Residential Mobility in the Late Prehistoric Southwest

道格拉斯·普莱斯博士和他的同事们将分析史前蚱蜢居民的牙齿和骨骼中的锶同位素比率。松树点，土耳其溪和基尼什巴考古遗址，都位于亚利桑那州的莫戈隆边缘地区。所有这些都可以追溯到公元14世纪，标志着美国西南部土著文化发展的一个高峰。研究的目的是确定居民在其一生中的个体迁移模式。锶同位素技术利用了永久牙列在生命早期形成的事实。随着时间的推移，与牙釉质结合的锶不会被替换。然而，在人的一生中，骨骼中的锶是不断被替换的。由于进入人体的锶是通过植物、动物和水从当地土壤中获取的，因此比较同一个人的牙齿和骨骼牙釉质可以提供有关其一生运动的证据。幸运的是，在美国西南部，不同的地理区域有不同的锶同位素特征。公元14世纪标志着西南地区文化发展的一个高峰。建造了大型仪式中心，并建立了广泛的贸易网络，以尽量减少生产的短期地理差异。这意味着社会控制和互动的复杂形式的发展。人类学家想知道像Grasshopper这样的大型遗址是如何发展和维护的，人们提出了几种理论。一个主要强调移徙和来自不同区域的群体的巩固，而另一些则侧重于原地进程。普莱斯博士的工作将为评估这些理论提供直接证据。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将增加我们对复杂社会如何发展和维持的理解。它将为美国西南部的史前史提供新的线索，最后它将有助于发展一种极有前途的分析技术。这是锶同位素分析应用于人类学问题的第一个实例。

Dr. Douglas Price and his colleagues will analyze strontium isotope ratios from the teeth and bones of prehistoric inhabitants of the Grasshopper. Point of Pines, Turkey Creek and Kinishba archaeological sites, all located in the Mogollon rim region of Arizona. All date to ca. 14th century AD and mark a highpoint in the development of Southwestern Aboriginal American culture. The goal of the research is to determine the individual migration patterns of residents over their lifetime. The strontium isotope technique takes advantage of the fact that permanent dentition is formed early in life. The strontium incorporated into the tooth enamel is not replaced over time. Bone strontium, however, is constantly replaced over the lifetime of an individual. Because the strontium taken into the human body is derived, via plants, animals and water, from the local soil, comparison between tooth and bone enamel from the same person can provide evidence on lifetime movement. Luckily, in the Southwestern U.S., different geographical regions have distinct strontium isotopic signatures. The 14th century AD marks a high point in cultural development in the Southwest. Large ceremonial centers were constructed and extensive trade networks existed to minimize short-term geographical differences in production. This implies the development of complex forms of social control and interaction. Anthropologists want to know how large sites such as Grasshopper developed and were maintained and several theories have been proposed. One places a major emphasis on migration and the consolidation of groups from different regions while others focus on in situ processes. The work undertaken by Dr. Price will provide direct evidence against which to evaluate these theories. This research is important for several reasons. It will increase our understanding of how complex societies develop and are maintained. It will shed new light on the prehistory of the U.S. Southwest and finally it will assist in the development of an extremely promising analytic technique. It is the first instance in which strontium isotope analysis is applied to an anthropological question.