Dissertation Research: Archaeology of the Viru Valley, Peru

在Richard Burger博士的指导下，Thomas Zoubek先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在Huaca El Gallo/Huaca La Gallina遗址进行考古发掘，该遗址位于秘鲁北部海岸的Viru山谷。该遗址包含两个大型石面平台土丘，两个下沉式圆形庭院和广泛的居住遗迹。至少有一个未被掠夺的墓地与土丘和家庭建筑有关。该遗址本身可以追溯到公元前1800年至公元前50年的形成时期，因此记录了秘鲁复杂社会的兴起。在计划中的实地考察中，佐贝克先生和他的同事们将绘制一幅精确的遗址地图。然后，他们将挖掘每种家庭类型的代表性样本，并完整地挖掘一些家庭结构。此外，亦会寻找垃圾地区进行挖掘，以建立地层序列。埋葬和未被破坏的坟墓也将被检查。将对复原的文化和骨骼以及植物和动物材料进行分析。秘鲁海岸的考古情况很有趣，原因有几个。首先，安第斯山脉是世界上少数几个高度复杂的分层社会似乎独立进化的地区之一。在最初的时期，建造和维护了大型的仪式结构。第二，该地区很重要，因为有迹象表明，至少在秘鲁海岸的某些地区，这种发展是在相对平等的社会背景下发生的。考古学家普遍认为，纪念性建筑所显示的政治集中化要么是地位不平等的结果，要么与地位不平等的出现密切相关；然而，秘鲁的案例可能反驳这一假设。由于考古工作集中在更雄伟的纪念性建筑上，人们对这些遗址的家庭组织知之甚少。Zoubek先生的工作将侧重于前者，并提供对社会组织的直接洞察。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将为许多考古学家提供感兴趣的数据。它将增加对复杂社会如何发展的理解，也将有助于培养有前途的年轻科学家。

Burger Under the direction of Dr. Richard Burger, Mr. Thomas Zoubek will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological excavation at the site of Huaca El Gallo/Huaca La Gallina which is located in the Viru Valley on the northern coast of Peru. The site contains two large stone-faced platform mounds, two sunken circular courts and extensive habitational remains. At least one unlooted cemetery is associated with the mounds and domestic structures. The site itself dates to the Formative period, between 1800 and 50 BC and therefore documents the rise of complex society in Peru. In the planned fieldwork, Mr. Zoubek and his colleagues will construct a precise map of the site. They will then excavate a representative sample of each type of household and several domestic structures will be dug in their entirety. Refuse areas will also be sought out for excavation in order to establish stratigraphic sequences. Burials and undisturbed tombs will also be examined. The cultural and skeletal, as well as floral and faunal materials recovered will be analyzed. The archaeological situation of the coast of Peru is interesting for several reasons. First the Andes represents one of the few regions of the world where highly complex stratified societies appear to have independently evolved. During the Initial period large ceremonial structures were built and maintained. Secondly, the region is important because there are indications that, in some parts of the Peruvian coast at least, this development took place in a relatively egalitarian social context. Archaeologists generally believe that political centralization as indicated in monumental construction either results from or is intimately related to the emergence of status inequality; the Peruvian case however may disprove this hypothesis. Relatively little is known about household organization at such sites since archaeological work has concentrated on the more imposing monumental structures. Mr. Zoubek's work will focus on the former and provide direct insight into social organization. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will increase understanding of how complex societies develop and will also contribute to the training of a promising young scientist.