Formative Period Settlement and Society in Oruro, Bolivia

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Marc Bermann博士将在位于玻利维亚高原的Chuquina和San Andres遗址进行考古发掘-这是安第斯山脉的一个高高原地区。他将集中在形成时期，从公元前2000年到公元300年。正是这一时期奠定了复杂的安第斯文明的崛起的基础，伯曼博士希望了解这一进程的最早阶段。虽然先前在该地区的工作表明了丰富的考古材料，但尚未建立详细的时间顺序。通过对两个分层遗址的挖掘，伯曼博士将收集到大量的陶瓷和石器遗迹。将检查标记工具类型的变化，以确定随时间的变化，并在此基础上，将可能将表面材料与该主序列相关联。放射性碳分析可以确定绝对年代。 考古学家知道，世界上许多地方的第一个文明大致在同一时间出现，他们希望了解这一过程背后的驱动力。虽然安第斯地区最著名的是印加文化，第一批西班牙探险家直接观察到，印加人之前有其他更早的文明。其中第一个基地在玻利维亚高原，伯曼博士的工作将揭示其起源。有了一个可靠的年表，就有可能检查各个遗址，准确地将它们放在时间上，然后追踪导致社会组织日益复杂的过程。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Marc Bermann will conduct archaeological excavations at the sites of Chuquina and San Andres which are located in the Bolivian altiplano - a high plateau region in the Andes. He will focus on the Formative Period which dates from about 2000 BC to 300 AD. It is this period which laid the groundwork for the rise of complex Andean civilizations and Dr. Bermann wishes to understand the earliest stages of this process. Although prior work in the region has indicated a wealth of archaeological materials, a detailed chronological sequence has not been established. Through the excavation of two stratified sites Dr. Bermann will collect a large series of ceramic and lithic remains. Changes in marker tool types will be examined to determine change over time and on this basis it will be possible to relate surface materials to this master sequence. Radiocarbon analysis will allow assignment of absolute dates. Archaeologists know that the first civilizations arose at roughly the same time in many parts of the world and they wish to understand the driving forces behind this process. While the Andean region is best known for the Inca culture which the first Spanish explorers directly observed, the Incas were preceded by other earlier civilizations. The first of these had its base in the Bolivian altiplano and Dr. Bermann's work will shed light on its origins. With a solid chronology, it will then be possible to examine individual sites, place them accurately in time and then trace the process which led to increasing complexity in social organization.