Tres Zapotes Archaeological Survey

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Christopher Pool博士将在墨西哥韦拉克鲁斯的Tres Zapotes考古遗址进行为期一个赛季的田野工作。尽管在这个非常重要的奥尔梅克遗址上只完成了有限的工作，但有证据表明，它被占领了大约1500年，因此它记录了奥尔梅克史前的大部分。它包含至少25座雕刻的石头纪念碑，其中一座刻有中美洲第二早的日期，从而揭示了这一历法系统的兴起。尽管如此，人们对该遗址知之甚少。地形图尚未公布，场地范围仍未确定，住宅占用和手工艺品生产地点在整个场地的分布情况也未知。人们对该遗址与其他定居点及其腹地资源的关系也知之甚少。普尔博士的研究将有助于纠正这种情况。他将对特雷斯·扎波特斯进行广泛的调查，并制作一张表面材料结构和浓度的地图。将收集石器、陶瓷和其他文化遗迹，以重建年代学，并提供所进行活动的证据。奥尔梅克人构成了中美洲第一个复杂的文化，直接或间接地产生了后来的群体，如玛雅人。史前中美洲文化的许多基本结构都来自这一来源，因此了解奥尔梅克文明的发展是极其重要的。然而，令人惊讶的是，人们对奥尔梅克和特雷斯·扎波特斯的了解很少，因为它的年代跨度很长，而且它留下了丰富的材料，可能会被证明是一个重要的数据来源。普尔博士设想，这第一季的实地研究将作为一个长期项目的基础，有望在此基础上建立起来。他将提供的数据将对大量考古学家具有重要意义。由于他将让许多本科生参与这个项目，这也将有助于教育学生的科学知识，并鼓励他们追求科学事业。

Pool With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Christopher Pool will conduct one season of fieldwork at the archaeological site of Tres Zapotes located in Veracruz, Mexico. Although only limited work has been done at this very important Olmec site, evidence indicates that it was occupied for perhaps 1,500 years and thus it documents much of Olmec prehistory. It contains at least 25 carved stone monuments, one of which bears the second earliest date in mesoamerica and thus sheds light on the rise of this calendric system. Still, little is known about the site. No topographic map has been published, the limits of the site remain undefined and the distribution of residential occupation and craft production loci across the site are unknown. The relationship of the site to other settlements and to resources in its hinterland are also poorly understood. Dr. Pool's research will help to remedy this situation. He will conduct an extensive survey of Tres Zapotes and produce a map of both structures and concentrations of surface materials. Lithic, ceramic and other cultural remains will be collected to reconstruct chronology and to provide evidence of activities conducted. The Olmec constitute the first complex culture in Mesoamerica which, either directly or indirectly, gave rise to later groups such as the Maya. Much of the basic structure of prehistoric Mesoamerican cultures derives from this source and thus an understanding of the development of Olmec civilization is extremely important. Surprisingly little however is known about the Olmec and Tres Zapotes, because of its long chronological span and its wealth of material remains, may prove a crucial source of data. Dr. Pool envisions this first season of field research as the base on which a long term project will, hopefully, be built. The data he will produce will be of importance to a large number of archaeologists. Because he will involve many undergraduates in the project, it will also serve to educate st udents in science and encourage them to pursue scientific careers.