Dissertation Research: A Taphonomic Investigation of Reptiles and Their Significance to Early Hominid Ecology

在尤金·贾尔斯博士的指导下，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳分校的研究生Jolee West女士将为她的博士论文进行研究。她将结合实地和实验室工作，研究爬行动物遗骸--鳄鱼和海龟--在东非地貌上的分布，并确定观察到的图案的原因。特别是，她希望了解如何识别人类衍生的组合。要做到这一点，她将首先将注意力集中在肯尼亚图尔卡纳湖东岸无人居住的地区。她将建立远离水源的横断面，并沿着这些横断面收集爬行动物的遗骸。这将提供有关“自然”或非人类图案的数据。然后，她将与居住在湖边附近的传统民族合作，狩猎和屠宰这些相同的物种。对这些样本的比较应该可以识别独特的人类签名。韦斯特还将检查鬣狗巢穴中的爬行动物遗骸，研究骨骼风化，并进行水槽实验，以展示水流的不同影响。这项基础研究将为考古学家提供极其宝贵的数据。在东非早期原始人遗址的挖掘过程中，经常发现鳄鱼和海龟的遗骸。然而，很难确定这些遗骸的来源，这些遗骸也是作为散布在非洲各地的自然遗骸出现的。因此，不可能断定这些物种是否形成了早期原始人饮食的一部分，或者这些骨骼的联系是否偶然发生。韦斯特的项目将为这种解读提供关键。这个项目之所以重要，有几个原因。首先，它将提供一个在广泛的考古情况下使用的工具。其次，它将帮助培养一位非常有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Eugene Giles, Ms. Jolee West, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana, will conduct research for her doctoral dissertation. She will combine field and laboratory work to study the distribution of reptilian remains - crocodile and turtle - on the East African landscape and determine the causal factors of the patterns observed. In particular, she wishes to learn how humanly derived assemblages may be identified. To accomplish this, she will first focus her attention on areas located on the Eastern shore of Lake Turkana, Kenya which are not inhabited by people. She will establish transects which extend away from water sources and collect reptilian remains along them. This will provide data on "natural" or non-human patterning. She will then work with traditional peoples who live near the lake margin and hunt and butcher these same species. A comparison of these samples should permit identification of uniquely human signatures. Ms. West will also examine reptile remains from hyena lairs, study bone weathering, and conduct flume experiments to show the differential effects of water movement. This basic research will provide archaeologists with extremely valuable data. Crocodile and turtle remains are often recovered during the excavation of early hominid sites in East Africa. However, it is extremely difficult to determine the derivation of these remains which also occur naturally as a scatter across African landscapes. It is not possible therefore to tell whether such species formed part of early hominid diet or whether the association of these bones occurs by chance. Ms. West's project will provide the key for such interpretation. This project is important for several reasons. First, it will provide a tool of use in a wide range of archaeological situations. Secondly, it will assist in the training of an extremely promising young scientist.