Agricultural Production and Prehistoric Settlement in the Jama River Drainage, Manabi Province, Ecuador

这项拨款允许博士。Pearsall和Zeidler将在位于厄瓜多尔北部Jama流域的San Isidro进行一个季节的实地考察。他们将继续在现场进行挖掘，并对周围地区进行调查。圣伊西德罗有一个巨大的，位于中央的土丘，这表明它是一个区域仪式和行政中心。场地的规模和纪念性建筑暗示了过剩生产的存在，能够支持密集的人口，而回收的材料表明，圣伊西德罗是厄瓜多尔海岸以及海岸和高地之间对外接触和商品流动的主要地点。由于现场的地层和年代顺序还没有很好地确定，调查人员将分析已经收集到的材料并进行考古测试，以确定适合进一步地层挖掘的地区。通过对Jama排水系统的调查，他们将确定其他地点。地面收集和有限的挖掘也将在这些地方进行。这项研究的目的是研究人口增长的过程和随之而来的文化复杂性的发展，这发生在厄瓜多尔北部的这个热带地区。虽然这种复杂的社会在世界不同地区的热带地区多次出现，但其潜在的过程尚未得到很好的理解。这项研究将允许测试不同的模型。虽然众所周知，厄瓜多尔有丰富的考古遗迹，但很少有考古研究在那里进行。这个项目将有助于纠正这种情况。

This grant permits Drs. Pearsall and Zeidler to conduct one season of fieldwork at the site of San Isidro which is located in the Jama drainage in northern Equador. They will both continue to excavate at the site and undertake a survey of the surrounding reigon. San Isidro contains a large, centrally located earthern mound which suggests that it functioned as a regional ceremonial and administrative center. The site's size and monumental architecture imply the existence of surplus production capable of supporting a dense populaation and materials recovered suggest that San Isidro was a major point of external contact and commodity flow both along the coast of Equador and between the coast and the highlands. Because the stratigraphic and chronological sequence at the site is not well established, the investigators will analyze materials already collected and conduct archaeological testing to locate areas suitable for further stratigraphic excavation. Through survey of the Jama drainage they will locate other sites. Surface collections and limited excavation will be conducted at these as well. The goal of the research is to study the process of demographic growth and the accompanying development of cultural complexity which took place in this tropical area of northern Equador. Although such complex societies arose in the tropics many times in different parts of the world, the underlying processes are not well understood. This research will allow the testing of different models. While Equador is known to be rich in archaeological remains, little archaeological research has been conducted there. This project will help to remedy that situation.