The Obsidian Craft at Xochicalco, Morelos

在国家科学基金会的支持下，肯尼斯·赫斯博士将 继续他在Xochicalco遗址的考古研究 位于墨西哥中部的莫雷洛斯。 迄今工作 表明这座大型的前西班牙城市中心存在于 古典（250-700 AD）和Epiclassic（700-950 AD） 时期 数据还显示，它是生产中心， 黑曜石（火山玻璃）工具。 因为锋利的切割 黑曜石在史前时期被广泛珍视 美国中部。 赫思博士将首先进行测试挖掘 然后大规模采集黑曜石样本 作为其他文化材料。 目标是确定这是如何实现的 工业是如何组织起来的，以及它是如何随着时间的推移而变化的。 伪影 遗体的收集将采用两阶段的宏观-微观战略 对藏物宇宙的不同维度进行采样 在正常筛选中获得的宏观借记（剩余） 将结合小额借记分析， 从细网水筛中回收。 规模和 生产专业化将通过分析 石器技术和工具的种类。 大州在墨西哥中部兴起和衰落， 西班牙人的到来，许多考古学家试图 了解所涉及的过程。 近年来，它已成为 很明显，对贸易和稀缺资源的控制 发挥了重要作用。 在古典时期， 以特奥蒂瓦坎为中心，主导墨西哥中部 在ca 公元700年，这个国家衰落了，权力转移到了一些 像Xochicalo这样的小城市。 因此有 很有趣的是，看看生产中的变化， 黑曜石的控制发生在这个过渡时期。 博士 Hirth不仅将研究Xochicalo如何与更大的 以及黑曜石的生产 在网站本身的组织。 生产是否倾向于 平等主义还是严格控制在国营工厂。 挖掘和分析发现的遗骸将有助于解决 这些问题。 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。 它将提供 一大批考古学家感兴趣的数据。 它将 也增加了我们对复杂社会如何出现的理解 并且被维持。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Kenneth Hirth will continue his archaeological research at the site of Xochicalco which is located in Morelos, central Mexico. Work to date indicates that this large prehispanic urban center existed during both the Classic (250-700 AD) and Epiclassic (700-950 AD) periods. Data also shows that it was a center for the production of obsidian (volcanic glass) tools. Because of the sharp cutting edge it holds, obsidian was widely prized throughout prehistoric Middle America. Dr. Hirth will first conduct test excavations and then larger scale work to collect samples of obsidian as well as other cultural materials. The goal is to determine how this industry was organized and how it changed over time. Artifact remains will be collected using a two-stage macro-micro strategy which samples different dimensions of the artifact universe. Macro-debitage (remains), obtained in normal screening operations, will be combined with an analysis of micro-debitage recovered from fine mesh water screening. The scale and specialization of production will be examined through an analysis of the lithic technology and types of tools produced. Large states arose and declined in Central Mexico prior to the arrival of the Spanish and many archaeologists are trying to understand the processes involved. In recent years it has become clear that control over trade and the access to scarce resources played a major role. During the Classic period the polity centered around Teotihuacan dominated Central Mexico. After ca 700 AD, this state declined and power shifted to a number of smaller regional centers such as Xochicalo. Therefore, it is quite interesting to examine what changes in the production and control of obsidian occurred over this transitional period. Dr. Hirth will study not only how Xochicalo related to the larger world of Middle America but also how obsidian production was organized within the site itself. Did production tend to be egalitarian or was it tightly controlled in state run workshops. Excavation and analysis of recovered remains will help to address these questions. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to a large group of archaeologists. It will also increase our understanding of how complex societies emerge and are maintained.