Dissertation Research: State Interventionism in the Late Classic Maya Palenque polity: Excavations at El Lacandon

在奥利维尔·德·蒙莫林博士的指导下，罗伯托·洛佩兹·布拉沃先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。他将在位于墨西哥佩滕半岛的El Lacandon遗址进行考古发掘。这个遗址可以追溯到古典时期，当时玛雅人的政体达到了最大的面积范围，虽然它本身不是一个主要的中心，但由于它与18公里外的帕伦克有联系，所以很重要。铭文和考古数据表明，在古典时期，帕伦克扩大并建立了对包括埃尔拉坎顿在内的大片地区的控制。因为后者在帕伦克扩张之前是作为一个独立实体存在的，所以有可能确定并入帕伦克范围后社会、政治和经济组织是如何改变的，并重建治理的方法。虽然对许多大型玛雅王国进行了研究，但考古学家对所采用的政治一体化手段并不一致。一些人认为，像拉坎顿这样的边远地区是通过直接干预来控制的，并行使了严格的中央集权。在这种情况下，这些地区被紧密地融入更广泛的经济体系。然而，其他考古学家假设了一种更为宽松的安排，即先前存在的地方精英，如果他们承认自己的次要地位，将被允许继续掌权，除了支付贡品外，先前存在的制度基本上保持不变。为了研究这个问题，布拉沃先生将挖掘一系列包含帕伦克之前和后帕伦克时期的“平民”和“精英”居住区。他还将在中央仪式区进行挖掘，以确定一个新的建设期是否与权力结构的变化重合。他观察到的模式将提供对埃尔·拉坎顿-帕伦克关系结构的洞察。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将为了解这个最大的玛雅史前王国之一的运作提供新的线索，并提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据。它还将帮助培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. Olivier De Montmollin, Mr. Roberto Lopez Bravo will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological excavation at the site of El Lacandon located in Mexico's Peten Peninsula. This site dates to the Classic Period when Mayan polities reached their greatest areal extent and, while not a major center itself, is important because of it's ties with Palenque located 18 km away. Epigraphic and archaeological data indicate that during Classic times Palenque expanded and established control over a large region which included El Lacandon. Because the latter existed as an independent entity before Palenque's expansion it is possible to determine how social, political and economic organization was altered after incorporation into Palenque's sphere and to reconstruct the method of governance. While many large Mayan kingdoms have been studied, archaeologists do not agree on the means of political integration employed. Some believe that outlying areas such as El Lacandon were controlled through direct intervention and that tight centralized authority was exercised. Under this scenario such regions were tightly integrated into a broader economic system. Other archaeologists however postulate a much looser arrangement in which pre-existing local elites, if they recognized their secondary status, were allowed to remain in power and that, other than the payment of tribute, pre-existing systems remained essentially unchanged. To examine this question, Mr. Bravo will excavate a series of both "commoner" and "elite" habitation areas which incorporate both pre and post Palenque periods. He will also excavate in central ceremonial areas to determine whether a period of new construction coincides with the power structure change. The patterns he observes will provide insight into the structure of El Lacandon - Palenque relations.This research is important for several reasons. It will shed new light on the functioning of one of the largest Mayan prehistoric kingdoms and provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will also assist in training a promising young scientist.