Dissertation Research: Obsidian Procurement and Production at San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala

在E·威利斯·安德鲁斯博士的指导下，杰弗里·布拉斯韦尔先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。布拉斯韦尔先生参加了一个考古项目，该项目研究了危地马拉圣马丁·吉洛特普克地区的史前。在这段时间的大部分时间里，该地区是一个重要的贸易中心，因为它拥有丰富的黑铁矿资源。在金属工具引入之前，这种形式的火山玻璃非常珍贵，因为薄片形成并具有锋利的边缘，用作切割工具。研究表明，黑玉石在玛雅地区内外都有广泛的贸易，这种贸易可能在玛雅文明的发展中发挥了重要作用。到目前为止，布拉斯韦尔先生已经确定了圣马丁·吉洛特普克黑玉岩的地质来源区域，并用中子活化分析对其进行了表征。结果表明，不同地区有不同的化学特征，因此，原则上，考古材料可以与来源相匹配。已经进行了一次调查，以确定黑岩工作区的位置，并进行了小规模的挖掘。在国家科学基金会的支持下，布拉斯韦尔先生现在将分析收集到的材料。他将进行更多的中子活化分析，以更准确地确定源的特征。对陶瓷和相关材料的放射性碳测年的研究将使建立更精确的年代学成为可能。通过对考古遗址中发现的黑铁矿遗骸的研究，将确定制造和分配的过程。由于它在空间上的地域性和交易的广泛性，很明显，黑岩在玛雅史前的经济和社会制度中发挥了重要作用。然而，这种生产和贸易是如何组织的还不是很清楚。布拉斯韦尔把重点放在拥有丰富黑铁矿资源的有限地区，应该会对这一进程有重要的洞察力。这项研究很重要，因为它将增加我们对复杂社会如何出现和维持的理解。它还将帮助培训一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. E. Wyllys Andrews, Mr. Geoffrey Braswell will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Mr. Braswell has participated in an archaeological project which has studied the prehistory of the San Martin Jilotepque area of Guatemala. In during much of this time the region was an important trade center because it contained abundant obsidian resources. Before the introduction of metal tools, this form of volcanic glass was highly prized because flakes formed and held sharp edges which were used as cutting tools. Studies have indicated that obsidian was widely traded both across and beyond the Mayan area and that this trade may have played an important role in the development of Mayan civilization. To date Mr. Braswell has located the geological source areas of San Martin Jilotepque obsidian and charactered them by neutron activation analysis. The results show that different regions have distinct chemical signatures and thus archaeological materials can, in principle, be matched to source of origin. A survey to locate obsidian working areas has been carried out and small scale excavation conducted. With National Science Foundation support Mr Braswell will now analyze the materials collected. He will conduct additional neutron activation analyses to characterize sources more precisely. Study of ceramics and radiocarbon dating of related materials will allow the construction of a more precise chronology. Through study of obsidian remains recovered at archaeological sites the process of manufacturing and distribution will then be ascertained. Because it was so spatially localized and so widely traded, it is clear that obsidian played a major role in prehistoric economic and social system of the Maya. Just how this production and trade was organized however is not well understood. With his focus on a limited region with rich obsidian resources Mr. Braswell should gain important insights into this process. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of how complex societies emerge and are maintained. It will also assist in the training of a promising young scientist.