Dissertation Research: Cotaxtla Archaeological Survey

在Barbara Stark博士的指导下，Michael Ohnersorgen先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将研究经典玛雅文明的崩溃和阿兹特克帝国的出现带来的变化。在古典玛雅时期，社会是围绕着独立的小城邦或“王国”组织起来的，每个城邦周围都有农村腹地。尽管主要中心之间进行了贸易，但每个中心都是独立的，基本上是自我维持的。在墨西哥，这种组织形式被一个更大的中央集权的阿兹特克帝国所取代，在这个帝国中，玛雅类型的实体被更紧密地整合到一个更严格定义的系统中。由于没有轮式车辆和家养动物，阿兹特克人整合了墨西哥的大部分地区，考古学家希望了解其中的政治和经济机制。奥纳索根的研究集中在这个问题上。他将对位于墨西哥韦拉克鲁斯的考察特拉遗址进行考古调查，重点是后古典时期(公元900-1521年)。根据迄今为止有限的工作，很明显，科塔克特拉最初是独立的，后来并入阿兹特克帝国。奥纳索尔根将试图回答两个基本问题：第一，阿兹特克人是如何维持控制权的？他们是否使用了直接(例如，通过驻扎士兵)或更多的间接手段？阿兹特克人似乎在他们帝国的不同部分使用了不同的方法。其次，阿兹特克人的统治对经济有什么影响？生产组织发生了怎样的变化？科塔特拉是继续广泛的制造活动，还是成为一家专业生产商？黑铁矿工具等物品的生产是在个人家庭还是在更集中的层面上进行的？为了实现这些目标，Ohnersorgen先生将对该地点进行调查，以确定丘群和其他活动集中的地区。在此基础上，他将使用激光凌日来制作详细的地图。然后将进行陶瓷、石器和其他文物的表面收藏。这些数据将使人们能够确定经济活动，并绘制其在空间上的分布。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将为复杂社会的发展提供新的线索。它将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并帮助培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Barbara Stark, Mr. Michael Ohnersorgen will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will examine the changes which resulted from the collapse of classic Mayan civilization and the emergence of the Aztec empire. During the Classic Mayan period, society was organized around small independent city-states or `kingdoms` with rural hinterlands surrounding each. Although trade among major centers took place, each was independent and essentially self sustaining. In Mexico this form of organization was replaced by a larger centralized Aztec empire in which Mayan type entities were more closely integrated into a more tightly defined system. With the absence of wheeled vehicles and domesticated animals the Aztec integrated most of Mexico and archaeologists wish to understand the political and economic mechanisms involved. Mr. Ohnersorgen's research focuses on this question. He will conduct an archaeological survey of the site of Cotaxtla which is located in Veracruz Mexico and will focus on the Postclassic period (A.D. 900-1521). Based on limited work to date, it is clear that Cotaxtla was originally independent and subsequently incorporated into the Aztec empire. Mr. Ohnersorgen will attempt to answer two basic questions: first, how did the Aztecs maintain control? Did they use direct (through, for example, the stationing of soldiers) or more indirect means? It appears that the Aztecs used different methods in different parts of their empire. Secondly, what was the economic impact of Aztec domination? How did the organization of production change? Did a wide range of manufacturing activities continue or did Cotaxtla become a specialized producer? Did the production of items such as obsidian tools take place on an individualized household or a more centralized level? To accomplish these goals Mr. Ohnersorgen will conduct a survey of the site to locate mound groups and other areas of concentrated activity. On this basis he will use a laser transit to produce detailed maps. Surface collections of ceramics, lithics and other artifacts will then be made. These data will permit economic activities to be identified and their distribution plotted over space. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed new light on how complex societies develop. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and assist in training a promising young scientist.