Dissertation Research: The Tumilaca Drainage in the Late Intermediate Period: Agricultural Growth and Decline in a Small-Scale Andean Polity

在Jeffrey Parsons博士的指导下，Marco Ribeiro先生将进行考古实地研究，为他的博士论文收集数据。在秘鲁南部奥斯莫尔河的一条支流图米拉卡流域，他将在四个史前遗址进行挖掘，这些遗址可以追溯到中晚期（约公元1100年至1480年）。他的项目目标是了解这个史前社区在很长一段时间内农业生产的变化，并研究气候、长途贸易和社会组织与这个局部地区之间的相互作用。考古证据表明，随着时间的推移，农业生产首先得到加强，但后来梯田被遗弃。Ribeiro先生假设，区域间交换导致生产过剩，而随后的长期干旱导致梯田被遗弃。他的实地项目直接解决了第一个问题，在四个定居点中挖掘一系列居住单元将提供关于粮食生产集约化和区域交流程度的数据。这个项目之所以重要，有几个原因。它不仅会增加我们对秘鲁复杂社会的兴衰的理解，而且还应该提供直接农业利用的信息。有一段时间，许多今天被遗弃的地区曾用于农业生产。图米拉卡梯田就属于这一类，如果人们能理解它们被遗弃的原因，就有可能确定它们是否可能在未来发挥生产作用。这个项目还将有助于培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Parsons, Mr. Marco Ribeiro will conduct archaeological field research to collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Working in the Tumilaca drainage, a tributary of the Osmore River in Southern Peru, he will conduct excavations at four prehistoric sites which date to the Late Intermediate Period (ca. 1100 to 1480 AD). The goal of his project is to understand changes in agricultural production in this prehistoric community over an extended period of time and to examine the interaction between climate, long distance trade, and social organization with this localized region. Archaeological evidence indicates that over time agricultural production first intensified but that later terraces are abandoned. Mr. Ribeiro hypothesizes that inter-regional exchange induced surplus production while succeeding conditions of chronic drought led to terrace abandonment. His field program directly addresses the first of these issues, and excavation of a series of habitation units in four settlements will provide data on both intensification of food production and the degree of regional exchange. This project is important for several reasons. Not only will it increase our understanding of the rise and decline of complex societies in Peru, but it should also provide information of direct agricultural use. At one time many areas which today are abandoned were employed in agricultural production. The Tumilaca terraces fall into this category, and if one can understand why they were abandoned it should be possible to determine whether they might play a future productive role. This project will also assist in the training of a promising young scientist.