Dissertation Research: The Emergence of Prehistoric Pastoralism in Southern Ethiopia

在Steven Brandt博士的指导下，Girma Hundie先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。在过去的田野调查中，他在埃塞俄比亚南部的亚贝洛地区找到了一系列考古遗址，在他的国家科学基金会支持的项目中，他将返回进行广泛的挖掘和额外的调查。亚贝洛位于肯尼亚边境以北，位于北部的埃塞俄比亚南部高地和南部的东非低洼平原之间的过渡地带。初步数据表明，这一地区是通往南方的入口，对其史前历史的了解可能对将新的民族和新的物质技术引入后一个地区有重要的启示。Hundie先生在一系列的岩石悬垂中，从表面和上层的原位沉积中发现了陶瓷、动物遗骸和加工过的石器，根据初步的地形分析，这些石器可能跨越了数万年。其中一个避难所的墙上有岩画。Hundie先生将在几个避难所进行测试挖掘，以确定沉积物的文化序列和深度。在此基础上，他将选择一个进行更广泛的挖掘。浮选将用于回收工厂残骸。还将收集岩石、陶瓷、动物和放射性碳样本，并进行地质分析。有了这些数据，就有可能追溯从狩猎和采集到后来新石器时代生活方式的变化。因此，我们可以确定家畜首次进入该地区的时间，以及导致这种引入的文化机制。Hundie先生还将进行地面调查，以找到早期牧民的材料，这些材料将为了解早期牧民的社会组织提供见解。考古资料表明，动物驯化发生在旧大陆的几个中心，牛、绵羊和山羊等牲畜从这些中心来源传播开来。虽然东非显然不属于这些地区之一，但驯化动物可能早在6000年前就被引入了。然而，日期尚未确定，路线和机制也不清楚。目前尚不清楚的是，人类是相对久坐不动的，只有牲畜从一个群体传播到另一个群体，还是大规模的人类和牲畜运动同时发生。通过对这些情况的分析，考古学家可以深入了解文化变迁和传播的原理。已经为东非假设了几种模式，但没有可靠的数据来验证或反驳其中任何一种模式。Hundie先生的研究将解决这个问题。这项工作将引起许多考古学家的兴趣，并为世界上一个鲜为人知的地区提供基本数据。该项目还将帮助培训一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Steven Brandt, Mr. Girma Hundie will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. In past fieldwork he has located a series of archaeological sites in the Yabello region of southern Ethiopia and in his NSF supported project will return to conduct extensive excavation as well as additional survey. Yabello is located north of the Kenyan border in a transition zone between the Southern Ethiopian highlands to the North and low-lying East African plains to the South. Preliminary data suggests that this area served as an entryway to the South and an understanding of its prehistory may shed important light on the introduction of both new peoples and new substance technologies into this latter region. In a series of rock overhangs Mr. Hundie has recovered from the surface and upper levels of in situ deposits ceramics as well as faunal remains and worked stone tools which may, based on preliminary tyupological analysis, span tens of millennia. The walls of one of these shelters contain rock paintings. Mr. Hundie will conduct test excavations in several shelters to determine the cultural sequence and depth of deposits. On this basis he will select one for more extensive excavation. Flotation will be employed to recover plant remains. Lithics, ceramics and fauna and radiocarbon samples will also be collected and a geological analysis performed. With these data it should be possible to trace the changes from a hunting and gathering to succeeding Neolithic way of life. One can thus determine when domestic animals first entered the region and the cultural mechanism responsible for this introduction. Mr. Hundie will also conduct a surface survey to locate early pastoral material which should provide insight into early pastoralist social organization. Archaeological data demonstrate that animal domestication occurred in several centers in the Old World and that livestock such as cows, sheep and goats spread from these central sources. While it is clear that East Africa did not constitute one of these areas, domesticates may have been introduced as early as 6,000 years ago. However the date is not well established and neither the route nor mechanism known. It is not clear whether people were relatively sedentary and livestock alone spread from group to group or whether substantial human and livestock movement occurred together. Through analysis of such situations archaeologists can gain insight into the principles which underlie culture change and transmission. Several models have been postulated for East Africa yet solid data do not exist to verify or refute any of them. Mr. Hundie' research will address this question. The work will be of interest to many archaeologists and provide basic data on a little known part of the world. The project will also assist in training a promising young scientist.