究中得到一些杰出和经验丰富的研究人员的支持，即：卡罗尔·帕尔默博士（安曼英国研究所所长，理事会英国研究在黎凡特-CBRL），谁将是项目合作伙伴。帕尔默最初采取了贝都因人营地的大部分样本，将协助民族志工作和考古采样，并作为CBRL的安曼主任，在约旦教授约翰·格伦斯特的独特位置上安排实地考察（副校长，阿伯里斯特威斯大学）谁将进行地球化学分析，并随后作为一个专家海伦史密斯博士，（伯恩茅斯大学访问研究员），他与Palmer一起进行了贝都因难民营的抽样调查，并将就该项目的人种学方面提供建议。这是一个强大而经验丰富的多学科团队，具有在约旦开展研究的历史（尽管以前没有在一起）。这个项目是参与者的兴趣和专业知识的自然结晶。此外，已经进行了大量昂贵的实地工作，而且，由于帕尔默和格里尔斯是在无薪的基础上投入时间的，这项研究为AHRC提供了极高的性价比。

The Neolithic in southwest Asia (c 11,700-7800 cal BP) is a critical period in human history; it was during this time, that people made the transition from living in small hunter-gatherer groups, occupying temporary camps, to fully fledged agriculturalists living in large sedentary communities. The reason why people made this transition is one of the great unanswered questions of our time. What is apparent, however, is that this development not only altered the way people interacted with their environment, but also the social structure within communities, ultimately leading to the development of complex societies. Despite the importance of the Neolithic in southwest Asia, archaeological sites, particularly those from the earlier Pre-Pottery Periods (c 11,700-8250 cal BP), often prove difficult to interpret due to their ephemeral nature and the scarcity of biological remains. In order to gain a greater understanding of such sites, we will develop and validate a method based on more durable forms of evidence that are often the result of human activities, i.e. phytoliths (bodies of silica that form in and around plant cells) and geochemical elements (traces of chemicals in soils, e.g. phosphorous, calcium and manganese). The aim is to determine if different areas have specific phytolith and geochemical signatures which can be used to recognise these same areas archaeologically.This will be achieved through ethnographic research using two settlement types: Bedouin tent sites and abandoned mud and stone constructed villages. These have been chosen because they provide the best available analogies for the Neolithic sites which will be analysed as part of this project. The Bedouin tent sites will be the ethnographic analogy for the small scale, ephemeral, pastoralist, and seasonally occupied sites of Wadi el-Jilat and Azraq, while the abandoned villages near Shawbak on the Jordanian plateau and the village of Shammakh, north of Wadi Mousa will be the comparison for the more substantial, stone and mud brick constructed sites of Ain Ghazal, Beidha, and WF16. Limited existing ethnographic research (conducted in other geographical regions) has focused either on phytoliths or geochemical elements but not both. They demonstrated that these methods are informative about the use of space within settlements. This project will be the first large scale ethnographic study to integrate these two types of analysis. It will also be the first to explore how much taphonomy (i.e. the processes assemblages go through from creation to analysis) affects the composition of phytolith and geochemical assemblages.As Principal investigator, Jenkins will be supported in this research by a number of eminent and experienced researchers, namely: Dr Carol Palmer (Director of the British Institute in Amman, Council for British Research in the Levant-CBRL), who will be a Project Partner. Palmer originally took the majority of the Bedouin camp samples, will assist with the ethnographic work and archaeological sampling and, as Amman Director of the CBRL, is in a unique position to arrange the fieldwork from within Jordan Prof John Grattan (Pro Vice Chancellor, Aberystwyth University) who will conduct the geochemical analysis and subsequently act as an advisorDr Helen Smith, (Visiting Research Fellow, Bournemouth University) who carried out the Bedouin camp sampling with Palmer and will also advise on the ethnographic aspects of the project. This represents a strong and experienced multi-disciplinary team with an established history of conducting research in Jordan (although not previously together). This project is a natural culmination of the participants' interests and expertise. Furthermore, as much costly fieldwork has already been undertaken, and, as Palmer and Grattan are giving their time on a non-stipendiary basis, this research offers the AHRC excellent value for money.