Late Pleistocene Prehistory of the Hatay, Turkey

在国家科学基金会的支持下，史蒂文·库恩博士和玛丽·斯泰纳博士将在土耳其哈塔伊地区的三个考古遗址进行两个野外季节的研究。由于其位置靠近叙利亚边境，这些地点位于中东边缘的一个重要过渡地区。先前挖掘者的工作，以及库恩和斯泰纳对这些遗址的初步研究表明，这三个地点都含有旧石器时代晚期物质的长序列，最早的水平可能超过40,000年前。这使得它们具有重大的人类学意义。在大约40,000年前的欧洲，发生了一场重要的生物和文化变革，当时解剖学上的现代人接替了尼安德特人，旧石器时代晚期的技术取代了更一般的技术适应，其特点是不同的、功能更具体的石器技术、骨工具和艺术品。在考古数据丰富的欧洲，很明显发生的是置换，而不是原址开发。然而，旧石器时代晚期工业的起源尚不清楚，导致它们出现的根本过程也不清楚。从解剖学上讲，现代人早在欧洲出现之前就出现在近东，古人类学家因此将注意力集中在这一领域。正是这一事实，加上早期的日期和骨骼工具的存在，使哈塔伊遗址如此有趣。因为地层数据表明它们记录了很长一段时间，所以从发展或起源的角度来考虑它们是可能的。研究小组将进行初步的地层发掘。他们将收集和分析石块和动物遗骸，并收集样本进行放射性测年。在此基础上，计划了一个较长期的项目。

With National Science Foundation support Drs. Steven Kuhn and Mary Stiner will conduct two field seasons of research at three archaeological sites located in the Hatay region of Turkey. Because of its position near the Syrian border, the sites are situated in an important transition zone at the edge of the Middle East. Work by prior excavators, as well as preliminary research at these sites by Kuhn and Stiner indicates that all three contain long sequences of Upper Paleolithic material and that the earliest levels likely exceed 40,000 years in age. This makes them of great anthropological significance. In Europe at approximately 40,000 years ago an important biological and cultural change took place when anatomically modern humans succeeded Neanderthal peoples and an Upper Paleolithic technology characterized by a different more function specific stone tool technology, bone tools and art replaced a more general technological adaptation. In Europe, where archaeological data are abundant, it is fairly clear that replacement rather than in situ development took place. However the point of origin for the Upper Paleolithic industries is unknown and the underlying process which led to their emergence is not understood. Anatomically modern humans are present in the Near East prior to their appearance in Europe and paleoanthropologists have thus focused their attention on this area. It is this fact together with the early dates and presence of bone tools which make the Hatay sites so interesting. Because stratigraphic data indicate that they document long periods of time, it is possible to consider them from the perspective of development as well or origins. The research team will conduct preliminary stratigraphic excavations. They will collect and analyze both the lithic and faunal remains and collect samples for radiometric dating. On this basis a longer term project is planned.