Dissertation Research: Middle Fort Ancient Villages and Organizational Complexity in Central Kentucky

在Tom Dillehay博士的指导下，A. Gwynn Henderson女士将为她的博士论文收集数据。她的研究重点是位于肯塔基州中部的史前遗址，并归因于公元1200年至1400年间繁荣的古堡传统。亨德森女士在该地区拥有丰富的经验。该项目包括三个阶段。首先，将查阅文献以找到已记录的地点信息，并注意到相关的环境数据，如水分可用性和土壤肥力。迄今为止，该地区已记录了100多个遗址。其次，将进行密集的考古调查，以核实记录的信息并确定新的地点。在每个地点，材料的表面分布将被绘制出来，并进行控制收集。在能见度较差的地点，将使用筛选铲探头和土芯的组合来收集场地的大小和内部组织的信息。在新记录的事件中，更大的测试单元将被挖掘出来。最后，收集到的材料将进行一些分析。场地的大小，分布和生态联系将被检查。将研究陶瓷和其他物质文化项目，以确定时间和地点之间的关系。在此基础上，应该有可能重建古堡群体的社会和政治组织，并深入了解他们如何与环境相互作用。考古学家对美国中西部地区非常感兴趣，因为那里出现了等级森严的大型社会组织。令人印象深刻的纪念性建筑存在于卡霍基亚和蒙兹维尔等遗址，科学家们希望了解这种复杂性产生的过程。古堡地区之所以令人感兴趣，是因为它的居民参与了这一普遍的文化传统，但由于没有明确的原因，他们仍然保持着较小的组织规模。亨德森认为，通过仔细研究这一负面案例，可以对更广泛的社会进程获得新的理解。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。它将为社会复杂性的发展提供新的线索，并有助于培养有前途的年轻科学家。

Dillehay Under the direction of Dr. Tom Dillehay, Ms. A. Gwynn Henderson will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. Her research focuses on prehistoric sites located in central Kentucky and attributed to the Fort Ancient tradition, which flourished between 1200 and 1400 AD. Ms. Henderson has extensive prior experience in the region. The project consists of three phases. First, literature will be reviewed to locate recorded site information and to note related environmental data such as water availability and soil fertility. Over 100 sites have been recorded in the region to date. Secondly, intensive archaeological survey will be conducted, both to verify recorded information and to locate new sites. At each site, the surface distribution of materials will be mapped and a controlled collection made. In sites with poor visibility a combination of screened shovel probes and soil cores will be used to collect information the size and internal organization of the site. At newly documented occurrences, larger test units will be excavated. Finally the material collected will be subjected to a number of analyses. Site sizes, distributions and ecological associations will be examined. Ceramics and other items of material culture will be studied to determine both chronology and relations between sites. On this basis it should be possible to reconstruct the social and political organization of Fort Ancient groups and to gain insight into how they interact with their environment. The American midwest is of great interest to archaeologists because of the large hierarchically organized societies which emerged there. Impressive monumental architecture exists at sites such as Cahokia and Moundsville and scientists wish to understand the processes through which such complexity arose. The Fort Ancient area is of interest because its inhabitants participated in this general cultural tradition, yet for no clearcut reason remained at a smaller scale level of organization. M s. Henderson believes that through careful study of this negative case, new understanding can be gained of broader societal processes. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will shed new light on the development of social complexity and assist in the training of a promising young scientist.