Analysis of Formative Peruvian Materials

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Tom Dillehay博士将分析从位于秘鲁北方海岸的圣路易斯遗址出土的考古材料，该遗址位于公元前1,800 - 900年之间。它们由一个U形结构组成，有两个翅膀从一个更大的中央土墩延伸出来。在挖掘其中一个的过程中，在每个侧翼的地面上发现了烧焦的“C”形痕迹，调查人员认为罐子被倒置，里面燃烧着供品。浅但完整的沉积物含有大量的陶瓷和石器遗骸;还收集了动物和植物样本。Dillehay博士认为，这种结构反映了一种二元社会组织的形式，现在将检查收集到的材料来验证这一假设。每一翼的各种有机物将进行放射性碳年代测定，以确定两者是否同时被占领。在过去的季节里，石器和陶瓷特征的类型学已经发展起来，这些将应用于陶瓷和石器遗迹。陶瓷属性-装饰图案，装饰处理和容器形状-将被仔细记录，以确定是否可以看出两个翅膀之间的显着差异。为了确定微量元素和中子活化分析是否可用于识别非本地船只，将对碎片样本进行研究。花粉和植物植硅体的检查应该提供深入了解饮食和仪式活动。 人类学家希望了解，在相对简单的技术水平下，个人如何能够组织起来，形成功能强大的有凝聚力的群体。来自秘鲁的人种学和人种历史学证据表明，二元社会组织形式十分普遍。群体被分为两个相对的一半，其中一个占主导地位。这种双重组织形式为社会认同和控制提供了基础。它建立了一个心理模板，在这个模板中，个人可以在与社会其他部分的关系中调整自己。在人种学上，这种形式很普遍，在世界其他地区也有一些不同的变体。然而，人类学家不知道这种模式是何时建立的，以及它是如何随着时间的推移而发展的。根据建筑学证据，一些考古学家假设U形结构与双重组织有关，但没有人分析通过挖掘恢复的材料，以确定它们是否支持这种解释。Dillehay博士的项目将填补这样一个空白。 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将揭示一种重要的社会组织形式，并深入了解它是如何随着时间的推移而发展的。它还将产生许多考古学家感兴趣的数据。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Tom Dillehay will analyze archaeological materials excavated from the site of San Luis which is located on the northern coast of Peru and occupied between 1,800 - 900 B.C. In past work at San Luis, Dr. Dillehay and his colleagues have uncovered two architectural complexes, both apparently associated with religious functions. They consist of a U-shaped structures with two wings which extend from a larger central mound. In the course of the excavation of one of them, burned `C` shaped marks were discovered on the ground of each wing and the investigators believe that pots were inverted and offerings burned within them. The shallow but intact deposits contained large amounts of ceramic and lithic remains; faunal and floral samples were also collected. Dr. Dillehay believes that the structure reflects a form of dual social organization and shall now examine the collected materials to test this hypothesis. A variety of organics from each wing will be radiocarbon dated to determine whether the two were occupied simultaneously. Typologies of lithic and ceramic traits have already been developed during past seasons and these will be applied to the ceramic and lithic remains. Ceramic attributes - decorative motifs, decorative treatments and vessel shapes - will be carefully recorded to determine whether significant differences between the two wings can be discerned. To determine if trace element and neutron activation analyses can be used to identify non-local vessels, a sample of sherds will be studied. Examination of pollen and plant phytoliths should provide insight into diet and ritual activity. Anthropologists wish to understand how, at relatively simple level of technology, individuals can be organized to form functioning cohesive groups. Ethnographic and ethnohistoric evidence from Peru indicate a widespread form of dual social organization. Groups are divided into two opposing halves with one dominant over the other. This dual form of organization provides the basis for social identity and control. It establishes a mental template within which individuals can situate themselves in relation to the rest of society. Ethnographically this form is widespread and is also known, in somewhat different variants, from other parts of the world. However anthropologists do not know when the pattern was established and how it developed through time. Based an architectural evidence, some archaeologists have postulated that U-shaped structures relate to dual organization but no-one has analyzed materials recovered through excavation to determine whether they support such an interpretation. Dr. Dillehay's project will fill just such a gap. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on an important form of social organization and provide insight into how it developed over time. It will also yield data of interest to many archaeologists.